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Melba building permits
Melba, Idaho — as published 2026-08-26.
Reviewed 2026-07-08 · Source
Codes adopted
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Dwelling / Addition / Remodel)
Required for new single-family dwellings, residential additions/remodels, and detached structures within Melba city limits. Issued by the City of Melba's own Building Department under Melba City Code §9-2-1; the City contracts with outside inspection professionals to perform plan review and inspections, but the permit and its legal authority are the City's, not Canyon County's. This same application form and process — not a separate product — is also how Melba permits new commercial construction, commercial additions/remodels, and tenant improvements to existing commercial space; the City has no distinctly-named Commercial Building Permit or Tenant Improvement permit (see localAmendments and tipsAndGotchas for full sourcing on this finding).
Reviewed 2026-08-02 · Source
Requirements
- Building permit required before starting construction, per Melba City Code §9-2-1(A)
- Two (2) plot plans drawn to scale showing proposed work
- Two (2) complete sets of plans and specifications (one set is returned to applicant)
- A copy of the full legal description (recorded) or Subdivision, Lot & Block of property
- Contractor Registration Number required on the application
- Zoning classification must be identified on the application
- Mechanical permits are required separately through the City of Melba, with a copy of the Manual J calculation kept on site
- Commercial new construction, commercial additions and remodels, and interior tenant improvements to existing commercial space all use this same Building Permit Application and the same process — Melba publishes no separate commercial application, no commercial fee schedule, and no design-review or site-plan-review step. The Melba City Code bears this out: Title 9 (Building Regulations) contains only Chapter 1 (Building Codes) and Chapter 2 (General Building Regulations, §9-2-1 and §9-2-2), and Title 10 (Zoning Regulations) — General Provisions, Definitions, Residential Zones, Mixed Use Zones, Commercial and Industrial Zones, Planned Unit Developments, Supplementary Regulations, Manufactured Housing, Amendment Procedure, Conditional Use Permit Procedure, Variance Procedure — contains no Design Review or Site Plan Review chapter.
Required documents
- RequiredMelba Building Permit ApplicationCity of Melba's own building permit application form, capturing applicant/builder/owner information, zoning classification, project type (new dwelling, new commercial, residential/commercial addition or remodel, detached structure), site address, square footage breakdown, and project value. The form carries checkboxes for 'New Dwelling,' 'New Commercial,' 'Residential Addition or Remodel,' 'Commercial Addition or Remodel,' 'Detached Structure,' and 'Other – Specify' all on one page, with identical blank 'Permit Fee' and 'Plan Review Fee' lines regardless of which box is checked — one form serves both residential and commercial projects, including tenant improvements filed under 'Commercial Addition or Remodel' or 'Other – Specify'
- RequiredPlot Plans (2 copies, drawn to scale)
- RequiredConstruction Plans and Specifications (2 complete sets)
- RequiredLegal Description or Subdivision/Lot/Block Documentation
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Building Permit Fee | Unpublished — the Building Permit Application leaves the "Permit Fee" line blank for hand-filling, and Melba City Code §9-2-1(B) states the fee schedule is on file with the City as Exhibit A. That Exhibit A fee schedule does not appear on the City's website, its linked Google Drive document library, Municode or AmLegal codification, or in archived captures of cityofmelba.org. | Melba does not publish its Exhibit A valuation table online. Show full citationHideMelba does not publish its Exhibit A valuation table online. City Code §9-2-1(B) says only that 'the building permit fee schedule is on file with the City as exhibit A and made a part hereof' (Ord. 147, 1-19-1994; amd. Ord. 258, 7-9-2018), with no table included. No fee-schedule PDF appears in the City's Historical Documents / Development Services 'Documents & Permits' library, and the City's pre-August-2020 minutes host (gbm.wef.mybluehost.me) is dead (404) with no web-archive captures of those files, so the record of the 7/9/2018 meeting that adopted Ord. 258 is unavailable. A 2021 'Notice of Proposed Fee Increase' PDF is likewise no longer available on the live site. No fee figure is shown here because none is published. Contact City Hall at (208) 495-2722 for the current Exhibit A valuation table. |
