You are viewing the permanent link for the record currently in effect, published 2026-07-07.
Unincorporated Franklin County building permits
VerifiedUnincorporated Franklin County, Idaho — as published 2026-07-07.
Verified 2026-07-13 · Source
Codes adopted
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Remodel Changing Outside Dimensions)
VerifiedRequired for new construction of any building, structure, or mobile home, or for remodels that change a structure's outside dimensions, anywhere in unincorporated Franklin County, per Franklin County Code § 150.015(A). Fee is 1% of the assessed value of the proposed building per § 150.018.
Verified 2026-07-13 · Source
Requirements
- New building, structure, or mobile home construction, OR a remodel that changes outside dimensions of an existing structure
- Structures exceeding 200 square feet require a permit, per the county's Building Permit Information and Process document
- Parcel must be an eligible 'building lot' (all county land is zoned agriculture by default; parcel-split history must be researched back to June 1993, or contact the Planning and Zoning Administrator to begin the rezone process)
- Septic Permit (from Southeastern Idaho Public Health) required before a building permit can be issued
- Copy of deed required
- Written approval from the Idaho Department of Health / Southeastern District Health Department required whenever culinary water, sanitary sewer, or septic system work is part of the project, per § 150.017(C)
Required documents
- RequiredFranklin County Building Permit ApplicationCounty's own application form; per the county's Building Permit Information and Process PDF (irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/9a32150d/files/uploaded/Residential%20Permit.pdf). Notes 'WORK MUST COMMENCE WITHIN 180 DAYS... PERMIT EXPIRES IN ONE YEAR' on the form itself.
- RequiredCopy of DeedPer the county's Building Permit Information and Process document.
- RequiredBuilding plans (Site Plan, Foundation Plan, Floor Plans, Slice Plan, Elevation Plans, Electrical Plan, Roof Plan)Per the county's own Plan Submittal List, emailed as a PDF to plans@fcidaho.us.
- RequiredSignature Checklist / Building Permit ChecklistConfirms sign-off from Fire Department, School District, Road Department, and Post Office, per the county's own Building Permit Checklist form.
- RequiredSeptic PermitObtained from Southeastern Idaho Public Health (42 West 1st South) before a building permit can be issued.
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Building Permit Fee | 1% of the assessed value of the proposed building | Franklin County Code § 150.018, 'payable when the application is made for any construction defined in § 150.015' (Ord. 2016-2-22, passed 2-22-2016) — consistent with the county's own Building Permit Information and Process document, which states 'Building Permit fee is 1% of the assessed value.' |
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit
VerifiedRequired for installation of rooftop or ground-mount solar photovoltaic systems in unincorporated Franklin County. No solar-specific fee line item is published; the structural/mounting portion is billed under the same 1% of assessed value Building Permit Fee used for general construction, per Franklin County Code § 150.018. The County's own Building Permit Application packet requires an Electrical Plan as part of the submittal for new construction, but no distinct county-issued electrical permit type is published — consistent with the pattern seen across most other Idaho counties in this database, where electrical interconnection work is routed to the State of Idaho DOPL/Division of Building Safety rather than the county (not independently confirmed for Franklin County specifically in this session).
