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Residential/General Building Permit in Unincorporated Latah County, Idaho

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).

Verified 2026-07-04 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Complete building permit application including applicant, contact, contractor information, and address or parcel number, signed by the property owner(s)
  • Zoning approval through the Planning Department confirming the parcel is buildable, meets setback and other zoning requirements (flood hazard permits, design standards, industrial standards), and has all necessary zoning permits (e.g., Conditional/Administrative Use Permits for accessory cottages must be obtained before the building permit is submitted)
  • Non-refundable permit deposit
  • Address fee/change-of-address fee, or an existing assigned address at the driveway access point
  • Site plan showing distances from each property line, utilities, easements, infrastructure (well, septic), and other structures on the parcel
  • Driveway plan meeting Section 9-9-2 driveway requirements of the Code of Latah County (may be combined with the site plan); engineering required when mandated by 9-9-2
  • Construction plans demonstrating code compliance; structures under the IBC and some under the IRC require plans stamped by an Idaho-licensed architect or engineer; paper plans larger than 11x17 incur a $50.00 fee
  • Approval for septic system: copy of an approved North Central District Health Department septic permit (a perc test/soil evaluation alone is not sufficient)
  • Approval for road access: copy of an approved road-access permit from the appropriate highway district or Idaho Transportation Department
  • Engineering documentation stamped, signed, and dated by an Idaho-licensed engineer where required; all roof trusses must be engineered to meet the county's adopted snow load
  • Electrical and plumbing permit numbers (from the Idaho Division of Building Safety / DOPL) must be submitted before a framing inspection will be scheduled
  • Applications with missing information are deemed incomplete under Idaho Code until all required information is submitted; initial completeness determination does not guarantee plan-review approval

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — Total Valuation $1.00-$500.00Latah County Development Services Fee Schedule (Resolution 2023-18, amended by Resolutions 2024-14, 2025-06, 2025-10), Table 1-A. Valuations are as published in the February 2025 issue of the ICC Building Safety Journal, with county-specific additions for foundations, decks ($12.50/sq ft), pole buildings ($24.00/sq ft), Group OSA ($75.00/sq ft), swimming pools ($24.00/sq ft), and solar panels ($5.00/sq ft).
$50.00 flat
Building Permit Fee — $501.00-$2,000.00Table 1-A, Fee Schedule (Resolution 2023-18 et seq.)
$50.00 for first $500.00, plus $1.30 for each additional $100.00
Building Permit Fee — $2,001.00-$25,000.00Table 1-A, Fee Schedule (Resolution 2023-18 et seq.)
$69.25 for first $2,000.00, plus $14.00 for each additional $1,000.00
Building Permit Fee — $25,001.00-$50,000.00Table 1-A, Fee Schedule (Resolution 2023-18 et seq.)
$391.25 for first $25,000.00, plus $10.10 for each additional $1,000.00
Building Permit Fee — $50,001.00-$100,000.00Table 1-A, Fee Schedule (Resolution 2023-18 et seq.)
$643.75 for first $50,000.00, plus $7.00 for each additional $1,000.00
Building Permit Fee — $100,001.00 and upTable 1-A, Fee Schedule (Resolution 2023-18 et seq.)
$993.75 for first $100,000.00, plus $7.00 for each additional $1,000.00
Plan Review FeeCharged on all structures requiring a plan review, per the Fee Schedule's General Fees section; separate from and in addition to the permit fee per Section 7-1-3(F) of the Code of Latah County.
65% of the permit fee
Non-refundable Plan Review DepositFor commencement of plan review on projects exceeding $30,000 in valuation, per the Fee Schedule and Section 7-1-3(F).
$700.00
Address Fee (New or NS)Latah County Uniform Rural Addressing Fee Schedule, part of the same Development Services Fee Schedule.
$100.00
Zoning Placement Permit — Agricultural Exempt BuildingsLatah County Land Use Fee Schedule.
$300.00
Zoning Placement — Non-Agricultural Exempt BuildingsLatah County Land Use Fee Schedule.
$25.00
Temporary Certificate of OccupancyGeneral Fees, Fee Schedule (Resolution 2023-18 et seq.); extension also $100.00.
$100.00
Foundation Inspection (Real Property)General Fees / Other Inspections and Fees, Fee Schedule.
$150.00
Reinspection FeeOther Inspections and Fees, Fee Schedule.
$75.00 per hour
Work Commencing Without a PermitFee Schedule; codified separately in Section 7-1-8 as a doubled fee for second/subsequent offenses once an enforcement action has begun.
25% of the permit fee (additional, on top of the required permit fee)
Permit Extension (maximum 3)Fee Schedule, General Fees.
$50.00 each
Alterations/Remodels Level 1 / Level 2 / Level 3Fee Schedule.
10% / 45% / 90% of full permit fee based on square footage, respectively

