Skip to main content
PermitBase

Commercial Building Permit in Unincorporated Nez Perce County, Idaho

Required for new commercial construction and commercial structures in unincorporated Nez Perce County, using a Commercial Building Permit Application distinct from the county's Single Family Residence and Accessory Building applications. Commercial projects may also require a Conditional Use Permit from the Planning and Zoning Commission before a building permit is issued, per the county's own Commercial Building Permit Application Requirements sheet. No dedicated commercial fee schedule or percentage-of-project-value fee formula is published on the county's site — the only published valuation table is titled 'Residential Building Permit Fee Schedule,' and the commercial application itself asks only for a self-declared 'Project Value' with no stated fee calculation, so actual permit cost is confirmed only by direct contact with Building Services.

Reviewed 2026-08-02 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Complete items 1 through 10 on the Commercial Building Permit Application (applicant, property owner, site location, complete Assessor Parcel Number, contractor, architect, engineer, septic permit number, use of building, and project value), per the county's Commercial Building Permit Application Requirements sheet
  • One copy of the Septic Permit, if applicable
  • Two copies of a detailed Plot Plan showing existing and proposed structures, easements, streams/rivers, slopes steeper than 3-to-1 (30%), distances to ALL property lines, and areas of fill material
  • One copy of the Assessor Parcel Map
  • Two sets of Building Plans drawn to scale — footing, foundation, framing section, floor framing, roof framing, a Comcheck energy analysis (energycodes.gov), and building elevations — prepared and stamped by an architect or engineer licensed in the State of Idaho, showing intended building use, quantities/type of combustible or hazardous materials, and special inspections required by UBC 306
  • A Conditional Use Permit from the Planning and Zoning Commission may be required for the commercial use before a building permit can be issued — applicants without one must contact Planning and Building Services at (208) 799-3197 to determine if one is needed
  • An Approach Permit from the County Road & Bridge Department [(208) 799-3060] is required if the project constructs a new driveway (approach) onto a county road
  • Electrical and plumbing permits are obtained separately through the State of Idaho (dbs.idaho.gov/forms/electrical and dbs.idaho.gov/forms/plumbing), not the county; mechanical permits are obtained separately through the Nez Perce County Planning & Building Department

Required documents

Check off what you have — your progress is saved on this device.

Not ready yet — 0 of 5 required documents checked.

This checker covers one permit. A full project usually triggers several — our paid checklist will assemble all of them, from $29 →

Fee schedule

Commercial Building Permit feeThe Commercial Building Permit Application (revised 11/2022) asks only for a self-declared 'Project Value' (item 10) with no stated fee calculation attached to it. The county's only published valuation table, the 'Residential Building Permit Fee Schedule' (effective 10-1-2017), is titled and framed as residential, and its categories (Fixed Living Space, Garages, Pole Buildings, Decks/Carports/Patio Covers, Interior Finish & Remodel, MFH Foundation & Slab) do not include a 'Commercial' line item — whether it is actually applied to commercial structures by the Building Official was not confirmed on the county's own site. Call Building Services at (208) 799-3197 for a project-specific fee quote.
Not published — no commercial-specific fee schedule or percentage-of-project-value formula was found on the county's site

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Commercial Building Permit permit actually take in Unincorporated Nez Perce County?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Footing/Foundation

    Per the county-adopted 2018 IBC; specific county inspection checklist not separately published online as of 2026-08-02.

  2. 2

    Framing

    Structural framing inspection consistent with the adopted 2018 IBC.

  3. 3

    Special Inspections (as required)

    The county's own Commercial Building Permit Application Requirements sheet directs applicants to 'List special inspections as required by UBC 306' on the submitted building plans.

  4. 4

    Final

    Final building inspection prior to occupancy.

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

Tips

  • Unlike solar or EV charger installations, a Commercial Building Permit is a genuinely distinct product in Nez Perce County, with its own 3-document application packet (App Requirements, Application - Commercial, Application - Commercial fillable) separate from the Single Family Residence and Accessory Building packets.
  • No published fee schedule or formula exists specifically for commercial work — budget conservatively and call Building Services (208-799-3197) for a project-specific quote before assuming the residential per-square-foot rates apply.
  • Confirm early whether your commercial use requires a Conditional Use Permit from the Planning and Zoning Commission — the county's own application requirements sheet states this may be required before a building permit can even be issued.
  • Nez Perce County has no distinct Tenant Improvement or commercial-remodel permit product — a remodel or buildout of existing commercial space is expected to be filed under this same Commercial Building Permit Application (item 9, 'Use of Building,' is generic enough to cover a change of use or remodel), since no separate TI application or folder exists among the county's published permit types (Accessory Building, Blasting, Commercial, Manufactured Home, Mechanical, Single Family Residence, Siting/Agricultural).