| Plan Review Fee | Unpublished — same as Building Permit Fee; line is blank on the City's own application form | Not found in any published source as of verification. Show full citationHideNot found in any published source as of verification. New chase 2026-07-23: same unpublished Exhibit A document as the Building Permit Fee line above — the live ordinance text, City document library, and full 2017-2025 council-minutes archive were all re-checked (pre-2020 minutes host now entirely dead, no Wayback captures); still unrecoverable without a direct call to City Hall. |
| Water Hookup Fee | $1,800.00 | Published directly on the City of Melba Building Permit Application form (fixed amount, not valuation-based) |
| Sewer Hookup Fee | $4,500.00 | Published directly on the City of Melba Building Permit Application form (fixed amount, not valuation-based) |
Commercial Building Permit (New Construction, Additions, Remodels & Tenant Improvement)
Required for new commercial construction, commercial additions or remodels, and tenant improvements to existing commercial space within Melba city limits. The City has no distinctly-named Commercial Building Permit or Tenant Improvement application: the same one-page Building Permit Application used for residential work carries dedicated 'New Commercial' and 'Commercial Addition or Remodel' checkboxes alongside its residential ones, with a single Permit Fee, Plan Review Fee, Water Hook Up Fee, and Sewer Hook Up Fee block that applies no matter which box is checked. Commercial plans are reviewed under the 2018 International Building Code, the statewide edition Idaho Code §39-4116 requires Melba to enforce, per DOPL's 2025 Updated Idaho Adopted Codes notice; the City's own §9-2-1(A) binds its Building Department generically to 'the provisions of the International Building Code and State laws pertaining to buildings' without naming an edition. As with residential work, the City contracts with outside planning, engineering, and building inspection professionals to review and inspect the work, and the Exhibit A valuation fee schedule referenced in §9-2-1(B) is not published online.
Reviewed 2026-08-26 · Source
Requirements
- Building permit required before starting construction, per Melba City Code §9-2-1(A); new commercial construction, commercial additions/remodels, and tenant improvements to existing commercial space use this same permit and application, selected via the 'New Commercial' or 'Commercial Addition or Remodel' checkbox rather than a separate commercial form
- Two (2) plot plans drawn to scale showing proposed work
- Two (2) complete sets of plans and specifications (one set is returned to applicant)
- A copy of the full legal description (recorded) or Subdivision, Lot & Block of property
- Contractor Registration Number required on the application
- Zoning classification must be identified on the application; Melba City Code Title 10 (Zoning Regulations) includes a Commercial And Industrial Zones chapter (C-1 Commercial Zone, C-2 Service Commercial Zone, M-1 Light Industrial Zone) but no Design Review or Site Plan Review chapter
- Plans for commercial work are reviewed under the 2018 International Building Code — Melba City Code §9-2-1(A) binds the Building Department to 'the provisions of the International Building Code and State laws pertaining to buildings,' and Idaho Code §39-4116 requires local building-permit-issuing jurisdictions to enforce the edition currently adopted by the Idaho Building Code Board, which DOPL's 2025 Updated Idaho Adopted Codes notice identifies as the 2018 IBC
- The City contracts with outside planning, engineering, and building inspection professionals to review and inspect development within City limits, per the City's own Planning & Zoning page; the permit's legal authority and fee collection remain with the City, not with the contracted professionals or Canyon County
- Mechanical permits are required separately through the City of Melba; commercial mechanical work uses its own Commercial Mechanical Permit Application, billed at 2% of the commercial bid price with a $60.00 minimum fee (see the mechanical permit)
- Per Idaho Code §39-4117, the City must notify an applicant within 20 business days of receipt if a commercial building permit application is incomplete, versus 10 business days for a residential application; this is a statewide completeness-determination requirement, not a City of Melba policy, and it does not describe how long full plan review itself takes
Required documents
- RequiredMelba Building Permit ApplicationThe same one-page form used for residential work: checkboxes for 'New Dwelling,' 'New Commercial,' 'Residential Addition or Remodel,' 'Commercial Addition or Remodel,' 'Detached Structure,' and 'Other – Specify' all sit on one page, with one blank 'Permit Fee' line and one blank 'Plan Review Fee' line shared by every project type, plus fixed Water Hook Up ($1,800.00) and Sewer Hook Up ($4,500.00) fee lines
- RequiredPlot Plans (2 copies, drawn to scale)
