Lewiston building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Lewiston, Idaho.
Last verified 2026-07-04 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 215 D Street, Lewiston, ID 83501 (P.O. Box 617, Lewiston, ID 83501)
- Phone
- (208) 746-1318, option 1 for Permit Representatives
- Office hours
- Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Building Official: Jeff Wolfe, (509) 254-3275, jwolfe@cityoflewiston.org. Permit Representatives: Lorrie Tanguay, (208) 746-1318 ext. 7203; Adrian Miller, (208) 746-1318 ext. 7263.
- Website
- Official site
- Permit portal
- Apply online at Lewiston's portal
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Lewiston — 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.
- 2018 International Building Code (IBC), plus 2021 IBC Mass Timber provisions, adopted January 2025 for commercial construction — City of Lewiston Current Codes page (Lewiston City Code Sec. 10-1, Code Adoption).
- 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), adopted January 2021, for one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses — City of Lewiston Current Codes page.
- 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), adopted January 2021 — City of Lewiston Current Codes page.
- 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC), adopted January 2021 — City of Lewiston Current Codes page.
- Idaho State Plumbing Code, based on the 2015 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), adopted January 2021 — City of Lewiston Current Codes page.
- 2018 International Fire Code (IFC), adopted January 2021 — City of Lewiston Current Codes page.
- 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC), adopted January 2025 — City of Lewiston Current Codes page.
- 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), adopted January 2021 — City of Lewiston Current Codes page.
- The Current Codes page states local amendments to the adopted codes exist and directs readers to Lewiston City Code Sec. 10-1 (Code Adoption) for the specific amendment text; the amendments themselves are not individually enumerated on the Current Codes web page.
Permit types & fees
Residential New Home Building Permit (New Single Family Dwelling/Duplex)
Required for construction of new one- and two-family dwellings in the City of Lewiston, reviewed against the 2018 IRC and 2018 IECC as locally adopted and administered by the City of Lewiston Building Services division of Community Development. Applications are submitted via the online permit portal (GovWell) or through Building Services staff.
Electrical Permit
Required for all residential and commercial interior and exterior electrical work in the City of Lewiston, per the adopted 2023 NEC. Issued by City of Lewiston Building Services, separate from any trade permit issued by Nez Perce County for unincorporated-area work.
Plumbing Permit
Required for all residential and commercial interior and exterior piping work in the City of Lewiston, per the adopted Idaho State Plumbing Code (based on the 2015 UPC). Issued by City of Lewiston Building Services.
Mechanical Permit (HVAC, Gas Work)
Required for all residential and commercial installation of air conditioners, water heaters, furnaces, etc., and all gas work in the City of Lewiston, per the adopted 2018 IMC. Issued by City of Lewiston Building Services.
Demolition Permit
Required for any structure served by utilities in the City of Lewiston. Issued by City of Lewiston Building Services with a flat fee (bond not included).
Swimming Pool Permit
Required for swimming pool construction/installation in the City of Lewiston, with a flat fee separate from the standard valuation-based building permit fee. Residential spas, hot tubs, and hydro massage tubs are separately fee-assessed under the Electrical Permit Fees schedule per inspection.
Solar PV Permit (Alternative Energy)
Required for installation of rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems in the City of Lewiston. The City's FY2026 Fee Schedule (Resolution 2025-39) explicitly groups 'Alternative Energy' with Commercial, Multi-family (3+ units), and Industrial work under its valuation-based Electrical, Mechanical, and Plumbing Permit Fee tables — meaning a solar PV installation (residential or commercial) is billed on the same valuation-based schedule as commercial trade work, not the flat per-dwelling residential rates. A structural building permit (valuation-based, IBC Section 109.3) applies if the installation involves roof/structural modification.
EV Charger / Electric Vehicle Charging Station Permit
The City of Lewiston has no dedicated EV-charger or EVSE permit type or fee line in its FY2026 Fee Schedule (Resolution 2025-39). Installing a Level 2 (240V) home EV charger requires a City of Lewiston Electrical Permit, billed under the existing 'Residential Electrical Fees -- Existing Residence' line (one circuit included, per-additional-circuit fee applies), issued by City of Lewiston Building Services per the adopted 2023 NEC.
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 (2026-05)
- No data reported
- Trailing 12 months
- No data reported
- Year to date
- No data reported
- Latest full year
- No data reported
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-05 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Idaho building activity
Tips & gotchas
- The City of Lewiston has its OWN Building Services division (part of the Community Development Department, 215 D Street) — GENUINELY SEPARATE from Nez Perce County's Planning and Building Department (Courthouse 3rd Floor, 1230 Main Street, phone 208-799-3197). Property inside Lewiston city limits is permitted by the City; property in the unincorporated county is permitted by Nez Perce County. This was confirmed via the City of Lewiston's own Building Services, Permits Needed, and Current Codes pages (which describe the City's independent adoption and administration of the IBC/IRC/IECC/IMC/NEC/plumbing/fire codes under Lewiston City Code Sec. 10-1) plus the County's separate Planning and Building Department page listing its own Building Official (Kile Allen) and fee schedule — two distinct offices, staff, fee schedules, and code-adoption resolutions, not a shared or contracted single authority.
- The City of Lewiston publishes maximum plan-review turnaround times by project category in calendar days, with a shorter 'minor revisions' timeline: e.g., New Single Family/Duplex 14 days (8 for minor revisions), New Commercial Construction 21 days (14), Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing 14 days (8) — City of Lewiston Permit Review Schedule page.
- Seven permit categories are explicitly listed on the City's Permits Needed page: Building, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, Utility (commercial exterior water/sewer/stormwater/fireline), Right-of-Way (curb/gutter/sidewalk), and Demolition (any utility-served structure).
- Building Permit Plan Review Fee is 65% of the Building Permit Fee (both commercial and residential) — a materially high plan-review percentage compared to many corpus jurisdictions' 25-30% rates — per the City of Lewiston FY2026 Fee Schedule (Resolution 2025-39, effective 10/1/2025).
- New Single Family Dwelling electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits are each a separate flat $216.56 fee (up to 1,500 sq ft, plus $72.20/additional 1,000 sq ft) — in addition to the valuation-based Building Permit Fee — so a new home in Lewiston involves four separately fee-assessed permits (building + 3 trades).
- No fee is charged for a building permit for accessibility-barrier removal, for energy-efficiency upgrades not tied to other work, or for repair/replacement of permitted work performed under warranty — City of Lewiston FY2026 Fee Schedule, Special Permit Fees.
- The City adopted 2018-edition model codes (IBC/IRC/IECC/IMC/IEBC/IFC) in January 2021, and separately updated to the 2023 NEC and 2021 IBC Mass Timber provisions in January 2025 — a staggered adoption timeline rather than a single omnibus code-update date.
- No jurisdiction-published review timeline was found specifically for Demolition or Swimming Pool permits (the Permit Review Schedule page's categories do not include these two types by name) — flagged with reviewTimelineDays: null in those permitTypes rather than assumed to match a similar category.