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Residential/General Building Permit permit actually take in Unincorporated Latah County?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Foundation/Footing

    Before concrete pour; footings must be placed 30 in. below grade on undisturbed soil per the county's Wall Section Detail handout.

  2. 2

    Framing

    After framing, sheathing, and MEP rough-in; will not be scheduled until electrical and plumbing permit numbers (issued by the Idaho Division of Building Safety) have been submitted to the county.

  3. 3

    Final / Certificate of Occupancy

    Final inspection required before occupancy; a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy may be issued for partial occupancy before all permitted elements are complete, per Section 7-1-3(D) of the Code of Latah County.

See the full Unincorporated Latah County inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Unincorporated Latah County (Planning, Building and GIS Department, 200 S Almon Street, Ste 102, Annex Building, Moscow) is a SEPARATE building department from the City of Moscow's own Building Safety Division — properties inside Moscow city limits must use the City's department, while unincorporated-county properties (and communities such as Avon, Princeton, Viola, Harvard, Helmer, Howell, Joel, Farmington, Cedar Creek) must use the County's department.
  • All plans, applications, and correspondence must be submitted electronically (to PB@LatahCountyID.gov or the county's online portal); paper plans larger than 11x17 carry a $50.00 fee.
  • The Building Official may withhold permits, including building permits and certificates of occupancy, on parcels with an unresolved Land Use Ordinance or Building Code violation.
  • Latah County's own adopted codes are the 2018-edition family (IBC, IRC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, IEBC, IPMC) — notably NOT the 2021 edition family used by some neighboring jurisdictions in this corpus (e.g., Utah's Tooele County uses 2021 IBC/IRC).
  • The county's own Site Plan + Driveway Map instructions require driveway slopes not exceeding 10% for stretches over 100 ft unless engineered, and compliance with Article 9 (Section 9-9-2) of the Latah County Land Use Ordinance.
  • All roof trusses must be engineered to meet the county's adopted snow load (per the 1976 University of Idaho study 'Ground and Roof Snow Loads for Idaho,' with an additional 20 lb above 3,300 ft elevation).

Frequently asked questions

Unincorporated Latah County requires a residential/general building permit for: Complete building permit application including applicant, contact, contractor information, and address or parcel number, signed by the property owner(s); Zoning approval through the Planning Department confirming the parcel is buildable, meets setback and other zoning requirements (flood hazard permits, design standards, industrial standards), and has all necessary zoning permits (e.g., Conditional/Administrative Use Permits for accessory cottages must be obtained before the building permit is submitted); Non-refundable permit deposit; Address fee/change-of-address fee, or an existing assigned address at the driveway access point; Site plan showing distances from each property line, utilities, easements, infrastructure (well, septic), and other structures on the parcel; Driveway plan meeting Section 9-9-2 driveway requirements of the Code of Latah County (may be combined with the site plan); engineering required when mandated by 9-9-2; Construction plans demonstrating code compliance; structures under the IBC and some under the IRC require plans stamped by an Idaho-licensed architect or engineer; paper plans larger than 11x17 incur a $50.00 fee; Approval for septic system: copy of an approved North Central District Health Department septic permit (a perc test/soil evaluation alone is not sufficient); Approval for road access: copy of an approved road-access permit from the appropriate highway district or Idaho Transportation Department; Engineering documentation stamped, signed, and dated by an Idaho-licensed engineer where required; all roof trusses must be engineered to meet the county's adopted snow load; Electrical and plumbing permit numbers (from the Idaho Division of Building Safety / DOPL) must be submitted before a framing inspection will be scheduled; Applications with missing information are deemed incomplete under Idaho Code until all required information is submitted; initial completeness determination does not guarantee plan-review approval. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Latah County Planning, Building and GIS Department at (208) 883-7220 before starting work.

