Driggs building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Driggs, Idaho.
Last verified 2026-07-23 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 60 South Main Street, P.O. Box 48, Driggs, ID 83422
- Phone
- (208) 354-2362
- Office hours
- Mon–Thu 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (closed Fridays and Federal Holidays)
- Website
- Official site
- Permit portal
- Apply online at Driggs's portal
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Driggs — 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), effective January 1, 2021
- 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC)
- 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), including Appendix F (Radon)
- 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)
- 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC)
- 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC)
- Idaho state electrical and plumbing codes administered by the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), formerly Division of Building Safety — not locally amended by the City of Driggs
- Driggs Land Development Code (Title 8, Building Regulations; Chapters 3–13 covering zoning, building types, design requirements, floodplain, and site development)
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit
Required for any construction, addition, alteration, repair, relocation, demolition, or change in occupancy of a residential building or structure within the City of Driggs, including mechanical (HVAC) work. Electrical and plumbing work is permitted separately by the State of Idaho, not the City.
Demolition Permit
Required for demolition of any building or structure within the City of Driggs, submitted as a separate application from the standard building permit.
Solar PV Permit (Split City/State Jurisdiction)
Required for installation of rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems in Driggs. The City of Driggs Planning & Building Department's own Building Information page states directly: 'Plumbing and Electrical permits are issued by the State of Idaho Division of Building Safety and are required for any plumbing and electrical work' — the City itself does not issue electrical permits. The structural/racking portion of a solar installation is billed on the City's standard valuation-based Building Permit fee schedule (calculated per the International Code Council's Building Safety Journal valuation tables); no dedicated solar/photovoltaic fee line was located as of this review.
EV Charger / EVSE Permit (State of Idaho Electrical Permit)
Installation of an electric vehicle charging station in Driggs is electrical work and, like all electrical work in Driggs (per this file's residential-building-permit and solar-pv-permit entries), is NOT permitted by the City at all — the City's own Building Information page states directly that 'Plumbing and Electrical permits are issued by the State of Idaho Division of Building Safety.' The permit is issued by the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) / Division of Building Safety (dbs.idaho.gov). DOPL's own statewide Contractor Electrical Permit Worksheet (Fee Schedule, Rev. 8/17/2022, directly fetched and reviewed this session) has NO distinct 'EV charger,' 'electric vehicle,' or 'EVSE' line item — a dedicated Level 2 charger circuit added to an existing residence is billed under the worksheet's 'Existing Residence / Modular, Manufactured or Mobile Homes / Detached Shop' bucket: $65 base fee plus $10 per additional branch circuit beyond the one circuit included in the base fee.
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 (2026 YTD)
- No data reported
- Full year 2025
- 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
- Driggs is a genuinely independent building department — it is NOT contracted to Teton County (Teton County operates its own separate Building Department for unincorporated areas at 150 Courthouse Drive, Room 107, Driggs).
- Electrical and plumbing permits in Driggs are issued by the State of Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL, formerly Division of Building Safety) under Idaho Code Title 54, Chapters 10 and 26 — not by the City. Applicants must obtain those permits and inspections separately from DOPL and present proof of compliance before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued.
- Mechanical (HVAC, gas piping, fireplaces) permitting is handled by the City's own Mechanical Inspector as part of the building permit — this differs from some other Idaho cities where mechanical is bundled with state-administered trades.
- Building design criteria in Driggs are notably strict for the region: 85 psf ground snow load (per Driggs City Code § 8-1-6 and the City's current Building Information page; the City's own Application Checklist PDF still prints 90 psf — an unreconciled internal inconsistency as of 2026-07-23), 36-inch frost depth, and Seismic Zone D1 — significantly higher than nearby valley-floor jurisdictions.
- A $2,000 road damage bond is required if any road cutting for utility work is planned as part of the project.
- Structures in the Airspace Protection Overlay near Driggs-Reed Memorial Airport require FAA Form 7460-1 submission and FAA acknowledgment before a building permit can be issued.
- Deed-restricted affordable housing developments are exempt from all City development impact fees.
- Construction work hours are limited to 7:00 AM–7:00 PM citywide.
- Projects in Huntsman Springs, Calico Sky, or Shoshoni Plains subdivisions must also submit building plans to the applicable Home Owners Association.