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

Required for new construction, additions, and accessory buildings within Preston city limits, per the City of Preston's Building Permit Application Instructions. The Building Permit itself is set by the city inspector based on valuation; a separate flat Building Permit Application Fee also applies per Resolution #178. Preston does not publish a distinct commercial-building-permit or tenant-improvement-permit application, fee schedule, or review process. The City's Building Permit Application Instructions document (city letterhead PDF) describes one generic application/document checklist (Land Survey, Deed, Site Plan, Building Plans, Cut Permit) with no separate commercial track, and Resolution #178's 'BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT' fee section prices the underlying 'Building Permits' line generically ('set by city inspector, based on valuation') with no residential/commercial distinction — this SAME Building Permit, application process, and CloudPermit online system is what a commercial new-construction or tenant-improvement project in Preston uses. The one gap: Resolution #178's separate flat 'Building Permit Application Fee' sub-categories (Single/Multi Family Dwelling $150.00, Additions $50.00, Accessory Building $25.00) do not include an explicit 'Commercial' line item — see the fees list and tipsAndGotchas for sourcing and the note on confirming the applicable category directly with the Building Inspector. Separately, the Idaho Building Code Act (Idaho Code 39-4117, added 2025) gives Preston 20 business days (versus 10 for residential) to determine whether a submitted commercial building permit application is complete — a statewide completeness-review clock, not a distinct city permit product or a guarantee of full plan approval within that window.

Verified 2026-08-02 · 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
  • Commercial new construction and commercial tenant-improvement/remodel projects use this SAME Building Permit application, document checklist, and fee structure — Preston has no distinct commercial-building-permit or TI-permit product (see the note above)
  • Per Idaho Code 39-4117 (statewide, added 2025): for a commercial building permit application, Preston must, within 20 business days of receipt, provide written notice if the application is incomplete, and must issue a written completeness determination within 20 business days of a submission or revised submission — 20 business days for commercial versus 10 business days for residential. A completeness determination is not approval; it only authorizes the application to proceed to formal plan review.

Required documents

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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 record 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
Building Permit Application Fee — Commercial
Resolution #178's 'BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT' Building Permit Application Fee sub-categories list only Single/Multi Family Dwelling ($150.00), Additions ($50.00), and Accessory Building ($25.00) — no… Show full citationResolution #178's 'BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT' Building Permit Application Fee sub-categories list only Single/Multi Family Dwelling ($150.00), Additions ($50.00), and Accessory Building ($25.00) — no 'Commercial' line item exists anywhere in the document. The underlying Building Permit fee itself ('set by city inspector, based on valuation') is stated generically with no residential/commercial distinction, so that valuation-based fee construct applies the same way to a commercial project; no dollar figure is stated here for the flat Application Fee sub-category a commercial project would fall under. The prior fee resolution, #174 (passed April 14, 2025, effective May 1, 2025), lists the identical three sub-categories with no Commercial line either, so the omission predates #178 and is not a one-time drafting gap. No resolution between #178 and the current numbering (#182, an Employee Salary resolution, appears on the August 24, 2026 council agenda) touches the license/fee schedule; the city's own Forms & Applications page still links Resolution #178 as its current fee schedule. Ordinance 2026-3 (adopted January 26, 2026) repealed and replaced Title 15 (Buildings and Construction) but only to remove obsolete building-code-edition references and align with Idaho State codes — it does not touch fees. Confirm the applicable Application Fee category directly with Building Inspector Curt Fuller (curtf@prestonid.us, 208-540-0417) for a specific commercial project.
Not separately published

Review timeline

Plan reviewPreston’s published plan-review target
30+ business days

How long did your 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 beyond the general 'minimum 30 days' figure published on the Building Department webpage; confirm current processing time directly with Building Inspector Curt Fuller before planning a construction timeline.
    • Preston has no separate commercial-building-permit or tenant-improvement-permit product — commercial new construction and commercial TI/remodel work go through this same Building Permit process, document checklist, and CloudPermit system as residential projects. The only confirmed gap is that Resolution #178's flat Building Permit Application Fee only lists Single/Multi Family Dwelling, Additions, and Accessory Building categories with no explicit Commercial line item — confirm with the Building Inspector which category (if any) applies before budgeting a commercial project's flat fee.
    • A commercial building permit application gets a longer statutory completeness-review clock than residential under Idaho Code 39-4117: 20 business days for Preston to determine the application is complete (versus 10 business days for residential), separate from and not a substitute for the City's own published 'minimum 30 days' figure for the full permit-granting process.

    Frequently asked questions

    Preston requires a 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; Commercial new construction and commercial tenant-improvement/remodel projects use this SAME Building Permit application, document checklist, and fee structure — Preston has no distinct commercial-building-permit or TI-permit product (see the note above); Per Idaho Code 39-4117 (statewide, added 2025): for a commercial building permit application, Preston must, within 20 business days of receipt, provide written notice if the application is incomplete, and must issue a written completeness determination within 20 business days of a submission or revised submission — 20 business days for commercial versus 10 business days for residential. A completeness determination is not approval; it only authorizes the application to proceed to formal plan review.. 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's published plan-review target for a building permit (new construction / additions / accessory buildings) is 30+ business days.

    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 (as documented for neighboring Franklin County) 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. No specific edition year is asserted here for Preston. To confirm the exact in-force edition as of any given date, contact the Idaho Division of Building Safety / Idaho Building Code Board directly (dopl.idaho.gov/bld, or BCRE-PERMITS@DOPL.IDAHO.GOV, (208) 334-3233), or review Preston's full codified municipal code (hosted at preston.municipalcodeonline.com).; 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.

    No. Preston does not publish a distinct commercial-building-permit or TI-permit product. Commercial new construction and commercial tenant-improvement/remodel work use this same Building Permit process, the same document checklist (Land Survey, Deed, Site Plan, Building Plans, and a Cut Permit if applicable), and the same CloudPermit online system as residential projects. Resolution #178's flat Building Permit Application Fee schedule only lists Single/Multi Family Dwelling, Additions, and Accessory Building categories, with no explicit Commercial line item — confirm the applicable category directly with the Building Inspector for a commercial project. A commercial application does get a longer statutory completeness-review window than residential (20 business days versus 10) under the statewide Idaho Code 39-4117.

    Sources & verification

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

    Fee schedules

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

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