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Commercial Building Permit (New Construction, Additions, Alterations & Tenant Improvement) in American Falls, Idaho

American Falls does not publish a distinct commercial building permit or tenant-improvement (TI) permit product. Commercial new construction, additions, alterations, and interior remodel/tenant-improvement work in existing commercial space are submitted on the same Consolidated Building-Development Permit Application and billed on the same valuation-based Building Permit fee table used for residential and every other class of work in the City. Commercial occupancies are reviewed under the City's adopted 2018 edition of the International Code, the same edition the Building Department page lists for all building permits; the City's website does not identify the specific municipal code section or ordinance that adopted it, and no commercial-only submittal checklist, plan-review fee, or review timeline is published separately from the general process.

Verified 2026-08-25 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Property located within the incorporated areas of the City of American Falls; properties in the City's impact area outside city limits are instead routed to the Power County Building Administrator's office, with the permit fee paid to Power County
  • Building permit required for commercial new construction, additions, alterations, and interior tenant-improvement/remodel work in existing commercial space, submitted on the same Consolidated Building-Development Permit Application used for residential and all other classes of work
  • Reviewed under the 2018 edition of the International Code as adopted by the City of American Falls; the Building Department page states the City 'Adopts the International Code (2018)' but does not cite a specific ordinance or municipal code section number for that adoption
  • No separate commercial submittal checklist is published; City staff use the same application's 'Type Construction,' 'Occupancy Group,' 'Occupant Load,' and '# Parking Spaces' fields to classify and review commercial and other non-residential occupancies
  • Estimated fair market value of the completed project (materials, labor, and cost of all work, even owner-performed labor) is required for permit fee calculation, on the same table used for residential work
  • Under Idaho Code 39-4117, a local government has 20 business days to determine whether a commercial building permit application is complete (versus 10 business days for a residential application); this is a statewide statutory requirement, not a City of American Falls policy
  • Plumbing, HVAC, and electrical work (including commercial tenant-improvement mechanical/electrical work) is permitted separately by the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), not the City

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit — total valuation $1.00 to $500.00City of American Falls Building Fees schedule (cityofamericanfalls.com/building-fees/) — the same table used for residential permits; the City publishes no separate or higher commercial valuation table or plan-review fee
$23.50
Building Permit — total valuation $501.00 to $2,000.00City of American Falls Building Fees schedule
$23.50 for the first $500.00, plus $3.05 for each additional $100.00 or fraction thereof, to and including $2,000.00
Building Permit — total valuation $2,001.00 to $25,000.00City of American Falls Building Fees schedule
$69.25 for the first $2,000.00, plus $14.00 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof, to and including $25,000.00
Building Permit — total valuation $25,001.00 to $50,000.00City of American Falls Building Fees schedule
$391.75 for the first $25,000.00, plus $10.10 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof, to and including $50,000.00
Building Permit — total valuation $50,001.00 to $100,000.00City of American Falls Building Fees schedule
$643.75 for the first $50,000.00, plus $7.00 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof, to and including $100,000.00
Building Permit — total valuation $100,001.00 to $500,000.00
Published verbatim on the City's own fee schedule as '$993.75 for the first $1,000,000.00 plus $5.60...' — an apparent typo carried over in the City's own published table (the base amount and the… Show full citationPublished verbatim on the City's own fee schedule as '$993.75 for the first $1,000,000.00 plus $5.60...' — an apparent typo carried over in the City's own published table (the base amount and the tier's own $500,000 upper bound are consistent with the standard tier structure used elsewhere on this schedule); relevant to larger commercial projects, which more often reach this tier than typical residential work
$993.75 plus $5.60 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof, to and including $500,000.00
Building Permit — total valuation $500,001.00 to $1,000,000.00City of American Falls Building Fees schedule
$3,233.75 for the first $500,000.00, plus $4.75 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof, to and including $1,000,000.00
Building Permit — total valuation $1,000,000.00 and upCity of American Falls Building Fees schedule
$5,608.75 for the first $1,000,000.00, plus $3.65 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof
Commercial plan-review fee
The City's Building Fees page lists only the valuation-based Building Permit fee table above plus the flat inspection fees below; Show full citationThe City's Building Fees page lists only the valuation-based Building Permit fee table above plus the flat inspection fees below; unlike some neighboring Idaho cities (for example, a percentage-of-permit-fee commercial plan-review surcharge), American Falls' published fee schedule contains no plan-review percentage line item at all, for either residential or commercial work
No separate or higher commercial plan-review fee is published
Inspections outside of normal business hoursMinimum charge of 2 hours; City of American Falls Building Fees schedule
$47.00 per hour
Reinspection feeAssessed under provisions of Section 305.8; City of American Falls Building Fees schedule
$47.00 per hour
Additional plan review required by changes, additions, or revisions to plansMinimum charge one half hour; City of American Falls Building Fees schedule
$47.00 per hour
Use of outside consultants for plan checking and/or inspectionsCity of American Falls Building Fees schedule
Actual costs

Review timeline

Plan reviewAmerican Falls’s published plan-review target
5–10 business days

How long did your Commercial Building Permit (New Construction, Additions, Alterations & Tenant Improvement) permit actually take in American Falls?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Foundation / Concrete (curb, gutter, sidewalk-related)