- RequiredConstruction Plans and Specifications (2 complete sets)
- RequiredLegal Description or Subdivision/Lot/Block Documentation
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Building Permit Fee | Unpublished — the Building Permit Application leaves the "Permit Fee" line blank for hand-filling for every project type, including 'New Commercial' and 'Commercial Addition or Remodel,' and Melba City Code §9-2-1(B) states the fee schedule is on file with the City as Exhibit A | Melba City Code §9-2-1(B): 'the building permit fee schedule is on file with the City as exhibit A and made a part hereof' (Ord. Show full citationHideMelba City Code §9-2-1(B): 'the building permit fee schedule is on file with the City as exhibit A and made a part hereof' (Ord. 147, 1-19-1994; amd. Ord. 258, 7-9-2018). The Building Permit Application's Office Use fee block (Permit Fee / Plan Review Fee / Water Hook Up Fee / Sewer Hook Up Fee / Total Fee) is a single shared block used regardless of which project-type box is checked. No separate commercial valuation table appears in the City's Historical Documents library, on Municode or AmLegal, or in archived captures of cityofmelba.org. Contact City Hall at (208) 495-2722 for the current Exhibit A valuation table. |
| Plan Review Fee | Unpublished — same as the Building Permit Fee; the 'Plan Review Fee' line on the Building Permit Application is blank for every project type, including 'New Commercial' and 'Commercial Addition or Remodel' | Not found in any published source: the live ordinance text, the City's document library, and the available council-minutes archive contain no commercial plan-review fee or percentage. Show full citationHideNot found in any published source: the live ordinance text, the City's document library, and the available council-minutes archive contain no commercial plan-review fee or percentage. No separate or higher commercial plan-review charge (of the kind some neighboring Idaho cities publish) appears on Melba's application form or in its City Code; same unpublished Exhibit A document as the Building Permit Fee above. |
| Water Hookup Fee | $1,800.00 | Published directly on the City of Melba Building Permit Application form (fixed amount, not valuation-based); the same fee line applies regardless of which project-type box is checked, including 'New Commercial' and 'Commercial Addition or Remodel.' |
| Sewer Hookup Fee | $4,500.00 | Published directly on the City of Melba Building Permit Application form (fixed amount, not valuation-based); the same fee line applies regardless of which project-type box is checked, including 'New Commercial' and 'Commercial Addition or Remodel.' |
Mechanical Permit (New Residential / Retro-Residential / Commercial)
VerifiedRequired through the City of Melba for HVAC, gas piping, fireplace/stove, and related mechanical work, separate from the general building permit. Melba publishes fixed and percentage-based fees directly on its own mechanical permit application forms.
Verified 2026-07-08 · Source
Requirements
- Required for new dwelling HVAC systems, additions/remodels/shops, additional HVAC systems, radiant floor heat, pool heaters, heat pumps/AC for manufactured homes, gas piping (underground and house), fireplaces/stoves (wood/pellet/gas), and venting-only installations
- For commercial mechanical work: new or retrofit application, with permit fee calculated as 2% of the commercial bid price (minimum fee $60.00)
- Payment (cash, check, or money order) due at time of submittal
- It is the duty of the Contractor or Owner to notify the City when the project is ready for inspection
- Permits are issued subject to the Building, Mechanical, and Zoning Codes of Melba City, Idaho; commercial permits expire in 180 days if work is not started or is abandoned
Required documents
- RequiredNew Residential Construction Mechanical Permit ApplicationCity of Melba form (revised 12/23/2020) itemizing new dwelling ($150 flat), new addition/remodel/shop ($60 flat), and per-unit fees for additional HVAC systems, radiant floor heat, pool heaters, heat pumps, gas piping, fireplaces, and stoves
- RequiredCommercial Mechanical Permit ApplicationCity of Melba form (revised 12/23/2020) for new or retro commercial mechanical work; fee is 2% of commercial bid price, $60 minimum
- RequiredRetro-Residential Mechanical Permit ApplicationCity of Melba form for mechanical work in existing residential structures
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New Dwelling (residential mechanical, does not include fireplaces/stoves or gas piping) | $150.00 | City of Melba New Residential Construction Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020 |
| New Addition / Remodel / Shop (residential mechanical, does not include fireplaces/stoves or gas piping) | $60.00 | City of Melba New Residential Construction Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020, checkbox line “NEW ADDITION / REMODEL / SHOP = $60”; the same line states it does not include fireplaces/stoves or gas piping, which are billed per item below. |
