Residential Building Permit (New Construction) in Post Falls, Idaho

Post Falls requires a residential building permit (new construction) for: Building permit required for new single-family, duplex, and townhouse-unit construction; Plans must comply with the 2018 IRC and 2018 IECC (2012 Residential Amendments) as adopted by the City of Post Falls, and must note the City's Design Criteria (40 psf roof snow load, 56 psf ground snow load, 115 mph wind speed/Exposure B, 24-inch frost depth, Seismic Design Category C) directly on the plans; One set of building plans required (hand-drawn plans in black or blue pen only, no pencil; ¼" scale preferred, 1/8" minimum; full house plans on 11x17 minimum, 18x24 recommended); One set of site plans showing property lines, lot dimensions, north arrow, lot square footage, building footprint square footage, driveway, percent lot coverage, setbacks, and utility easements; Energy calculations required: either the City's Prescriptive Package Form or a REScheck report (2018 IECC or 2018 IRC energy path); Completed Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Permit Applications (may be submitted after the initial Building Permit application); Apply online at the Community Development Portal: https://postfallsid.portal.opengov.com/; Utility Registration Form required when submitting for a new single-family residence. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Post Falls Community Development Department, Building Division at (208) 773-8708 before starting work.

In Post Falls, the published Residential Living Space valuation rate is: $96.83 per sq ft (used with the Valuation Chart to calculate the permit and plan-review fee). Additional published fees: Building Permit Fee — valuation $1 to $500 — $23.50; Building Permit Fee — valuation $501 to $2,000 — $23.50 for the first $500 plus $3.05 for each additional $100, or fraction thereof; Building Permit Fee — valuation $2,001 to $25,000 — $69.25 for the first $2,000 plus $14.00 for each additional $1,000, or fraction thereof; Building Permit Fee — valuation $25,001 to $50,000 — $391.25 for the first $25,000 plus $10.10 for each additional $1,000, or fraction thereof; Building Permit Fee — valuation $50,001 to $100,000 — $643.75 for the first $50,000 plus $7.00 for each additional $1,000, or fraction thereof; Building Permit Fee — valuation $100,001 to $500,000 — $993.75 for the first $100,000 plus $5.60 for each additional $1,000, or fraction thereof; Building Permit Fee — valuation $500,001 to $1,000,000 — $3,233.75 for the first $500,000 plus $4.75 for each additional $1,000, or fraction thereof; Building Permit Fee — valuation over $1,000,000 — $5,608.75 for the first $1,000,000 plus $3.15 for each additional $1,000, or fraction thereof; Residential Plan Review (Building Plan Check, paid at submittal) — 25% of the Building Permit fee. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Post Falls's published plan-review target for a residential building permit (new construction) is 10–10 business days.

You'll need: Building Permit Application; Residential Building Plan Submittal Requirements; Construction Drawings; Energy Compliance Documentation. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Post Falls requires 4 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction), in order: Foundation, Framing, Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing Rough-In, Final. Schedule each through City of Post Falls Community Development Department, Building Division ((208) 773-8708).

Applications are submitted online through the Community Development Portal at postfallsid.portal.opengov.com. The Building Division is on the 1st floor of City Hall, 408 N Spokane St.

Post Falls, Idaho has adopted: Idaho has a mandatory statewide building code administered by the Idaho Division of Building Safety (DBS, now organizationally under the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses / DOPL) under the Idaho Building Code Act, Idaho Code Title 39, Chapter 41, negotiated and adopted through the Idaho Building Code Board. Local jurisdictions that adopt and locally administer the code must enforce it at least as strictly as the state minimum; Post Falls administers its own Building Division for building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permitting within city limits. Source: City of Post Falls Current Adopted Codes and Design Criteria (Community Development Department, rev 02/16/25), https://www.postfalls.gov/DocumentCenter/View/750/Current-Codes-and-Design-Criteria-PDF; 2018 IBC (International Building Code), as adopted by the State of Idaho Building Code Board and locally administered by the City of Post Falls. Source: City of Post Falls Current Adopted Codes and Design Criteria (rev 02/16/25); 2018 IRC (International Residential Code), as adopted by the State of Idaho Building Code Board and locally administered by the City of Post Falls. Source: City of Post Falls Current Adopted Codes and Design Criteria (rev 02/16/25); 2018 IEBC (International Existing Building Code). Source: City of Post Falls Current Adopted Codes and Design Criteria (rev 02/16/25); 2018 IECC with 2012 Amendments for Residential (International Energy Conservation Code). Source: City of Post Falls Current Adopted Codes and Design Criteria (rev 02/16/25); 2018 IMC (International Mechanical Code). Source: City of Post Falls Current Adopted Codes and Design Criteria (rev 02/16/25); 2017 ISPC (Idaho State Plumbing Code) — Idaho's own state-amended plumbing code, not the Uniform or International Plumbing Code. Source: City of Post Falls Current Adopted Codes and Design Criteria (rev 02/16/25); 2018 IFGC (International Fuel Gas Code). Source: City of Post Falls Current Adopted Codes and Design Criteria (rev 02/16/25); 2023 NEC (National Electrical Code). Source: City of Post Falls Current Adopted Codes and Design Criteria (rev 02/16/25); ICC A117.1-2009 (Accessibility). Source: City of Post Falls Current Adopted Codes and Design Criteria (rev 02/16/25); 2009 IPMC (International Property Maintenance Code), with amendments. Source: City of Post Falls Current Adopted Codes and Design Criteria (rev 02/16/25); The City of Post Falls Building Division directly issues and inspects electrical and plumbing permits within city limits (the Division's own permit-fee schedule lists dedicated Electrical Permits and Plumbing Permits fee tables administered by the City); this reflects local administration rather than direct-state DOPL/Division of Building Safety issuance for in-city work. Source: City of Post Falls Fee Schedule (Community Development Department, rev 10-1-2025), https://www.postfalls.gov/DocumentCenter/View/815/Fee-Schedule-PDF. Local amendments apply — see the Post Falls overview page for the full list.