Unincorporated Latah County building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Unincorporated Latah County, Idaho.
Last verified 2026-07-04 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 200 S Almon Street, Ste 102 (Annex Building), Moscow, ID 83843
- Phone
- (208) 883-7220
- PB@LatahCountyID.gov
- Office hours
- Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 5 PM. Per the Latah County government contact directory (api.latah.id.us), the department's authoritative current record is: Planning, Building and GIS — Latah County Planning & Building, 200 S Almon Street, Ste 102, Annex Building, Moscow, Idaho 83843; phone (208) 883-7220; Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm. (A City of Moscow homeowner's-guide directory listing shows an older '522 South Adams Street' address and '(208) 882-8580' phone; the county's own current record uses the Annex Building address with phone (208) 883-7220 only.) The email PB@LatahCountyID.gov is confirmed on the county's own Zoning Placement Permit application form (Application for Zoning Placement, revised 6/5/2026) and Building Permit Application Requirements handout.
- Website
- Official site
- Permit portal
- Apply online at Unincorporated Latah County's portal
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Unincorporated Latah County — 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.
International Building Code, 2018 edition — Latah County Code of Ordinances, Title 7 'Building Regulations,' Chapter 1 'Building Codes and Regulations,' Section 7-1-2 'Codes Adopted,' subsection A.1. Show full textShow less
International Building Code, 2018 edition — Latah County Code of Ordinances, Title 7 'Building Regulations,' Chapter 1 'Building Codes and Regulations,' Section 7-1-2 'Codes Adopted,' subsection A.1. Adopted in accordance with Idaho Code Title 39 Chapter 41, Idaho Code Title 44 Chapters 21 and 22, and Idaho Administrative Procedures Act Section 24.39 (7.03). (Ord. 384, 12-14-2021; amd. Ord. 408, 6-24-2025). Source: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/latahcountyid/latest/latahcounty_id/0-0-0-1168 (accessed 2026-07-04).
- International Residential Code, 2018 edition, Parts I through VI — same source, subsection A.2, same ordinance history.
- International Mechanical Code, 2018 edition — same source, subsection A.3.
- International Fuel Gas Code, 2018 edition — same source, subsection A.4.
- International Energy Conservation Code, 2018 edition — same source, subsection A.5.
- International Existing Building Code, 2018 edition — same source, subsection A.6.
- International Property Maintenance Code, 2018 edition — same source, subsection A.7.
Adopted appendices: IBC 2018 Appendices C (Group U Agricultural Buildings), E (Supplementary Accessibility Requirements), F (Rodent Proofing), G (Flood Resistant Construction), H (Signs), I (Patio Covers), J (Grading);… Show full textShow less
Adopted appendices: IBC 2018 Appendices C (Group U Agricultural Buildings), E (Supplementary Accessibility Requirements), F (Rodent Proofing), G (Flood Resistant Construction), H (Signs), I (Patio Covers), J (Grading); IRC 2018 Appendices A, B, C, D, J, M, H (Patio Covers), Q (Tiny Houses), R (Light Straw-Clay Construction), S (Strawbale Construction); IEBC 2018 Appendices A-1, A-2, B, and Resource A — Section 7-1-2, subsections B, C, D.
- Idaho Building Code Act (Idaho Code Title 39, Chapter 41, Section 39-4116) makes building code standards a matter of statewide concern; local governments that issue building permits must adopt the IBC and Idaho Residential Code as amended by the Idaho Building Code Board. Source: https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/title39/t39ch41/
- The Latah County Building Code (all codes adopted in Title 7, Chapter 1) is formally designated as such under Section 7-1-1 'Composition Of County Building Code' and applies to all structures and property in Latah County. Source: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/latahcountyid/latest/latahcounty_id/0-0-0-1167 (accessed 2026-07-04).
Permit types & fees
Residential/General Building Permit
Required for new construction, additions, alterations, repairs, moves, or change of use of any structure in unincorporated Latah County regulated by the adopted 2018 IBC/IRC, via the county's single 'Building Permit Application' (Latah County Department of Planning & Building).