The Building Permit Fee is valuation-based per Table 1-A of the county's Development Services Fee Schedule (Resolution 2023-18, amended 2024-14/2025-06/2025-10): e.g. $50.00 flat for valuations up to $500, scaling to $993.75 plus $7.00 per additional $1,000 for valuations over $100,000. A Plan Review Fee of 65% of the permit fee applies to all structures requiring plan review, plus a $700.00 non-refundable plan-review deposit for projects over $30,000 in valuation. An Address Fee of $100.00 typically applies if no address is yet assigned.

Unincorporated Latah County does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Latah County Planning, Building and GIS Department at (208) 883-7220 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building Permit Application (Full or Short Version); Site Plan + Driveway Map; Construction Plans / Wall Section Detail; Highway District / ITD Road Access Approval. Depending on your project, Unincorporated Latah County may also ask for: North Central District Health Department Septic Approval. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Latah County requires 3 inspection(s) for a residential/general building permit, in order: Foundation/Footing, Framing, Final / Certificate of Occupancy. Schedule each through Latah County Planning, Building and GIS Department ((208) 883-7220).

Apply through Latah County Planning, Building and GIS Department at 200 S Almon Street, Ste 102 (Annex Building), Moscow, ID 83843. Phone: (208) 883-7220, email: PB@LatahCountyID.gov. Office hours: Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 5 PM. Per the Latah County government contact-directory API (api.latah.id.us/web/getcontact?dept=Planning%2C%20Building%20and%20GIS), fetched 2026-07-04, which returns this department's authoritative current name, address, phone, and hours record: {"Id":13,"Department":"Planning, Building and GIS","Phone":"(208) 883-7220","AddressLn1":"Latah County Planning & Building","AddressLn2":"200 S Almon Street, Ste 102","AddressCSZ":"Moscow, Idaho 83843","AddressRoom":"Annex Building","DeptHours":"Monday - Friday\r\n8 am - 5 pm"}. NOTE ON CORRECTION: a prior research pass on this file reported the address as '522 South Adams Street' and phone '(208) 882-8580' / '(208) 883-7220' (ambiguous, unreconciled) sourced from a City of Moscow homeowner's-guide directory listing; this pass queried the county's own live contact API directly and found the current authoritative record uses the Annex Building address above 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.. Official information: https://latahcountyid.gov/planning_building/.

Latah County has adopted the 2018 editions of the IBC, IRC (Parts I-VI), IMC, IFGC, IECC, IEBC, and IPMC, per Code of Latah County Section 7-1-2, plus numerous local amendments in Section 7-1-3 covering permit exemptions, application requirements, permit expiration/renewal, temporary certificates of occupancy, a Board of Appeals, and county-specific structural/climatic design criteria (Ground Snow Load per the 1976 Sack et al. Idaho study plus 20 lb above 3,300 ft elevation, Wind Speed 115 mph IBC design per the county's own checklist, Seismic Design Category B, Frost Depth 30 in.).

No. The City of Moscow has its own Building Safety Division that independently issues permits within Moscow city limits. Unincorporated Latah County (including the areas surrounding Moscow, other incorporated cities like Potlatch and Deary that also self-administer their own permits, and unincorporated communities such as Avon, Princeton, and Viola) is governed by the Latah County Planning, Building and GIS Department, a separate agency with its own codes, fee schedule, and application forms. Both offices are physically located in Moscow, the county seat.

Other permits in Unincorporated Latah County

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Residential/General Building Permit in other cities

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