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Consolidated Building-Development Permit (New Construction, Additions, Alterations, Repairs, Moving, Demolition, Signs, Grading) in American Falls, Idaho

The City of American Falls uses a single Consolidated Building-Development Permit Application for all classes of construction work within city limits, including new construction, additions, alterations, repairs, moving a structure, demolition, sign installation, and grading. The applicant checks the applicable 'Class of Work' box on one unified form; the City does not publish separate permit-type applications or separate fee schedules for these work classes. This single product and fee table also covers commercial construction and commercial tenant-improvement (TI)/remodel work — American Falls has no distinct commercial building permit or TI permit; the application form's staff-review section includes 'Occupancy Group,' 'Type Construction,' 'Occupant Load,' and '# Parking Spaces' fields (IBC concepts used to classify Business, Mercantile, Assembly, and other non-residential occupancies), confirming the same form and valuation-based fee schedule is used for commercial projects, not a separate commercial-specific application or fee line. Plumbing, HVAC, and electrical permitting/inspection are handled directly by the State of Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), not the City.

Verified 2026-08-02 · 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 fees payable to Power County)
  • Legal description or address of the property where work is proposed
  • A description of the work proposed (e.g., 'construction of a new dwelling', 'commercial addition', or 'tenant improvement / remodel of existing commercial space')
  • Applicant's name and address
  • Builder's name and business address
  • One set of plans clearly showing all work on the building and where the building sits on the property
  • For new dwellings: one 8.5"x11" site plan, plus foundation, floor, and roof plans, elevations, and braced wall panel requirements per the I.B.C., with cross sections showing construction details
  • For commercial new construction, additions, and tenant-improvement/remodel work: no separate commercial submittal checklist is published by the City beyond the general Consolidated Building-Development Permit Application; staff use the same application's 'Occupancy Group,' 'Type Construction,' 'Occupant Load,' and '# Parking Spaces' fields to review commercial projects under the adopted 2018 I-Codes — applicants should confirm project-specific commercial submittal expectations directly with the Building Department (208-226-2569) at plan submittal
  • Estimated fair market value of the completed project (materials, labor, and cost of all work, even owner-performed labor) for permit fee calculation

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/)
$23.50
Building Permit — total valuation $501.00 to $2,000.00City of American Falls Building Fees schedule, Total Valuation table (cityofamericanfalls.com/building-fees/); the schedule prints this tier's upper bound as "$2,00.00".
$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, Total Valuation table.
$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, Total Valuation table.
$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, Total Valuation table.
$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...' — this appears to be a typo carried over in the City's own published table (the base amount… Show full citationPublished verbatim on the City's own fee schedule as '$993.75 for the first $1,000,000.00 plus $5.60...' — this appears to be a typo carried over in the City's own published table (the base amount $993.75 is consistent with the standard first-$100,000 tier used in comparable Idaho valuation tables, and the tier is bounded 'to and including $500,000.00'); transcribed here exactly as published by the City pending any future correction by American Falls.
$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, Total Valuation table; the schedule prints this tier's upper bound as "$100,000,00.00".
$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, Total Valuation table.
$5,608.75 for the first $1,000,000.00, plus $3.65 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof
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
Inspections for which no fee is specifically indicatedMinimum charge one half hour
$47.00 per hour
Additional plan review required by changes, additions, or revisions to plansMinimum charge one half hour
$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 Consolidated Building-Development Permit (New Construction, Additions, Alterations, Repairs, Moving, Demolition, Signs, Grading) 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 (including curb, gutter, and sidewalk) is complete and building, plumbing, and electrical inspections are approved, the inspector performs a final inspection and issues a Certificate of Compliance