From$50.00Mechanical Permit
Required for new, added, altered, repaired, moved, or removed mechanical/fuel-gas equipment in unincorporated Latah County, per Code of Latah County Section 7-1-4 (Amendments To Mechanical Code And Fuel Gas Code). Mechanical fees for new residences are bundled into the building permit fee; a separate mechanical permit is required for all other mechanical installations.
From$75.00Zoning Placement Permit
Required under Code of Latah County Section 7-1-3(A) for most structures that are exempt from a building permit (agricultural exempt buildings and non-agricultural exempt buildings), to confirm zoning compliance before construction or placement, via the county's 'Application For Zoning Placement.'
From$300.00Temporary RV Permit (Temporary Living Quarters)
Required under Code of Latah County Section 7-1-7 ('Permanent Living Quarters') to live in a camping trailer, RV (including park models), or similar unit on a property while a permanent residence is under construction, via the county's 'Temporary RV Permit' application.
From$50.00Manufactured/Modular/Mobile Home Installation Permit
Required under Code of Latah County Section 7-1-5 for installation of any HUD-approved manufactured or modular home, or pre-HUD mobile home (built before June 15, 1976) with a valid rehabilitation certificate, in unincorporated Latah County.
$225.00Solar PV Permit
Latah County publishes a distinct per-square-foot valuation rate for 'solar panels' ($5.00/sq ft) in its Development Services Fee Schedule, Table 1-A, used to compute a standard valuation-based Building Permit fee for rooftop or larger ground-mounted PV installations. Separately, the Code of Latah County Section 7-1-3(A) unconditionally exempts small freestanding solar collectors (not exceeding 200 sq ft and no higher than 10 ft) from BOTH a building permit AND the Zoning Placement Permit that otherwise applies to most permit-exempt structures. Electrical interconnection is handled by the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), not the county, consistent with the statewide Idaho pattern (Latah has adopted no electrical code of its own).
From$5.00EV Charger / EVSE Permit
Unincorporated Latah County does not issue its own electrical permits — electrical inspection authority in unincorporated Latah County is held by the State of Idaho, administered by the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL, formerly the Division of Building Safety), confirmed by the DOPL statewide Inspector List with Schedules (Latah County ZIP codes assigned to state electrical inspector Sam Kasper). An EV charger/EVSE installation therefore requires a standard state Electrical Permit through DOPL, not a county permit. DOPL publishes no distinct EV charger/EVSE fee line; a residential EVSE circuit added to an existing home is billed under the homeowner (or contractor) electrical permit fee structure — a base fee plus a per-branch-circuit charge for existing-residence work.
From$65.00Commercial Building Permit
Unincorporated Latah County has NO separate 'commercial' building permit product, application form, or fee table — none appears in the codified ordinance (Title 7, Chapter 1, all sections), the county's Development Services Fee Schedule (4-page PDF, Resolution 2023-18 et seq.), the Building Permit — Full Checklist, Application and Handouts packet, or the county's full Building Applications/Building Handouts document directory. New commercial construction uses the SAME 'Building Permit Application' used for every other structure type in the county (Code of Latah County Section 7-1-2, which adopts the 2018 IBC for commercial/multi-family/institutional occupancies alongside the 2018 IRC for detached one- and two-family dwellings), valued and fee-assessed under the identical Table 1-A of the Fee Schedule (based on ICC Building Safety Journal valuation data, which itself covers commercial occupancy classifications). The one commercial-specific addition is procedural, not a separate permit: a parcel carrying the county's Commercial Zoning Designation must submit a distinct set of additional plans — documented in the county's own standalone 'Commercial Zoning District Requirements' handout — before a building permit can be issued or before any activity not itself requiring a building permit begins.
From$50.00valuation-basedCommercial Tenant Improvement / Alteration Permit
Unincorporated Latah County has NO standalone 'tenant improvement' or 'TI' permit product — the codified ordinance, the full Development Services Fee Schedule, the Building Permit — Full Checklist packet, and the county's complete Building Applications/Building Handouts document directory contain no mention of the phrase 'tenant improvement' anywhere. A remodel or fit-out of existing commercial space instead goes through the SAME countywide 'Building Permit Application', with the Class of Work marked 'Alteration' (or 'Change of Use' if applicable), and is fee-assessed using the Fee Schedule's 'Alterations/Remodels Level 1 / Level 2 / Level 3' tiers (10% / 45% / 90% of the full valuation-based Table 1-A permit fee, based on square footage) rather than a bespoke TI fee. If the project changes the use or occupancy classification of the space — common in commercial tenant fit-outs — the county's separate 'Change of Use or Occupancy' review also applies, per the county's own handout of that name, and a permit is required before that change is made.
