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Building Permit (Commercial New Construction, Additions, Remodels, Tenant Improvements, Repairs) in Buhl, Idaho

Required for erecting, constructing, altering, repairing, or renewing any commercial or industrial structure in Buhl, using a dedicated Commercial Building Permit Application distinct from the Residential Building Permit Application. Billed on the same citywide valuation-based fee schedule as residential construction, but with a higher Plan Check Fee (50% of the permit fee, capped at 65%, per the City's May 2026 fee resolution) and a longer typical review window. Buhl has no separate Tenant Improvement/commercial-remodel permit product — interior remodels and buildouts of existing commercial space use this same application (see tips/FAQs below).

Verified 2026-08-02 · Source

When you need this permit

  • New construction, remodel, repair, addition, renewal, or fire damage restoration of a structure in a Commercial, Industrial, Airport, or Agricultural zone
  • Parcel number (from tax information or the Twin Falls County Assessor's Office) and a copy of the deed showing ownership and legal description (from the Twin Falls County Clerk's Office)
  • Contractor/manager name, address, phone, Idaho contractor license number and expiration (if applicable), or confirmation the property owner is doing the construction Contractor
  • Estimated value of work and total square footage, broken out by new/add-remodel/other construction category
  • Digital PDF or two full sets of building and site plans, minimum 11x17 paper, stamped by an Idaho Licensed Architect or Engineer as appropriate: site plan, floor plans with dimensions, elevation views, footing/foundation with reinforcing dimensions, typical construction and firewall detail, cross section and stair detail, and truss/floor joist details (if applicable)
  • Comment/approval letter from the Buhl Highway District if building in a non-platted subdivision
  • Comment/approval letter from the Twin Falls Canal Company, if applicable
  • Comment/approval letter from the Buhl Rural Fire Protection District
  • Property address posted at the public road entrance and property boundaries clearly marked prior to the first inspection
  • Separate permits are required for electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilating, or air conditioning work, issued by the State of Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), not the City of Buhl

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit — valuation $1 to $500City of Buhl Building Permit Fee Schedule, based on the 1997 Uniform Code fee table (same table used for the Residential Building Permit — see that permit type in this file for the full valuation-tier breakdown). Per Resolution No. 2026-05, Exhibit C, valuation of construction for permit-fee purposes is set at 75% of the ICC (ICBO) Building Valuation Data.
$23.50
Building Permit — valuation $2,001 to $25,000City of Buhl Building Permit Fee Schedule (same citywide valuation table as the Residential Building Permit)
$69.25 for the first $2,000, plus $14.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $25,000
Plan Check FeeConfirmed on the Commercial Building Permit Application's own Office Use fee section ('Plan Check Fee: $___ (50% of permit fee)') and independently in Resolution No. 2026-05 (adopted/approved by the Buhl City Council and Mayor 2026-05-11), Exhibit C, Building Department Fees: 'Plan Review: 50% of Permit Fee but not to exceed 65% of the building permit fee. (Buhl City Code 8-2-3 C.)' This 50%-of-fee (65% cap) figure is newer than, and differs from, the 25% Plan Check Fee shown on the City's older Building Permit Fee Schedule PDF and documented elsewhere in this file for the Residential, Demolition, and Solar permit types — Resolution 2026-05 expressly states it 'amends all previous Resolutions and Ordinances regarding fees charged by the City' and repeals inconsistent provisions. The City's currently-posted Residential Building Permit Application PDF was also checked directly (2026-08-02) and now prints the same 50% figure, not 25%, suggesting the 25%-based entries elsewhere in this file may need re-verification against this newer resolution — flagged separately rather than corrected here, as out of scope for this commercial-permit research task.
50% of the Building Permit Fee, not to exceed 65% of the Building Permit Fee
Fire Department Plan ReviewPer Resolution No. 2026-05, Exhibit C: 'As of April 2026, the Buhl Fire Department has independent fees for plan review.' The Commercial Building Permit Application requires a separate comment/approval letter from the Buhl Rural Fire Protection District (Chief Andrew Stevens, 201 Broadway Ave N, 208-543-5664); contact the Fire District directly for current plan-review fee amounts.
Independent fee set by the Buhl Fire Department; not published in the City Building Department's fee schedule
Sewer Connection Fee, Water Connection Fee, Street RepairItemized as blank office-use fields on the Commercial Building Permit Application's own Permit Fees block (same structure as the Residential Building Permit Application); charges for city utility connections are collected in advance per the application's notice section, with overpayment refunded or underpayment billed.
Calculated per project; no flat published amount

Review timeline

Plan reviewBuhl’s published plan-review target
10–30 business days

How long did your Building Permit (Commercial New Construction, Additions, Remodels, Tenant Improvements, Repairs) permit actually take in Buhl?