    Inspector will not pour or cover anything up (concrete, curb, gutter, sidewalk) before it is inspected

  2. 2

    Building, Plumbing, and Electrical (as applicable)

    Building inspections are scheduled with the City; plumbing, HVAC, and electrical inspections are scheduled directly with the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — Plumbing/HVAC: (208) 238-3359; Electrical: (208) 237-2460

  3. 3

    Final

    Once all work is complete and building, plumbing, and electrical inspections are approved, the inspector performs a final inspection and issues a Certificate of Compliance. No fire-district or state fire marshal sign-off is published as part of this process — the application's staff-review section covers only zoning and health-department compliance, and the City's own Fire Department page does not list a commercial plan-review or inspection service

See the full American Falls inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • There is no separate Commercial Building Permit or Tenant Improvement (TI) permit application in American Falls — commercial new construction, additions, and TI/remodel work in existing commercial space use the same Consolidated Building-Development Permit Application and the same valuation-based fee table as residential work.
  • No separate or higher commercial plan-review fee is published, unlike some other Idaho cities that charge a percentage-of-permit-fee surcharge for commercial plan review — American Falls' fee schedule has no plan-review line item at all.
  • Idaho Code 39-4117 gives the City 20 business days to determine whether a commercial building permit application is complete, versus 10 business days for a residential application — this is state law, not a City-specific commitment, and it governs the completeness determination only, not the full plan-review timeline.
  • No fire-district or state fire marshal plan-review requirement for commercial building permits is published by the City — the Consolidated Building-Development Permit Application's staff-review section covers only zoning and health-department compliance, and the City's own Fire Department page lists a volunteer roster and meeting schedule with no plan-review or commercial-inspection service.
  • Properties within the City's impact area but outside official city limits are not permitted by the City for commercial work any more than for residential — plans and fees route to the Power County Building Administrator's office instead.

Frequently asked questions

American Falls requires a commercial building permit (new construction, additions, alterations & tenant improvement) for: Property located within the incorporated areas of the City of American Falls; properties in the City's impact area outside city limits are instead routed to the Power County Building Administrator's office, with the permit fee paid to Power County; Building permit required for commercial new construction, additions, alterations, and interior tenant-improvement/remodel work in existing commercial space, submitted on the same Consolidated Building-Development Permit Application used for residential and all other classes of work; Reviewed under the 2018 edition of the International Code as adopted by the City of American Falls; the Building Department page states the City 'Adopts the International Code (2018)' but does not cite a specific ordinance or municipal code section number for that adoption; No separate commercial submittal checklist is published; City staff use the same application's 'Type Construction,' 'Occupancy Group,' 'Occupant Load,' and '# Parking Spaces' fields to classify and review commercial and other non-residential occupancies; Estimated fair market value of the completed project (materials, labor, and cost of all work, even owner-performed labor) is required for permit fee calculation, on the same table used for residential work; Under Idaho Code 39-4117, a local government has 20 business days to determine whether a commercial building permit application is complete (versus 10 business days for a residential application); this is a statewide statutory requirement, not a City of American Falls policy; Plumbing, HVAC, and electrical work (including commercial tenant-improvement mechanical/electrical work) is permitted separately by the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), not the City. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of American Falls Building Department at (208) 226-2569 before starting work.

No published commercial-specific or higher plan-review fee was found. The City's Building Fees page lists only the valuation-based Building Permit fee table (the same table for residential and commercial work) plus flat hourly fees for outside-hours inspections, reinspections, and additional plan review — there is no plan-review percentage line item published for either track.

American Falls's published plan-review target for a commercial building permit (new construction, additions, alterations & tenant improvement) is 5–10 business days.

You'll need: Consolidated Building-Development Permit Application; Site Plan / Construction Drawings. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Apply through City of American Falls Building Department at 550 N Oregon Trail, American Falls, ID 83211. Phone: (208) 226-2569, email: jeff.nelson@cityofamericanfalls.com. Office hours: Monday–Thursday 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM; Friday–Sunday closed (including holidays). Official information: https://cityofamericanfalls.com/building-department/.

The City of American Falls Building Department page states the City adopts the 2018 edition of the International Code, the same edition applied to residential work; the City's website does not publish the specific ordinance or municipal code section number that adopted it.

No. American Falls does not publish a distinct commercial building permit or TI/remodel permit product. Commercial new construction and tenant-improvement work in existing commercial space are permitted through the same Consolidated Building-Development Permit Application and the same valuation-based Building Permit fee table used for residential and all other classes of work; the same 5-10 business day review-timeline figure, per the City's published guidance, is applied to all permit types.

No such requirement is published by the City. The Consolidated Building-Development Permit Application's staff-review section checks only zoning and health-department compliance, and the City's own Fire Department page describes a volunteer department with a meeting schedule but no plan-review or commercial-inspection service. Confirm directly with the Building Department (208-226-2569) if a specific commercial project may require outside fire-district input.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-25.

Fee schedules

Applications & forms

Online permit portal

Codes & ordinances

Department & other records

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 American Falls building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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