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Commercial Tenant Improvement (TI) Permit in Nampa, Idaho

Required for finishing or remodeling an existing commercial building or tenant lease space in Nampa, and for any change of occupancy classification. Nampa issues four related products depending on the scenario: a Tenant Improvement permit ending in a Certificate of Completion (no new tenant), a Tenant Improvement (Occupancy Only) permit for a new shell/complete building with a tenant already designated, a Tenant Improvement permit ending in a Certificate of Occupancy (new tenant or occupancy-classification change), and a construction-free Certificate of Occupancy Only application for a like-for-like change of tenant or owner with no occupancy-classification change.

Verified 2026-08-02 · Source

When you need this permit

  • A TI permit is required for tenant improvements, including finishing or remodeling of an existing building or tenant space, per Nampa's Commercial FAQ
  • A TI permit is also required for any Change of Occupancy for an existing commercial building or tenant space, even without significant remodeling
  • Per Nampa's Commercial FAQ, changes to or within certain use categories always require a TI permit due to differing code requirements: hospitals, medical or dental offices, custodial care and halfway houses, daycares, schools, hair salons, barbershops, restaurants, assembly uses, and storage or factory uses
  • A simple change of tenant or building owner with no change in occupancy classification and no remodeling may instead use a Certificate of Occupancy Only application in place of a full TI permit (the FAQ's own example: a law office converting to an accounting office)
  • Obtain any necessary entitlements for the specific tenant use from Planning & Zoning — they determine whether the use is allowed or requires a Conditional Use Permit — before or at submittal
  • Tenant identity, specific use, and occupancy classification must be provided at the time of TI application
  • A registered building contractor or the building owner may apply; licensed Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing contractors must separately purchase their own trade permits for MEP work Owner-builder
  • A separate sign permit, installed by an Idaho-registered contractor and obtained through Planning & Zoning, is required after the TI if new signage is planned Contractor

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit — valuation-based per Nampa Exhibit A Schedule of Permit FeesNampa Exhibit A Schedule of Permit Fees (Dec 21, 2021); applies unless otherwise stated
$22.20 flat (≤$500) up to $5,299.94 for the first $1,000,000 plus $3.45 per additional $1,000 above that — same valuation table used for all Nampa building permits
Plan Review FeeNampa Exhibit A item 5: assessed for all Building Occupancies, invoiced at intake
65% of the building permit fee
Commercial MEP sub-contractor permit — valuation-basedNampa Exhibit A — Commercial Project Subcontractor Scope of Work Valuation Table, quoted as printed (the source's own top-bracket label reads 'over $1,000,000' though the formula continues from the $100,000 breakpoint — reproduced as-is rather than silently corrected). Add the $36.00 base fee below.
2.68% of project value up to $20,000; $536.00 plus 1.61% of the portion exceeding $20,000 (up to $50,000); $1,019.00 plus 0.80% of the portion exceeding $50,000 (up to $100,000); $1,419.00 plus 0.54% of the portion exceeding $100,000 above that
Commercial sub-trade Base Permit FeeApplies to all MEP permits in this section per Nampa Exhibit A
$36.00
Reinspection (after first reinspection for same item)
$55.00 flat fee

Review timeline

Plan reviewNampa’s published plan-review target
10–15 business days

How long did your Commercial Tenant Improvement (TI) Permit permit actually take in Nampa?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Rough MEP

    Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing rough-in for the tenant space scope, before wall or ceiling cover

  2. 2

    Fire / Life Safety

    Fire sprinkler and/or fire alarm inspection and testing where the occupancy classification or scope of work requires it

  3. 3

    Final

    All work complete per approved plans; a Certificate of Completion (no tenant/owner change) or Certificate of Occupancy (new tenant or occupancy-classification change) is issued — the tenant is eligible to occupy the space only after the Certificate of Occupancy is received

