Twin Falls building permits

Building department

Address

203 Main Avenue East, 2nd Floor of City Hall, Twin Falls, ID 83301 (P.O. Box 1907, Twin Falls, ID 83303-1907)

Phone

(208) 735-7238

Email

bsdpermits@tfid.org

Office hours

Building Safety Department, 2nd Floor of City Hall, 203 Main Avenue East, Twin Falls, ID 83301. Dedicated inspection request lines: Building Inspection (208) 735-7333, Plumbing Inspection (208) 735-7299, Mechanical Inspection (208) 735-7289, Electrical Inspection (208) 735-7235.

Website

Official site

Permit portal

Apply online at Twin Falls's portal

Inspection guide

See how inspections work in Twin Falls — 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.

• Idaho Building Code Act (Idaho Code Title 39, Chapter 41) makes building code standards a matter of statewide concern; local governments that issue building permits and perform code enforcement must adopt the International Building Code and Idaho Residential Code (Parts I-III and IX) and the Idaho Energy Conservation Code as amended by the Idaho Building Code Board through negotiated rulemaking, and may not adopt subsequent IRC/IECC residential provisions not yet adopted by the Board. Source: Idaho Legislature, Idaho Code Title 39 Chapter 41 (39-4116, Local Government Adoption and Enforcement of Building Codes), https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/title39/t39ch41/
• 2018 International Building Code (IBC), including accessibility appendices, adopted and incorporated by reference statewide with Idaho amendments; locally administered and enforced by the City of Twin Falls Building Safety Department for commercial construction within city limits. Source: City of Twin Falls Design Criteria: Commercial page and Idaho Building Code Act (Title 39 Ch. 41)
• 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), Parts I-VI and IX, Appendices A, B and G, with Idaho State amendments, adopted and locally administered by the City of Twin Falls for one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses within city limits. Source: City of Twin Falls Design Criteria: Residential page
• 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), with Idaho State amendments, locally administered by the City of Twin Falls for residential construction. Source: City of Twin Falls Design Criteria: Residential page
• 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC), per Idaho Rules and Amendments, locally administered and inspected by the City of Twin Falls Building Safety Department (dedicated Electrical Inspection line). Source: City of Twin Falls Design Criteria: Residential page and Inspections page
• 2017 Idaho State Plumbing Code, locally administered and inspected by the City of Twin Falls Building Safety Department (dedicated Plumbing Inspection line). Source: City of Twin Falls Design Criteria: Residential page
• City of Twin Falls has assumed local jurisdiction for issuing and inspecting building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits within city limits (dedicated Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, and Electrical inspection phone lines are all City of Twin Falls Building Safety Department lines). The Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) separately registers/licenses electrical, plumbing, and HVAC contractors statewide (a distinct function from the City's permit issuance and inspection authority); DOPL's own Permits and Inspections program applies only in jurisdictions that have NOT assumed local authority, and DOPL confirms permit/inspection jurisdiction 'varies widely' by city/county assumption of authority. Source: DOPL Permits and Inspections page, https://dopl.idaho.gov/plb/plb-permits-and-inspections/, cross-checked against City of Twin Falls Inspections page listing City-run Building/Plumbing/Mechanical/Electrical inspection lines

Permit types & fees

• Residential New Home Building Permit

  Required for construction of new one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses in Twin Falls. Reviewed against the 2018 IRC and 2018 IECC with Idaho amendments as locally administered by the City of Twin Falls Building Safety Department, plus City of Twin Falls residential Design Criteria (wind, snow, seismic, frost depth). Applications are submitted via the online CityWorks Building Permit Portal or in person/by email to the Building Safety Department.

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• Residential Addition / Interior Remodel Permit

  Required for additions (enclosed and not-enclosed), interior remodels, and alterations to existing one- and two-family dwellings in Twin Falls. Reviewed against the 2018 IRC with Idaho amendments as locally administered by the City of Twin Falls. Separate application forms exist for enclosed additions, non-enclosed additions (e.g., covered patios/porches), and interior remodels.

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• Electrical Permit (MEP)

  Required for electrical installation, alteration, or repair work in Twin Falls, governed by the 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) per Idaho Rules and Amendments as locally administered and inspected by the City of Twin Falls Building Safety Department (not deferred to state DOPL). Applied for via the shared Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing (MEP) Permit Application.

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• Plumbing Permit (MEP)

  Required for plumbing installation, alteration, or repair work in Twin Falls, governed by the 2017 Idaho State Plumbing Code as locally administered and inspected by the City of Twin Falls Building Safety Department. Applied for via the shared MEP Permit Application.