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

Inspection process

    Tips

    • Buhl's Commercial Building Permit Application is a distinct 5-page form from the Residential Building Permit Application (different fields for zone, construction category, and square footage by floor), but both are billed on the same citywide valuation-based fee table.
    • As of 2026, the City of Buhl contracts with Jay Bevercombe for plan review and building inspections on all permit types (per the Building Department webpage's 'NEW CONTACT' notice); contact him directly once a permit is issued to schedule inspections.
    • Comment/approval letters are required from the Buhl Highway District (for non-platted subdivisions), the Twin Falls Canal Company (if applicable), and the Buhl Rural Fire Protection District — read these requirements directly off the Commercial Building Permit Application; they are not called out on this file's other permit types.
    • The Buhl Fire Department began charging independent plan-review fees as of April 2026 (per Resolution No. 2026-05), separate from and in addition to the City Building Department's Plan Check Fee.
    • Buhl does not have a separate Tenant Improvement (TI) or commercial-remodel permit product. A tenant improvement/remodel of existing commercial space is permitted through this same Commercial Building Permit Application (checking 'Remodel' or 'Repair' as the construction type), fee'd on the same valuation-based table — confirmed by checking the Commercial Building Permit Application, the Building Department webpage, and Resolution No. 2026-05 directly; none publish a separate TI product, application, or fee line. If the project also brings in a new tenant, a separate Certificate of Occupancy Application (City of Buhl Planning & Zoning Department, not the Building Department) is additionally required: no fee if the use is unchanged ('New Tenant/Same Use'), or $100.00 if the use is changing ('New Tenant/New Use'), per Resolution No. 2026-05, Exhibit C, and the Certificate of Occupancy Application form itself.

    Frequently asked questions

    Buhl requires a building permit (commercial new construction, additions, remodels, tenant improvements, repairs) for: New construction, remodel, repair, addition, renewal, or fire damage restoration of a structure in a Commercial, Industrial, Airport, or Agricultural zone; Parcel number (from tax information or the Twin Falls County Assessor's Office) and a copy of the deed showing ownership and legal description (from the Twin Falls County Clerk's Office); Contractor/manager name, address, phone, Idaho contractor license number and expiration (if applicable), or confirmation the property owner is doing the construction; Estimated value of work and total square footage, broken out by new/add-remodel/other construction category; Digital PDF or two full sets of building and site plans, minimum 11x17 paper, stamped by an Idaho Licensed Architect or Engineer as appropriate: site plan, floor plans with dimensions, elevation views, footing/foundation with reinforcing dimensions, typical construction and firewall detail, cross section and stair detail, and truss/floor joist details (if applicable); Comment/approval letter from the Buhl Highway District if building in a non-platted subdivision; Comment/approval letter from the Twin Falls Canal Company, if applicable; Comment/approval letter from the Buhl Rural Fire Protection District; Property address posted at the public road entrance and property boundaries clearly marked prior to the first inspection; Separate permits are required for electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilating, or air conditioning work, issued by the State of Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), not the City of Buhl. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Buhl Building Department (Building and Planning & Zoning Department) at 208-308-9814 before starting work.

    Commercial building permits use the same valuation-based fee table as residential construction (starting at $23.50 for work valued at $500 or less, up to $33,958.75 plus $2.00 per additional $1,000 over $10,000,000), with construction valued at 75% of the ICC Building Valuation Data. A Plan Check Fee of 50% of the permit fee (not to exceed 65%) also applies, per Resolution No. 2026-05 (May 2026) and the Commercial Building Permit Application's own fee block — a higher rate than the 25% documented for this file's other permit types under the older fee schedule. Fire Department plan review is billed separately by the Buhl Fire Department.

    Per the City of Buhl Building Department's own FAQ, typical processing time for Commercial projects is 10-30 business days, longer than the 5-10 business days typical for Residential projects.

    You'll need: Commercial Building Permit Application; Building and Site Plans; Copy of Deed. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through City of Buhl Building Department (Building and Planning & Zoning Department) at 201 Broadway Ave N, Buhl, ID 83316. Phone: 208-308-9814, email: jazmine.m@cityofbuhl.us. Office hours: Monday 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM; Tuesday–Thursday 7:00 AM – 4:30 PM (closed Friday–Sunday). Official information: https://www.cityofbuhl.us/building-department.html.

    Buhl, Idaho has adopted: 2018 International Building Code (IBC), as currently enforced per the City of Buhl Building Department (Buhl Municipal Code 8-1-1 as codified online still lists the 2012 IBC per Ord. 974, 1-27-2014 — the department's own published webpage confirms 2018 IBC is the version presently enforced, consistent with the statewide Idaho Building Code Board 2018-cycle adoption); 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), as currently enforced per the City of Buhl Building Department; 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), per Buhl Municipal Code 8-1-1.C (Ord. 974, 1-27-2014, eff. retroactive to 1-1-2014) — no subsequent municipal amendment found in the codified online ordinance text; 2012 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), per Buhl Municipal Code 8-1-1.D (Ord. 974, 1-27-2014, eff. retroactive to 1-1-2014); All codes adopted 'as adopted by the State of Idaho or the Idaho Building Code Board, together with any amendments or revisions... made by the Idaho Building Code Board through the negotiated rulemaking process' (Buhl Municipal Code 8-1-1); Idaho State Plumbing Code and National Electrical Code — administered by the State of Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), not the City of Buhl. Local amendments apply — see the Buhl overview page for the full list.

    No. Buhl does not publish a distinct Tenant Improvement or commercial-remodel permit product, application, or fee line — this was confirmed directly against the Commercial Building Permit Application, the Building Department webpage, and the City's May 2026 fee resolution. Interior remodels, repairs, and buildouts of existing commercial space are permitted through the same Commercial Building Permit Application used for new commercial construction (selecting 'Remodel' or 'Repair' as the construction type), billed on the City's standard valuation-based fee table. If the project also involves a new tenant taking occupancy, a separate Certificate of Occupancy Application (City of Buhl Planning & Zoning Department) is required — free if the use stays the same, $100.00 if the use is changing.

    Sources & verification

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

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