Skip to main content
PermitBase

Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Additions / Accessory Buildings) in Preston, Idaho

Required for new residential construction, additions, and accessory buildings within Preston city limits, per the City of Preston's Building Permit Application Instructions. Building Permit itself is set by the city inspector based on valuation; a separate flat Building Permit Application Fee also applies per Resolution #178.

Verified 2026-07-04 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Land Survey of the lot prepared by an Idaho licensed engineer or land surveyor (a stamped plat map for a platted subdivision is acceptable if the lot is clearly identified)
  • Copy of deed, tracing back to 06/06/1974 for new home construction
  • Detailed Site Plan showing dimensions, setbacks, easements, contours/drainage, floor elevation, utility locations, building uses, and a North arrow
  • Complete Building Plans meeting current building code specifications, to be reviewed by the city Building Inspector
  • Cut Permit (Encroachment/Cut Permit) if the project requires cutting any city street, including a licensed contractor to dig and locate city services Contractor
  • Current Preston City Business License for any contractor or non-owner service provider working on the project
  • All homes, including modular homes, must include a garage as part of the installation

Required documents

Check off what you have — your progress is saved on this device.

Not ready yet — 0 of 6 required documents checked.

This checker covers one permit. A full project usually triggers several — our paid checklist will assemble all of them, from $29 →

Fee schedule

Building Permit (base)Resolution #178 (effective 2026-02-01): 'Building Permits (set by city inspector, based on valuation)' — no flat percentage or table is published; this file does not invent a rate.
Set by city inspector, based on valuation
Building Permit Application Fee — Single/Multi Family DwellingResolution #178, BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT section.
$150.00
Building Permit Application Fee — AdditionsResolution #178, BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT section.
$50.00
Building Permit Application Fee — Accessory BuildingResolution #178, BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT section.
$25.00
Building Permit Appeal Application Fee (Planning & Zoning)Resolution #178.
$300.00
Building Permit Appeal Application Fee (City Council)Resolution #178.
$300.00
Encroachment/Cut PermitResolution #178, plus a bond 'based on square footage of trench' (amount not published as a flat figure).
$200.00
Preston City Business License (per contractor)Resolution #178, BUSINESS LICENSES section. Required per the Building Permit Application Instructions for anyone but the property owner performing work under the permit.
$50.00

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Additions / Accessory Buildings) permit actually take in Preston?

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

Inspection process

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

    Tips

    • The City of Preston's Building Department is entirely separate from Franklin County's own Building Department, even though the county office is physically located within Preston's town limits — do not assume county rules or fees apply inside Preston city limits.
    • Any contractor or other non-owner service provider must obtain a current Preston City Business License ($50.00 per Resolution #178) before starting any work under a Preston building permit — this bolded requirement appears with no equivalent in Franklin County's own unincorporated-county process.
    • If your project requires cutting a city street (e.g. to connect water/sewer), you must obtain a separate Encroachment/Cut Permit ($200.00 plus a trench-footage-based bond) and use a licensed contractor to dig and locate city services; the Public Works Department must be notified at least 2 working days before any intended connection, and no connections/inspections happen on holidays, weekends, before 8 AM, or after 4 PM. Contractor
    • New construction may trigger additional City Engineer-determined requirements (sod/swale bond, curb, gutter, sidewalk, or street improvements) or a deferral agreement — the Building Permit Application Instructions state the City Engineer will contact the applicant directly if these apply, but Preston's own Employee Directory does not list a standalone 'City Engineer' position, so this function may be performed by Public Works Director Scott Montgomery or a contracted engineer; confirm directly with the city.
    • Preston's building permit becomes null and void if work is not commenced within 120 days, or is suspended/abandoned for 120 days at any point after commencement — a different figure from Franklin County's own (internally conflicting) 180-day/6-month figures for the unincorporated county.
    • Applications for Building Permits and Business Licenses are submitted through the CloudPermit online system (us.cloudpermit.com/gov/login) per the city's Forms & Applications page, not through Franklin County's own paper/email process.
    • The city's own Building Permit Application Instructions document and fee schedule do not state a numeric plan-review turnaround time; confirm current processing time directly with Building Inspector Curt Fuller before planning a construction timeline.