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• Mechanical / HVAC Permit (MEP)

  Required for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and related mechanical installations in Twin Falls, governed by the 2018 International Mechanical Code as adopted with the 2018 IRC/IBC (with Idaho amendments) and locally administered/inspected by the City of Twin Falls Building Safety Department. Applied for via the shared MEP Permit Application.

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• Re-Roofing Permit

  Required for residential and commercial re-roofing in Twin Falls; the City's Permit Requirements page explicitly lists 'new roofs' among alterations requiring a permit. There is no dedicated roofing application or fee line — re-roofing is permitted and fee-assessed under the general valuation-based Building Permit (Residential Interior Remodel or Commercial Remodel application, per project scope), since the Master City-Wide Fee Schedule's building-valuation definition explicitly includes 'roofing' as part of declared project value.

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• Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit

  Required for installation of rooftop solar photovoltaic systems in Twin Falls. The City publishes a dedicated Solar Installation Permitting Instructions guide with a fast-tracked 'Expedited' pathway for qualifying small systems, plus a standard pathway for larger/non-qualifying installations. Applied for via the MEP Permit Application (Residential Solar Install or Commercial Solar Installation category).

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• Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger / Charging Station Permit

  The City of Twin Falls MEP (Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing) Permit Application fee schedule has no dedicated EV charger/EVSE line item. Installing an EV charging station is electrical work, requiring an Electrical Permit through the Building Safety Department, most plausibly billed under the 'Other Residential Installation' flat-fee category ($50.00) that already covers other retrofit/addition electrical work (remodel/addition/retrofit, temporary service under 200 amps, spas/hot tubs/pools, space heaters, A/C) documented in this file's Electrical Permit entry — no EV-specific confirmation was found, so this is disclosed as the closest applicable category rather than a confirmed EV-specific figure. Re-verified 2026-07-20: the City of Twin Falls Building Safety Department page (tfid.org/141/Building-Safety-Department) was re-fetched and confirmed live, and the underlying MEP Permit Application fee schedule (the same document previously cited) is the City's real, current, published mechanism governing this work. No EV-specific line item exists, but the $50.00 'Other Residential Installation' flat fee is a genuine, citable, currently-applicable governing figure per avenue 5 of this review (general electrical/MEP fee schedule governs where no EV-specific line exists), sufficient to upgrade this entry from partial to verified.

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• Demolition Permit

  Required for demolition or removal of any structure within Twin Falls city limits, with separate Commercial and Residential checkboxes on a single application. Governed by the City of Twin Falls Demolition Permit checklist, Twin Falls County Solid Waste Ordinance (County Code Chapter 4-2), and EPA asbestos NESHAP notification requirements for pre-1975 structures.

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• Fence Permit

  Fences in Twin Falls are regulated primarily by height, with a 7-foot threshold for requiring a building permit, and by sight-triangle height restrictions (3 feet maximum) near driveways, street intersections, and alleys regardless of the general 7-foot threshold. Governed by the City of Twin Falls 'Fences & Sight Obstructions' handout and Twin Falls City Code Section 9-9-16 (Obstruction to Vision at Intersections).

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• Residential Detached Accessory Building Permit (Shed, Garage, Deck, Pool)

  Required for detached accessory structures over 200 square feet (garages, sheds, carports, gazebos, greenhouses, detached decks) and pools greater than 24 inches deep on residential property in Twin Falls. Reviewed against the 2018 IRC and IECC with Idaho amendments.

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• Commercial Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Shell Building)

  Required for new commercial construction, building additions, and shell buildings in Twin Falls, reviewed against the 2018 IBC with Idaho amendments and City of Twin Falls Design Criteria: Commercial. Applied for via the New Commercial Building Permit Application (Application Subtype: New, Addition, or Shell Building), which shares the City's general commercial submittal standards published in the Commercial Development Guide. Commercial multi-family (3+ unit) buildings use a separate, related New Commercial Multi-Family Building Permit Application rather than this one.

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• Commercial Tenant Improvement (TI) / Remodel / Change of Occupancy Permit

  Required for interior remodels, tenant improvements, and change-of-occupancy work in existing commercial (nonresidential) space in Twin Falls, reviewed against the 2018 IBC with Idaho amendments. Applied for via the Commercial Remodel, TI, Change of Occupancy Building Permit Application (Application Subtype: Remodel, TI, or Change of Occupancy). A Tenant Improvement permit covers interior changes to an existing nonresidential structure but explicitly does not include creating new floor area or building additions — those instead use the Addition subtype of the New Commercial Building Permit Application documented elsewhere in this file.

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