See fee schedule
Unincorporated Latah County's permit history isn't searchable here yet
This page covers what the permit requires. What we don't have for Unincorporated Latah County yet is the record of permits actually issued — the history you'd search by street address. That is a gap in our coverage, not a statement about any particular property.
Your email, and the place — never an address. We only use it to tell you when Unincorporated Latah County lands. Privacy.
New residential construction activity
New privately-owned residential construction onlyHousing units authorized by building permits for new privately-owned residential construction — this is not total permit volume (no commercial permits or remodels).
- Latest month (2026-07)
- 23units
23 buildings · $7.6M valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 219units
12 of 12 months reported · #23 in Idaho coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-07)
- 108units
97 buildings · $34.4M valuation
- Full year 2025
- 240units
146 buildings · $62.8M valuation
County-wide figures: BPS reports county-wide totals; jurisdiction here is the unincorporated remainder — county totals include incorporated cities (Moscow, Genesee, Juliaetta, Kendrick, Bovill, Deary, Onaway, Potlatch, Troy). Unincorporated communities include Avon, Cedar Creek, Farmington, Harvard, Helmer, Howell, Joel, Princeton, and Viola.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-07 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Idaho building activity
Tips & gotchas
- Latah County (the unincorporated county, via its Planning, Building and GIS Department, now at 200 S Almon Street, Ste 102, Annex Building, Moscow, ID 83843, phone (208) 883-7220) has its OWN SEPARATE building department from the City of Moscow (via its Building Safety Division) — properties inside Moscow city limits must use the City's department, while properties in the unincorporated county (or in communities such as Avon, Princeton, Viola, Harvard, Helmer, Howell, Joel, Farmington, Cedar Creek) must use the County's department. The current address and phone come directly from the county's own contact directory (api.latah.id.us/web/getcontact, as of 2026-07-04); an older '522 South Adams Street' listing is stale.
- Several OTHER incorporated cities within Latah County (e.g., Potlatch, Deary) separately publish their own building-permit pages, confirming Idaho's home-rule model allows multiple incorporated cities within a county to each self-administer permits independently of the county.
- Latah County has adopted the 2018-edition family of I-Codes (IBC, IRC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, IEBC, IPMC) — an older edition family than some neighboring jurisdictions that have adopted 2021 editions.
- The codified ordinance (Section 7-1-11) does not itself state dollar fee amounts — it defers entirely to 'a separate resolution.' That resolution (County Development Services Fee Schedule, Resolution 2023-18, amended by Resolutions 2024-14, 2025-06, and 2025-10) is available via the county's own online document library (api.latah.id.us) and is the source for every dollar figure in this record.
- amlegal.com (the code-library host for Latah County's ordinances) hosts the complete, current Title 7 Chapter 1 text.
- The Latah County government website (latahcountyid.gov) serves its 'Codes, Applications, and Handouts' documents — including the county's fee-schedule PDF, building permit application/checklist, and per-permit-type application forms — through its public document library at api.latah.id.us.
- The county publishes no plan-review or permit-issuance turnaround time (business or calendar days) for any permit type — not in the codified ordinance, the Fee Schedule, or any application form; reviewTimelineDays is null with a note rather than estimated for every permit type.
- The current codified text (Ord. 384/408, current through Ord. 419, Feb 17, 2026) is available from the authoritative amlegal.com code library; a University of Idaho webpages.uidaho.edu mirror of 'Ordinance #299 Latah County Building Code' reflects an older, superseded ordinance.
- Latah County's own Building Permit Full Checklist states Wind Speed as '115mph or design using 1609IBC or Chapter 26-30 ASCE 7' without separately citing the 90 mph IRC figure that appears in the codified Section 7-1-3(J) text — both figures are reported as each source states them, not reconciled into a single number.