See the full Nampa inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Nampa's TI plan review timeline depends on which certificate you'll receive at the end: 10 working days for a Certificate of Completion or an Occupancy-Only TI, versus 15 working days for a Certificate of Occupancy, per the Aug 14, 2024 Plan Review Processing Time Frames.
  • If you're only changing tenant or ownership with the same occupancy classification and no construction, ask about the Certificate of Occupancy Only application instead of a full TI permit — Nampa's own example is an office space changing from a law practice to an accounting practice.
  • Certain use categories always require a TI permit for any change, even within the same broad occupancy group, because of stricter life-safety requirements: hospitals, medical/dental offices, custodial care/halfway houses, daycares, schools, hair salons, barbershops, restaurants, assembly, storage, and factory uses.
  • A sign permit is a separate step from the TI permit — it's obtained through Planning & Zoning and must be installed by an Idaho-registered contractor. Contractor
  • MEP work for a TI needs its own trade permits under the commercial percentage-of-valuation fee schedule (not the flat residential sub-trade fees), plus the $36 base fee.

Frequently asked questions

Not always. If the change of tenant or owner involves no change in occupancy classification and no construction, Nampa allows a Certificate of Occupancy Only application in place of a full TI permit — the city's example is an office converting from a law practice to an accounting practice. But certain uses (restaurants, medical/dental offices, daycares, schools, salons, assembly, storage, and factory uses, among others) always require a TI permit due to differing life-safety code requirements, even for a change that otherwise looks like-for-like.

In Nampa, the published Building Permit — valuation-based per Nampa Exhibit A Schedule of Permit Fees is: $22.20 flat (≤$500) up to $5,299.94 for the first $1,000,000 plus $3.45 per additional $1,000 above that — same valuation table used for all Nampa building permits. Additional published fees: Plan Review Fee — 65% of the building permit fee; Commercial MEP sub-contractor permit — valuation-based — 2.68% of project value up to $20,000; $536.00 plus 1.61% of the portion exceeding $20,000 (up to $50,000); $1,019.00 plus 0.80% of the portion exceeding $50,000 (up to $100,000); $1,419.00 plus 0.54% of the portion exceeding $100,000 above that; Commercial sub-trade Base Permit Fee — $36.00; Reinspection (after first reinspection for same item) — $55.00 flat fee. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Nampa's published plan-review target for a commercial tenant improvement (ti) permit is 10–15 business days.

You'll need: Commercial Tenant Improvement Application; Commercial Building Permit Checklist (revised Nov 5, 2024). Depending on your project, Nampa may also ask for: Commercial Tenant Improvement Occupancy Only Application (Dec 2025); Certificate of Occupancy Only Application (Feb 2023); Energy Code Compliance (ComCheck). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Nampa requires 3 inspection(s) for a commercial tenant improvement (ti) permit, in order: Rough MEP, Fire / Life Safety, Final. Schedule each through Nampa Building Safety & Code Department ((208) 468-5435).

Apply through Nampa Building Safety & Code Department at 500 12th Ave South, Nampa, ID 83651. Phone: (208) 468-5435, email: buildinginspections@cityofnampa.us. Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Official information: https://www.cityofnampa.us/163/Building-Safety-Code.

Nampa, Idaho has adopted: 2018 International Residential Code (IRC); 2018 International Building Code (IBC); 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC); 2018 International Fire Code (IFC); 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — Residential and Commercial; 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC); 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC); 2017 Idaho State Plumbing Code; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC); 2009 ICC/ANSI/A117.1 (Accessibility); 2015 NFPA A30 Code for Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages; 2015 NFPA 99 Health Care Facilities Code. Local amendments apply — see the Nampa overview page for the full list.

A Certificate of Completion is issued for a tenant improvement or remodel where there is no change of tenant or building owner — it confirms the work is done but does not by itself authorize a business to occupy the space. A Certificate of Occupancy is issued when the TI involves a new tenant, a new building, an addition, or a change in occupancy classification; only after receiving it is the tenant eligible to occupy the space.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-02.

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 Nampa building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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Commercial Tenant Improvement (TI) Permit in other cities

Blackfoot, IdahoCaldwell, IdahoCascade, IdahoCity of St. Maries, IdahoCoeur d'Alene, IdahoFruitland, IdahoHayden, IdahoIdaho Falls, Idaho

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