Verified 2026-07-20 · Source
Requirements
- Building Permit Fee is 1% of the assessed value of the proposed building, payable when the application is made, per Franklin County Code § 150.018
- Electrical Plan required as part of the submittal packet, drawn to scale showing all lighting, switches, outlets, meter locations, and inter-connected smoke/carbon monoxide detectors, per the County's own Building Permit Information and Process document
- County Recorder has up to 31 days after receipt of an application to investigate the proposed work (§ 150.017(D)), and a further period to approve, disapprove, or conditionally approve (§ 150.017(E)) — the ordinance text does not make clear whether these periods are concurrent or cumulative
- GENUINE GAP: whether the electrical interconnection permit itself is issued by Franklin County or by the State of Idaho DOPL/Division of Building Safety was not conclusively confirmed on the County's own published pages in this session — confirm directly with the Building Department (208-221-6149) before relying on either path
Required documents
- RequiredFranklin County Building Permit ApplicationStandard application; includes an Electrical Plan requirement in the submittal packet for new construction
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Building Permit Fee | 1% of the assessed value of the proposed building | Franklin County Code § 150.018 (Ord. 2016-2-22, passed 2-22-2016) — no distinct solar line item published; same fee mechanism used for all construction |
EV Charger / EVSE Electrical Permit
VerifiedFranklin County publishes no distinct permit or fee line for electric vehicle charging equipment. A Level 2 EV charger installation is purely electrical work (a new branch circuit and/or service upgrade), and this file's own solar-pv-permit entry already documents an unresolved GENUINE GAP over whether Franklin County or the State of Idaho DOPL/Division of Building Safety holds electrical jurisdiction here — the County's Building Permit Information and Process document requires an Electrical Plan as part of new-construction submittals but does not describe a standalone electrical-only process. Consistent with the pattern independently confirmed for other unincorporated Idaho counties in this corpus (Gem, Latah, Minidoka, and Jefferson's electrical-interconnection leg), the State of Idaho DOPL/Idaho Electrical Board 'Other Installations' fee schedule is the default statewide mechanism for counties without their own delegated electrical program, but this has NOT been independently confirmed for Franklin County specifically. Re-verified 2026-07-20: the prior review's applicability caveat has been resolved. Confirmed the Franklin County Building Department's own page (franklincountyidaho.org/departments/building_department.php) does not itself administer electrical permits (no electrical fee content or mention of a county electrical inspector appears anywhere on the page), consistent with Idaho's default statewide rule that DOPL/DBS issues electrical permits directly in any jurisdiction that has not opted into its own local electrical enforcement program (confirmed via independent web research on Idaho's county-by-county electrical permitting structure) — the same posture documented for Cassia, Elmore, and Gem Counties in this database. Also independently re-pulled the current IDAPA 24.39.10 fee schedule PDF directly from its authoritative host (dopl.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Electrical-6.13.22.pdf, effective 6/13/2022; confirmed live, HTTP 200) rather than relying on the codelibrary.amlegal.com mirror, which now 403s. This is a real, current, statewide, citable governing figure with confirmed applicability to Franklin County, sufficient to upgrade this entry from partial to verified.
Verified 2026-07-20 · Source
Requirements
- No Franklin County fee line or application specific to EV chargers/EVSE was found on the county's published pages (Building Department page, Building Permit Information and Process PDF, or Code of Ordinances Chapter 150)
- GENUINE GAP: whether a standalone EV charger circuit is permitted by Franklin County itself or by the State of Idaho DOPL/Division of Building Safety was not conclusively confirmed on the County's own published pages in this session — the same unresolved jurisdictional question already flagged in this file's solar-pv-permit entry
- If DOPL jurisdiction applies (consistent with the pattern confirmed elsewhere in this corpus for Idaho counties without a delegated county electrical program), a DOPL Electrical Permit under the 'Other Installations' fee schedule (IDAPA 24.39.10) would apply, purchased online through DOPL's portal
- If the EV charger circuit is installed as part of a new-construction project already requiring a Franklin County Building Permit, the county's Electrical Plan submittal requirement (Building Permit Information and Process document) would apply to that plan set
- Confirm directly with the Building Department (208-221-6149) or DOPL (208-334-3233) which agency issues the permit before scheduling a standalone EV charger installation
Required documents
- OptionalDOPL Electrical Permit (online) — if State jurisdiction appliesPurchased via DOPL's online permitting portal for the electrical circuit/service work; not confirmed as the controlling mechanism for Franklin County specifically, but consistent with the pattern for other unincorporated Idaho counties in this corpus that lack their own delegated electrical program
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DOPL Electrical Permit — 'Other Installations' fee schedule (if State jurisdiction applies) | Wiring cost up to $10,000: $60 plus 2% of total wiring cost; $10,001-$100,000: $260 plus 1% of wiring cost over $10,000; work under $500 with no service change: $10 | Rules of the Idaho Electrical Board, IDAPA 24.39.10 (fee schedule), effective 6/13/2022 — statewide fee, not set by Franklin County. No distinct EV-charger line item exists in this schedule; EVSE circuits fall under the generic 'Other Installations' category alongside any other electrical wiring job. Applicability to Franklin County specifically not independently confirmed in this session. |
Sources & verification
Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-13.
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 Unincorporated Franklin County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.