Frequently asked questions

Possibly a Conditional Use Permit from the Planning and Zoning Commission (confirm with Planning and Building Services, 208-799-3197), an Approach Permit from the County Road & Bridge Department if you're building a new driveway onto a county road, and separate state-issued electrical and plumbing permits — the county's Commercial Building Permit Application Requirements sheet directs applicants to the State of Idaho for those two trades.

Not published. The Commercial Building Permit Application asks for a self-declared project value but states no fee formula, and the county's only published valuation table (the Residential Building Permit Fee Schedule) does not list a commercial category. Contact Building Services at (208) 799-3197 for a project-specific fee quote.

Unincorporated Nez Perce County does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Nez Perce County Planning and Building Department at (208) 799-3089 (main); Building Services (208) 799-3197; Building Official Kile Allen (208) 799-3035 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Commercial Building Permit Application (fillable or non-fillable); Commercial Building Permit Application Requirements sheet; Two copies of a detailed Plot Plan; One copy of the Assessor Parcel Map; Two sets of stamped Building Plans. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Nez Perce County requires 4 inspection(s) for a commercial building permit, in order: Footing/Foundation, Framing, Special Inspections (as required), Final. Schedule each through Nez Perce County Planning and Building Department ((208) 799-3089 (main); Building Services (208) 799-3197; Building Official Kile Allen (208) 799-3035).

Apply through Nez Perce County Planning and Building Department at Courthouse, 3rd Floor, 1230 Main Street, Lewiston, ID 83501 (P.O. Box 896, Lewiston, ID 83501). Phone: (208) 799-3089 (main); Building Services (208) 799-3197; Building Official Kile Allen (208) 799-3035, email: chelsem@co.nezperce.id.us (Planner); kilea@co.nezperce.id.us (Building Official); TiffanyS@co.nezperce.id.us (Senior Customer Service Specialist). Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM; Friday, 7:00 AM to Noon. Fax: 888-757-7326. Staff: Chelse Maughan (Planner), Kile Allen (Building Official), Tiffany Simmet (Senior Customer Service Specialist).. Official information: https://www.co.nezperce.id.us/Departments/Planning-and-Building.

Unincorporated Nez Perce County, Idaho has adopted: 2018 International Building Code (IBC), per Nez Perce County Planning and Building Department's Building Permits page — the county enforces the 2018 IBC as its building code standard.; Nez Perce County's Land Development Code (zoning/subdivision provisions) is separately codified and available via Municode (library.municode.com/id/nez_perce_county); the Building Permits page itself does not separately enumerate IRC/IECC/IMC/IPC/NEC edition years beyond the IBC citation, unlike the City of Lewiston's dedicated Current Codes page, which lists each adopted code individually.. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Nez Perce County overview page for the full list.

No — this is a confirmed absence. The county's Building Permits page lists only seven permit types (Accessory Building, Blasting, Commercial, Manufactured Home, Mechanical, Single Family Residence, and Siting/Agricultural), and the Commercial Building Permit Application Packet contains only the general application and its requirements sheet, with no separate tenant-improvement or remodel-specific form. A commercial interior remodel or tenant buildout is expected to use the same Commercial Building Permit Application.

Sources & verification

Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-02.

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Unincorporated Nez Perce County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

This one’s complicated · Get an expediter

Tell us about your project and we’ll connect you with a permit expediter who works in Unincorporated Nez Perce County.

PermitBase may receive a referral fee from the expediter. This is a service introduction, not verified permit data or legal advice.

Other permits in Unincorporated Nez Perce County

Single Family Residence Building PermitManufactured Home PermitAccessory Building Permit / Agricultural Siting PermitSolar PV PermitEV Charger / EVSE Permit

Commercial Building Permit in other cities

Ammon, IdahoBlackfoot, IdahoBoise, IdahoBuhl, IdahoCaldwell, IdahoCascade, IdahoChubbuck, IdahoCity of St. Maries, Idaho

Compare commercial building permit fees across Idaho →

Look up this fee in a different city →

Embed this data card →

Now live

Build your Unincorporated Nez Perce County project checklist

Describe your project once and get every permit, document, and fee it triggers in Unincorporated Nez Perce County — in one checklist. Sign up and pay once to generate it, or go unlimited with Pro.

Get started →