Moscow building permits

Building department

Address

504 S. Washington Street, Moscow, ID 83843

Phone

(208) 883-7022

Email

jgoodwin@ci.moscow.id.us

Office hours

Community Development / Building Division, 504 S. Washington Street, Moscow, ID 83843. Building Official: Justin Goodwin, CBO, (208) 883-7014, jgoodwin@ci.moscow.id.us, fax (208) 883-7033. Inspection requests: (208) 883-7022, requests should be made the day prior to the requested inspection; field inspections generally completed 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.

Website

Official site

Permit portal

Apply online at Moscow's portal

Inspection guide

See how inspections work in Moscow — sequence, scheduling & re-inspection fees.

Codes adopted

Idaho adopts a statewide baseline building code set under the Idaho Building Code Act (Idaho Code Title 39, Chapter 41) and IDAPA rules administered by the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL). Effective January 1, 2021, the statewide baseline includes the 2018 International Building Code (IBC), 2020 Idaho Residential Code (based on the 2018 IRC Parts I–III and IX with Idaho amendments), 2020 Idaho Energy Conservation Code (based on the 2018 IECC with Idaho amendments), 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC), 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), and 2018 International Fire Code (IFC). The National Electrical Code is adopted separately by the Idaho Electrical Board (IDAPA 24.39.10), not bundled with the building code: Idaho enforces the 2023 NEC, effective July 1, 2024 (the state used the 2017 NEC with amendments before that and skipped the 2020 edition). Local jurisdictions must enforce the state baseline and may adopt amendments only where those amendments are at least as stringent as the state-adopted editions; local amendments may not be less restrictive. Enforcement is local — each city or county issues permits and performs inspections. Always confirm the current adopted edition and any local amendments with your specific jurisdiction before submitting plans.

• The City of Moscow independently administers and issues its own building permits within Moscow city limits through its Building Safety Division, part of the Community Development Department — this is a distinct office… Show full textShow less

  The City of Moscow independently administers and issues its own building permits within Moscow city limits through its Building Safety Division, part of the Community Development Department — this is a distinct office from the Latah County Planning & Building Department (522 South Adams Street, Moscow, ID), confirmed by the City's own Homeowner's Guide to Construction Permits and Inspections, which lists 'Latah County Planning/Building, (208) 883-7220' as a separate entry in its Useful Telephone Numbers page, distinct from the City's own Community Development line. Source: City of Moscow Homeowner's Guide to Construction Permits and Inspections (Building Division, Justin Goodwin CBO), https://www.ci.moscow.id.us/DocumentCenter/View/21221/City-of-Moscow-Project-Process-PDF, page 19

• International Building Code (IBC), locally adopted and administered by the City of Moscow — specific edition year not published on the City's Construction Regulations index page as of 2026-07-04; the page lists… Show full textShow less

  International Building Code (IBC), locally adopted and administered by the City of Moscow — specific edition year not published on the City's Construction Regulations index page as of 2026-07-04; the page lists 'International Building Code' as Chapter 01 of the City's adopted code chapters without stating the edition. Source: City of Moscow Construction Regulations page, https://web.archive.org/web/20250907103933/https://www.ci.moscow.id.us/244/Construction-Regulations

• International Residential Code (IRC), locally adopted and administered by the City of Moscow (Chapter 16 of the City's adopted code chapters); specific edition year not published on the Construction Regulations index page. Source: City of Moscow Construction Regulations page
• Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), locally adopted (Chapter 02 of the City's adopted code chapters) — notably the Uniform Plumbing Code rather than the International Plumbing Code; specific edition year not published on the index page. Source: City of Moscow Construction Regulations page
• National Electrical Code (NEC), locally adopted (Chapter 03 of the City's adopted code chapters); specific edition year not published on the index page. Source: City of Moscow Construction Regulations page
• International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), locally adopted (Chapter 04 of the City's adopted code chapters). Source: City of Moscow Construction Regulations page
• International Mechanical Code (IMC), locally adopted (Chapter 10 of the City's adopted code chapters). Source: City of Moscow Construction Regulations page
• International Existing Building Code (IEBC), locally adopted (Chapter 12 of the City's adopted code chapters). Source: City of Moscow Construction Regulations page
• International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC), locally adopted (Chapter 13 of the City's adopted code chapters). Source: City of Moscow Construction Regulations page
• International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), locally adopted (Chapter 15 of the City's adopted code chapters); the City separately publishes an Energy Conservation Plan Review Supplement. Source: City of Moscow Construction Regulations page and Plan Review Information page, https://web.archive.org/web/20231205214932/https://www.ci.moscow.id.us/256/Plan-Review-Information
• Idaho Building Code Act (Idaho Code Title 39, Chapter 41) makes building code standards a matter of statewide concern; local governments that issue building permits and perform code enforcement (such as the City of… Show full textShow less