| Any additional HVAC system | $75.00 each | City of Melba New Residential Construction Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020, “ANY ADDITIONAL HVAC System = Per additional system” line, qty × $75 each; Show full citationHideCity of Melba New Residential Construction Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020, “ANY ADDITIONAL HVAC System = Per additional system” line, qty × $75 each; also printed at the same rate on the City of Melba Retro Residential Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020. |
| Radiant floor heat | $60.00 each | City of Melba New Residential Construction Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020, “RADIANT FLOOR HEAT” line, qty × $60 each; also printed at the same rate on the City of Melba Retro Residential Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020. |
| Pool heater (gas only) | $40.00 each | City of Melba New Residential Construction Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020, “POOL HEATER (Gas only)” line, qty × $40 each; also printed at the same rate on the City of Melba Retro Residential Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020. |
| New heat pump / air conditioner for manufactured home | $40.00 each | City of Melba New Residential Construction Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020, “NEW HEAT PUMP / AIR CONDITIONER FOR MFG HOME” line, qty × $40 each. Show full citationHideCity of Melba New Residential Construction Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020, “NEW HEAT PUMP / AIR CONDITIONER FOR MFG HOME” line, qty × $40 each. This line appears on the new-residential form only; the Retro Residential form carries manufactured-home change-outs in its $40.00-per-unit change-out table instead. |
| Gas piping — underground | $60.00 each | City of Melba New Residential Construction Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020, “GAS PIPING = UNDERGROUND” line, qty × $60 each; also printed at the same rate on the City of Melba Retro Residential Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020. |
| Gas piping — house piping | $60.00 each | City of Melba New Residential Construction Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020, house-piping line, qty × $60 each (the form prints the label as “GAS PIPNG = HOUSE PIPING”); Show full citationHideCity of Melba New Residential Construction Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020, house-piping line, qty × $60 each (the form prints the label as “GAS PIPNG = HOUSE PIPING”); also printed at the same rate on the City of Melba Retro Residential Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020. |
| Fireplace (wood / pellet / gas) | $40.00 each | City of Melba New Residential Construction Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020, “FIREPLACE’S = (wood / pellet / gas)” line, qty × $40 each; also printed at the same rate on the City of Melba Retro Residential Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020. |
| Stove (wood / pellet / gas) | $40.00 each | City of Melba New Residential Construction Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020, “STOVE’S = (wood / pellet / gas)” line, qty × $40 each; also printed at the same rate on the City of Melba Retro Residential Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020. |
| Venting only for fireplace/stove | $40.00 each | City of Melba New Residential Construction Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020, “IF VENTING ONLY FOR FIREPLACE’S / STOVE’S = (wood / pellet / gas)” line, qty × $40 each; Show full citationHideCity of Melba New Residential Construction Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020, “IF VENTING ONLY FOR FIREPLACE’S / STOVE’S = (wood / pellet / gas)” line, qty × $40 each; also printed at the same rate on the City of Melba Retro Residential Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020. |
| Commercial Mechanical Permit (new or retrofit) | 2% of commercial bid price, minimum fee $60.00 | City of Melba Commercial Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020 |
Solar PV Permit
VerifiedRequired for installation of rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems within Melba city limits. The structural/racking scope is permitted by the City of Melba's own Building Department under Melba City Code §9-2-1 (the same unpublished Exhibit A fee-schedule process used for other construction); the electrical interconnection is separately permitted and inspected by the State of Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), since Melba's own self-administered permitting program covers Building and Mechanical work but no electrical-permit application or fee schedule is published by the City.