    Frequently asked questions

    Preston requires a residential building permit (new construction / additions / accessory buildings) for: Land Survey of the lot prepared by an Idaho licensed engineer or land surveyor (a stamped plat map for a platted subdivision is acceptable if the lot is clearly identified); Copy of deed, tracing back to 06/06/1974 for new home construction; Detailed Site Plan showing dimensions, setbacks, easements, contours/drainage, floor elevation, utility locations, building uses, and a North arrow; Complete Building Plans meeting current building code specifications, to be reviewed by the city Building Inspector; Cut Permit (Encroachment/Cut Permit) if the project requires cutting any city street, including a licensed contractor to dig and locate city services; Current Preston City Business License for any contractor or non-owner service provider working on the project; All homes, including modular homes, must include a garage as part of the installation. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Preston Building Department at (208) 852-1817 before starting work.

    The Building Permit itself is set by the city inspector based on the project's valuation (no flat percentage is published). In addition, Resolution #178 (effective February 1, 2026) sets a flat, non-refundable Building Permit Application Fee: $150.00 for a single/multi-family dwelling, $50.00 for additions, and $25.00 for an accessory building. Contractors must also separately hold a $50.00 Preston City Business License.

    Preston does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Preston Building Department at (208) 852-1817 for current turnaround.

    You'll need: Building Permit Application Instructions; Land Survey or stamped Plat Map; Copy of Deed; Site Plan (PDF); Building Plans (PDF); Preston City Business License. Depending on your project, Preston may also ask for: Encroachment/Cut Permit. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through City of Preston Building Department at 70 West Oneida, Preston, ID 83263. Phone: (208) 852-1817, email: curtf@prestonid.us. Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, per prestonidaho.net main contact info. Building Inspector: Curt Fuller (208-540-0417, curtf@prestonid.us). Permit Administrator: Shawn Oliverson (208-852-1817, shawno@prestonid.us), per the city's Building Department page and Employee Directory. Note: the city's Employee Directory lists Shawn Oliverson's title as 'Director of City Planning and Land Use' rather than 'Permit Administrator' — both titles appear on different city-published pages and are reported here without resolving the discrepancy. No separate 'City Engineer' position appears in the Employee Directory despite being referenced in the Building Permit Application Instructions document; Public Works Director is Scott Montgomery..

    Preston, Idaho has adopted: NOTE: Preston's own Building Permit Application Instructions document (city letterhead PDF) and Building Department webpage do not state specific numbered code editions (e.g. '2021 IBC') anywhere in their text. Idaho's state building-code framework (per the neighboring, already-verified Franklin County file) has cities and counties adopt by reference whatever edition the Idaho Building Code Board has currently approved statewide, tracking automatically as the state updates its adoption. This file does not fabricate a specific edition year for Preston; the Idaho Division of Building Safety / Idaho Building Code Board (dopl.idaho.gov/bld, or BCRE-PERMITS@DOPL.IDAHO.GOV, (208) 334-3233) should be contacted directly, or Preston's full codified municipal code (hosted at preston.municipalcodeonline.com, which returned only an ordinance-management interface rather than readable chapter text via automated fetch during this research) should be reviewed directly, to confirm the exact in-force edition as of any given date.; Preston's Building Permit Application Instructions confirm plan review by the city Building Inspector against 'current building code specifications,' without naming a specific code family or year in the document text itself.. Local amendments apply — see the Preston overview page for the full list.

    No. The City of Preston operates its own separate Building Department with its own Building Inspector (Curt Fuller), distinct from Franklin County's Building Inspector (Randy Henrie), even though the county's own Building Department office happens to be physically located within Preston. Properties inside Preston's corporate limits must apply through the City of Preston's own process (via CloudPermit), which includes requirements — a Preston City Business License for contractors, a Cut Permit for city street work, and City Engineer review of certain improvements — that have no equivalent in the county's process.

    Sources & verification

    Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-04.

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

    Other permits in Preston

    Solar PV Permit (State-Issued Electrical + City Building Permit)EV Charging Station Permit (State-Issued Electrical Permit)

    Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Additions / Accessory Buildings) in other cities

    Ammon, IdahoBlackfoot, IdahoBoise, IdahoBuhl, IdahoBurley, IdahoCaldwell, IdahoCascade, IdahoChubbuck, Idaho

    Compare residential building permit (new construction / additions / accessory buildings) fees across Idaho →

    Look up this fee in a different city →

    Embed this data card →

    Now live

    Build your Preston project checklist

    Describe your project once and get every permit, document, and fee it triggers in Preston — in one checklist. Sign up and pay once to generate it, or go unlimited with Pro.

    Get started →