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Fence Permit in Twin Falls, Idaho

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).

Verified 2026-07-03 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Fences 7 feet in height or less do not require a building permit
  • Fences over 7 feet in height require a building permit
  • Regardless of the 7-foot threshold, a fence located within a driveway sight triangle (100 ft along the curb / 10 ft along the left driveway edge, or 125 ft along the curb / 10 ft along the right driveway edge), a 40-foot street-intersection sight triangle, or a 40 ft/15 ft alley sight triangle cannot exceed 3 feet in height
  • A minimum 3-foot clearance must be maintained on all sides of fire hydrants, free of fences
  • Properties in a Flood Zone require a Flood Plain Development Permit through the City's Engineering Department even if a building permit is not otherwise required for the fence
  • Permit application requires: a site plan showing fence location, structural plans showing post/fencing material and construction method, post depth in the ground/concrete, and the fence height
  • If there is no curb in front of the property, the future curb line can be obtained from the City Engineering Department at (208) 735-7248

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — valuation $1 to $500Fences over 7 feet are fee-assessed on the standard valuation-based Building Permit Fee schedule. City of Twin Falls Master City-Wide Fee Schedule
$22.00
Building Permit Fee — valuation $501 to $2,000City of Twin Falls Master City-Wide Fee Schedule
$22.00 for the first $500, plus $2.75 for each additional $100 or fraction thereof
Residential Plan Review FeeCity of Twin Falls Master City-Wide Fee Schedule
30% of the building permit fee

Review timeline

Plan reviewTwin Falls’s published plan-review target
10–10 business days

How long did your Fence Permit permit actually take in Twin Falls?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Final

    Completed fence height, post depth, and sight-triangle compliance verified against approved plans

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

Tips

  • Fences 7 feet or under never require a permit anywhere on the lot outside sight triangles; the sight-triangle 3-foot cap applies regardless of whether a permit would otherwise be required.
  • The City's published plan review timeline for fences (where plan review applies) is 2 weeks for residential and 3 weeks for 'miscellaneous' commercial-adjacent categories including fences.
  • Fences (regardless of height) must maintain a 3-foot clear zone around fire hydrants per Fire Department requirements — contact (208) 735-7233 for questions.

Frequently asked questions

No permit is required for a fence 7 feet in height or less. A building permit is required only if the fence exceeds 7 feet, and even fences under 7 feet are capped at 3 feet within designated driveway, street-intersection, and alley sight triangles. Source: City of Twin Falls 'Fences & Sight Obstructions' handout.

In Twin Falls, the published Building Permit Fee — valuation $1 to $500 is: $22.00. Additional published fees: Building Permit Fee — valuation $501 to $2,000 — $22.00 for the first $500, plus $2.75 for each additional $100 or fraction thereof; Residential Plan Review Fee — 30% of the building permit fee. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Twin Falls's published plan-review target for a fence permit is 10–10 business days.

You'll need: Building Permit Application (fence, via Residential Detached Accessory application); Site Plan. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Twin Falls requires 1 inspection(s) for a fence permit, in order: Final. Schedule each through City of Twin Falls Building Safety Department ((208) 735-7238).

Apply through City of Twin Falls Building Safety Department at 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.. Official information: https://www.tfid.org/141/Building-Safety-Department.

Twin Falls, Idaho has adopted: 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. Local amendments apply — see the Twin Falls overview page for the full list.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-03.

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