Verified 2026-07-20 · Source
Requirements
- Structural/racking mounting work requires a City of Melba Building Permit Application under City Code §9-2-1(A), including two plot plans and two complete sets of plans/specifications
- Electrical interconnection (wiring, inverter, grid tie-in) requires a separate State of Idaho electrical permit issued by DOPL, not the City — Melba publishes no electrical-permit application or fee schedule of its own, unlike its published Building and Mechanical permit forms
- Grid-connected renewable energy systems require a State plan-check permit number prior to purchasing the State electrical installation permit, per DOPL's own homeowner electrical permit process
- Contractor Registration Number required on the City Building Permit Application
Required documents
- RequiredMelba Building Permit ApplicationCity of Melba's own building permit application form, used for the structural/racking mounting scope
- RequiredPlot Plans (2 copies, drawn to scale)
- RequiredState of Idaho Electrical Permit Application (Homeowner or Contractor)Separate application filed with DOPL (dopl.idaho.gov) for the electrical/interconnection portion of the solar installation
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| City Building Permit Fee (structural/racking scope) | Unpublished — the Building Permit Application itself leaves the 'Permit Fee' line blank/hand-filled, and Melba City Code §9-2-1(B) states the fee schedule is on file with the City as Exhibit A, not… Show full citationHideUnpublished — the Building Permit Application itself leaves the 'Permit Fee' line blank/hand-filled, and Melba City Code §9-2-1(B) states the fee schedule is on file with the City as Exhibit A, not published online, consistent with the general residential-building-permit entry in this record. Contact City Hall at (208) 495-2722 for the current Exhibit A valuation table. | |
| State of Idaho Electrical Permit — grid-connected renewable energy (electrical/interconnection scope) | Up to $10,000 system cost: (cost x 0.02) + $60. $10,001-$100,000: ((cost - $10,000) x 0.01) + $260. Over $100,001: ((cost - $100,000) x 0.005) + $1,160 | Idaho DOPL Electrical Permit Worksheet (Homeowner), 'Other Installations including Solar/Renewable Energy' table, revised 8/17/2022 — the statewide fee formula, which governs here because Melba… Show full citationHideIdaho DOPL Electrical Permit Worksheet (Homeowner), 'Other Installations including Solar/Renewable Energy' table, revised 8/17/2022 — the statewide fee formula, which governs here because Melba publishes no electrical-permit fee schedule of its own. Grid-connected systems additionally require a State plan-check permit number before the installation permit can be purchased. |
EV Charger / EVSE Permit
VerifiedInstalling a Level 1/Level 2 EV charging circuit in Melba is purely electrical work. Melba's own permitting is limited to structural/building scope under Melba City Code §9-2-1; the electrical portion of any installation is separately permitted and inspected by the State of Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), the same routing documented in the solar-pv-permit entry for the electrical interconnection scope. No City permit applies to a stand-alone EV charger circuit unless the installation also involves structural work. No EV-charger-specific line item exists on DOPL's published fee worksheet; a charger circuit added to an existing home is billed under DOPL's general 'Existing Residence' branch-circuit fee.
Verified 2026-07-20 · Source
Requirements
- Electrical permit required from the State of Idaho DOPL for the EV charger circuit/panel work — obtained via dbs.idaho.gov (all permits purchased online as of January 1, 2023)
- Homeowners performing their own work on a primary/secondary residence may use DOPL's Homeowner Permit process; otherwise a licensed electrical contractor must pull the permit
- No City of Melba building permit applies to a stand-alone EV charger circuit with no structural scope; if bundled with new construction or an addition, the City's Building Permit process under Melba City Code §9-2-1 would also apply to that structural scope
- All electrical work must be inspected by DOPL's assigned state trade inspector for the Melba/Canyon County area
Required documents
- RequiredState of Idaho DOPL Electrical Permit Application (Homeowner or Contractor)Filed online at dbs.idaho.gov; no separate EV-charger-specific form exists
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DOPL Existing Residence — branch circuit addition | $65.00 base fee (includes one circuit) plus $10.00 per additional branch circuit, up to the maximum of the corresponding square footage of the building | Idaho DOPL Electrical Permit Worksheet (Homeowner), 'Existing Residence' category, revised 8/17/2022 — the applicable category for a typical EV charger circuit/subpanel added to an existing home; Show full citationHideIdaho DOPL Electrical Permit Worksheet (Homeowner), 'Existing Residence' category, revised 8/17/2022 — the applicable category for a typical EV charger circuit/subpanel added to an existing home; no EV-specific line item exists on the worksheet, consistent with the same DOPL fee document already cited in the solar-pv-permit entry. |
Sources & verification
Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-08.
Applications & forms
Codes & ordinances
Department & other records
Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Melba building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.