Unincorporated Power County building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Unincorporated Power County, Idaho.
Last verified 2026-07-08 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 73 Fort Hall Ave., Ste. A, American Falls, ID 83211
- Phone
- 208-226-7625
- Office hours
- Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Website
- Official site
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Unincorporated Power County — 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.
- 2015 International Building Code (IBC) — adopted and amended per Power County Building Code Ordinance, Title 8, Chapter 1, Section 8-1-13-1
- 2012 International Residential Code (IRC) — adopted and amended per Power County Building Code Ordinance, Title 8, Chapter 1, Section 8-1-13-2
- 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)
- 2015 International Fire Code (IFC)
- 2015 International Existing Building Code (IEBC)
- Editions as codified in the Power County Building Code Ordinance (recorded 2018); Power County Code of Ordinances Title 8 (Building Regulations) is maintained on American Legal Publishing but the live section text is JavaScript-rendered and could not be independently re-verified for a possible later edition update beyond the archived 2018 ordinance PDF — treat edition years as sourced to that document
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition)
Required for new single-family dwellings, additions, structural alterations, and outbuildings over 120 sq ft in unincorporated Power County. Applications are submitted on the shared Consolidated Building-Development Permit Application (used jointly by Power County, American Falls, and Rockland — applicant selects 'Power County' as the jurisdiction). Reviewed and inspected by the Power County Building Administrator.
Agricultural Structure Permit (Zoning Permit + Ag Certification)
Agricultural buildings in unincorporated Power County require a Zoning Permit and a notarized Agricultural Building Certification Statement, recorded with the Power County Recorder's Office. Qualifies only for structures used exclusively to house farm implements, hay, grain, poultry, or livestock — not for human habitation, employment where products are processed/treated/packaged, or public use.
Solar PV Permit
Power County has a detailed Solar Farms ordinance (Title 10, Chapter 23) governing utility-scale solar development (the county is home to the 300 MW Moon Crater Solar and Storage Project) — but Section 10-23-7(A) explicitly EXEMPTS 'residential use solar facilities' from the Conditional Use Permit that chapter otherwise requires for all other solar installations. A residential/personal-use system is separately defined in the ordinance (Section 10-23-3) as a 'solar energy array with a total nameplate capacity of 200 kilowatts or less, associated with single or two-family dwellings, or personal use.' A qualifying residential system is instead processed as the county's standard valuation-based Building Permit (the same mechanism as other residential construction), with electrical interconnection separately regulated by the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), since Power County has deleted electrical/mechanical/plumbing permitting from its own local code.
EV Charger / EVSE Permit
Power County's adopted Building Code Ordinance (Title 8) lists only the IBC, IRC, IECC, IFC, and IEBC — no county-adopted NEC edition — and the state's own Inspector List with Schedules assigns Power County electrical inspections to a State of Idaho electrical inspector (Shane Lott), confirming that electrical work in unincorporated Power County is regulated by the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL, formerly Division of Building Safety), not the county. An EV charger/EVSE installation therefore requires a State of Idaho Electrical Permit through DOPL, not a county permit. DOPL publishes no distinct EV charger/EVSE fee line; a residential EVSE circuit added to an existing home is billed under the homeowner (or contractor) electrical permit fee structure — a base fee plus a per-branch-circuit charge for existing-residence work.
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)
- 0units
0 buildings · $0 valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 6units
12 of 12 months reported · #44 in Idaho coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-05)
- 2units
2 buildings · $530,000 valuation
- Full year 2025
- 5units
5 buildings · $1.7M valuation
County-wide figures: BPS reports county-wide totals; jurisdiction is the unincorporated remainder — county totals include incorporated cities (American Falls, Rockland)
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
- Power County shares one Consolidated Building-Development Permit Application with the City of American Falls and the City of Rockland — always check 'Power County' as the work location on the form when the project is in the unincorporated area.
- Power County does NOT issue electrical, plumbing, or HVAC/mechanical permits. These are regulated solely by the State of Idaho (IC 54-1001, IC 54-2601) — obtain them from the Idaho Division of Building Safety (DOPL/DBS) at dbs.idaho.gov/permits or 1-800-955-3044.
- A Power County Highway Permit (208-226-2661) and, where applicable, a septic permit from the State Health District (208-226-5094 or 208-478-6320) are prerequisites — secure these before submitting the building permit application.
- Standard review is 10-14 days; re-roofing, re-siding, and sign permits can be issued same-day with complete information.
- Permits lapse after 180 days; extensions require verified active work and meeting county criteria.
- Starting work before a permit is issued triggers an investigative fee equal to the permit fee, in addition to the permit fee itself.
- 80% of the building permit fee is refundable if no work has begun, but you must request the refund within 30 days of paying the fee.
- Design criteria apply county-wide: 32-inch frost depth, 90 mph wind speed, Seismic Zone D-1, Climate Zone 5, and an elevation-based snow load table ranging from 35 lb (below 4,600 ft) to 100 lb ground load / 125 lb roof live load (6,800+ ft).
- Six inspections are mandatory in sequence: Footing, Foundation, Concrete Slab/Under-Floor, Frame, Lath/Gypsum Board, and Final. Contact the Building Administrator to schedule each one before proceeding to the next phase.
- Agricultural buildings need a notarized Agricultural Building Certification Statement that gets recorded against the property title — it only applies to structures used exclusively for farm implements/hay/grain/poultry/livestock storage, not habitation or public/commercial use.
- Power County's building code ordinance (recorded 2018) adopts 2015-edition IBC/IECC/IFC/IEBC and 2012-edition IRC with local amendments; the live American Legal Publishing code library page renders via JavaScript and could not be independently re-confirmed for any edition update beyond the archived ordinance PDF.
- The Building Administrator/Planning and Zoning office is located at 73 Fort Hall Ave., Ste. A, American Falls, ID 83211 (mailing/general county address also cited as 543 Bannock Ave.). Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Phone: 208-226-7625.