  Idaho Building Code Act (Idaho Code Title 39, Chapter 41) makes building code standards a matter of statewide concern; local governments that issue building permits and perform code enforcement (such as the City of Moscow) must adopt the International Building Code and Idaho Residential Code as amended by the Idaho Building Code Board through negotiated rulemaking. Source: Idaho Legislature, Idaho Code Title 39 Chapter 41 (39-4116), https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/title39/t39ch41/

• The City of Moscow's Construction Regulations index page (ci.moscow.id.us/244/Construction-Regulations) lists adopted code chapters by title only (Building, Plumbing, Electrical, Fuel Gas, Mechanical, Existing Building,… Show full textShow less

  The City of Moscow's Construction Regulations index page (ci.moscow.id.us/244/Construction-Regulations) lists adopted code chapters by title only (Building, Plumbing, Electrical, Fuel Gas, Mechanical, Existing Building, Property Maintenance, Energy Conservation, Residential) without publishing the specific edition years for any of them. Specific edition years are omitted here rather than assumed to match a neighboring jurisdiction's editions; the City's Municipal Code chapter text would state the exact editions and local amendment sections, so check there or with the Building Department before designing to a particular edition.

Permit types & fees

• Residential Building Permit (New Single-Family Dwelling / Addition)

  Required for new one- and two-family dwelling construction and additions within Moscow city limits, administered by the City of Moscow Building Safety Division. Building Permit Fees are based on ICC Building Valuations (February issue of the Building Safety Journal) on a bracketed fee table, with a separate Plan Review Fee for projects valued over $10,000.

  From$27.50→

• Electrical Permit

  Required for electrical installation, alteration, service change-out, or new circuit work within Moscow city limits, administered by the City of Moscow Building Safety Division under the locally adopted National Electrical Code (NEC).

  From$73.75→

• Gas / Mechanical Permit

  Required for gas and mechanical/HVAC installation, alteration, or repair within Moscow city limits, administered by the City of Moscow Building Safety Division. Commercial gas/mechanical work is fee-assessed on the same contract-price bracket table as electrical; residential gas-fueled appliance installs are billed by BTU rating.

  From$31.75→

• Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger Permit

  Moscow publishes no distinct EV-charger permit type or fee line — confirmed against the Building Safety Division page and the City of Moscow FY2026 Fee Schedule, neither of which contains an EV-charger/EVSE entry. A new circuit or outlet installed to serve a residential EV charger is fee-assessed under the general Electrical Permit's 'Extension or Addition of Circuits' category (a new dedicated EV circuit is typically one circuit, billed at the 'up to 6 circuits' rate); a panel/service upgrade for a higher-amperage Level 2 charger would instead fall under the Electrical Service Change Out fee.

  From$48.00→

• Demolition Permit

  Required for demolition of structures within Moscow city limits, administered by the City of Moscow Building Safety Division, with distinct flat fees for Simple (non-structural alterations) versus Complex (structural or complete building demolition) demolitions.

  From$69.50→

• Re-Roofing Permit

  Required for re-roofing of residential structures (up to 4 units) within Moscow city limits; commercial re-roofs require a full Building Permit rather than this flat-fee category.

  From$71.50→

• Residential Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit

  Required for installation of rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems within Moscow city limits. Moscow has no dedicated solar/PV permit application or fee line — solar installations are billed under the City's standard valuation-based Building Permit fee table (for the array/mounting/structural work) and the standard Electrical Permit fee table (for the electrical interconnection), administered by the Building Safety Division under the locally adopted IBC/IRC and NEC.

  From$79.50valuation-based→

• Commercial Building Permit (New Construction)

  Required for new commercial and multi-family building construction within Moscow city limits. There is no separate 'commercial permit' application — Moscow uses the same city-wide Permit Application (a checkbox distinguishes 'Commercial/Multi-Family Residential' from 'Residential (1 & 2 Family)') and the same ICC-valuation-based Building Permit Fee table used for residential permits, but requires larger plan sheets, additional site/civil/landscape/accessibility/energy documentation per the City's Minimum Plan Submittal Guidelines for Multi-Family and Commercial Plans, and carries its own, longer plan-review timeline ('Commercial New', under 15 business days for first review) on the City's Permit Processing Time Frames table.

  From$27.50→

• Commercial Tenant Improvement / Alteration Permit

  Moscow does not publish a distinct 'Tenant Improvement' permit product, application, or fee line — confirmed against the City's Permit Application (a single form used for all project types), the FY2026 Fee Schedule, and the Minimum Plan Submittal Guidelines for Multi-Family and Commercial Plans. TI/remodel work inside an existing commercial building is processed as a standard Building Permit (Nature of Work: 'Remodel'), billed on the same ICC-valuation-based fee table as new construction, and classified for review-timeline purposes as either 'Commercial Non-Structural Alteration' or 'Commercial Structural Alteration' depending on scope. If the tenant or the use of the space is changing, a separate Change of Occupancy Application (with its own $79.00 Occupancy Permit fee) is also required.

  From$79.50valuation-based→

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