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

Tips

  • American Falls uses ONE consolidated application form for all classes of work (grading, new construction, additions, alterations, repairs, moving, demolition, and signs) — there is no separate demolition-permit or sign-permit application or fee schedule published by the City.
  • Plumbing, HVAC, and electrical permits and inspections are handled entirely by the State of Idaho DOPL, not the City — schedule those directly at (208) 238-3359 (Plumbing/HVAC) or (208) 237-2460 (Electrical).
  • The City's own guidance states plan review 'usually takes between 5 to 10 business days' from receipt, provided no additional information is needed; if the City requests more information, the clock effectively restarts when that information is received.
  • Properties within the City's impact area but outside official city limits are NOT permitted by the City — plans and fees are routed to the Power County Building Administrator's office instead, with fees payable to Power County.
  • 'Fair market value' for permit fee calculation includes the cost of all materials and labor to complete the project, even if the owner intends to perform the labor themselves — it is not simply the price of the lot.
  • A building permit expires (is void) if work is not commenced within 180 days of approval, or if commenced work is abandoned for 180 days at any point before completion; a development permit's vested right for the approved land use lasts two years.
  • Inspections must be requested by calling (208) 226-2569; inspections requested after 4:00 p.m. are performed the following business day. The inspection card and a copy of the building/water/sewer permit must be left on-site, signed by each inspector, before work covered by that inspection may proceed.
  • Do not mark up plans already approved by the City if project changes occur — a new, revised set of plans must be submitted and approved before continuing work on the changed portion.
  • American Falls has no distinct commercial building permit or commercial tenant-improvement (TI) permit — new commercial construction and TI/remodel work in existing commercial space use this same Consolidated Building-Development Permit Application and the same valuation-based Building Permit fee table as residential work. The City's Building Department page lists a single 'Building Permit (City)' product, the Building Fees page publishes one valuation-based fee table with no commercial or TI line item, and the application form's staff-review section includes 'Occupancy Group' and 'Type Construction' fields used to classify commercial occupancies on that same form.

Frequently asked questions

American Falls requires a consolidated building-development permit (new construction, additions, alterations, repairs, moving, demolition, signs, grading) 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 fees payable to Power County); Legal description or address of the property where work is proposed; A description of the work proposed (e.g., 'construction of a new dwelling', 'commercial addition', or 'tenant improvement / remodel of existing commercial space'); Applicant's name and address; Builder's name and business address; One set of plans clearly showing all work on the building and where the building sits on the property; For new dwellings: one 8.5"x11" site plan, plus foundation, floor, and roof plans, elevations, and braced wall panel requirements per the I.B.C., with cross sections showing construction details; For commercial new construction, additions, and tenant-improvement/remodel work: no separate commercial submittal checklist is published by the City beyond the general Consolidated Building-Development Permit Application; staff use the same application's 'Occupancy Group,' 'Type Construction,' 'Occupant Load,' and '# Parking Spaces' fields to review commercial projects under the adopted 2018 I-Codes — applicants should confirm project-specific commercial submittal expectations directly with the Building Department (208-226-2569) at plan submittal; Estimated fair market value of the completed project (materials, labor, and cost of all work, even owner-performed labor) for permit fee calculation. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of American Falls Building Department at (208) 226-2569 before starting work.

In American Falls, the published Building Permit — total valuation $1.00 to $500.00 is: $23.50. Additional published fees: Building Permit — total valuation $501.00 to $2,000.00 — $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 $25,000.00 — $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 $50,000.00 — $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 $100,000.00 — $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 — $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 $1,000,000.00 — $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 up — $5,608.75 for the first $1,000,000.00, plus $3.65 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof; Inspections outside of normal business hours — $47.00 per hour; Reinspection fee — $47.00 per hour; Inspections for which no fee is specifically indicated — $47.00 per hour; Additional plan review required by changes, additions, or revisions to plans — $47.00 per hour; Use of outside consultants for plan checking and/or inspections — Actual costs. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Per the City's own 'How to Get a Building Permit' guidance, plans are reviewed in the order received and it usually takes between 5 and 10 business days for the City offices to complete the review process, provided no additional information is needed to complete the review.

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/.

No. The City uses a single Consolidated Building-Development Permit Application with a 'Class of Work' section (Grading, New, Addition, Alteration, Repair, Move, Demolish, Sign) rather than separate applications or fee schedules for each work type.

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 reviewTimelineDays (5-10 business days, per the City's published guidance) applies. The application's staff-review section captures 'Occupancy Group,' 'Type Construction,' 'Occupant Load,' and '# Parking Spaces' — standard IBC fields for classifying commercial/non-residential occupancies — confirming commercial projects are reviewed through this same single City process rather than a separate track. As with all City-issued permits, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC work (including tenant-improvement electrical/mechanical work) is permitted separately by the State of Idaho DOPL, not the City.

The City does not issue plumbing, HVAC, or electrical permits. These are handled directly by the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL): Plumbing & HVAC at (208) 238-3359, and Electrical at (208) 237-2460.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-02.

Fee schedules

Applications & forms

Online permit portal

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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