Idaho Falls building department

The Building Division of Idaho Falls Community Development Services handles permits, plan review, and inspections for property inside Idaho Falls city limits. Its office is at 380 Constitution Way. The Planning Division in the same department runs the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances. It works with the Planning Commission and the Board of Adjustment, which hears variances and certain conditional use permits. If your property is outside city limits in Bonneville County, the city doesn’t permit it.

Applying in Cityworks

On April 1, 2024, Idaho Falls replaced eTRAKiT with Cityworks. You use Cityworks to apply for permits, pay fees, schedule inspections, and check results. Everyone needs a new Cityworks account. If you register with the same email address you used in eTRAKiT, your old permits and projects are linked to the new account. You can’t change the email on a Cityworks account after it’s created.

Licensed contractors, homeowners, engineers, and surveyors can all pull permits. Under the code, you need a permit before you build, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building, and before you install or change regulated electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing systems. Starting work without a permit doubles the permit fee. No inspection can happen until the permit is issued.

New or remodeled commercial buildings, including exterior lighting, need a COMcheck lighting compliance form. Submit it to the city electrical inspector before the electrical permit is issued.

What needs a permit

Project	City rule
One-story detached accessory building	Exempt up to 200 sq ft
Deck	Exempt if 200 sq ft or less, no more than 30 in. above grade, not attached to the house, and not serving the required exit door
Retaining wall	Exempt up to 4 ft
Sidewalks and driveways	Exempt
New fence	$5 fence permit, reviewed at the counter for height and visibility rules near driveways, intersections, alleys, and front yards
Patio cover or carport	Building permit required
Water heater or furnace replacement	Permit and inspection required
Additions, interior remodels, plumbing and electrical changes	Permit required
Trim, carpet, flooring, painting	No permit or license needed

The building FAQ says sheds over 120 sq ft need a permit. That’s stricter than the 200 sq ft exemption on the Cityworks page, so check with the Building Division before you build a shed between those sizes. Exempt structures still have to meet zoning setbacks.

Contractor licensing

Idaho Falls has its own contractor license, separate from state registration. Anyone doing permitted work in the city needs one unless they are exempt. You qualify in one of three ways:

1. passing an ICC exam in your trade (taken through Pearson VUE)
2. holding a bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering, or construction management
3. reciprocity: an active building contractor license from Utah, Arizona, Oregon, California, or Florida, or a license through the Professional Builders Contractor’s License Registration Board

Apply and upload your proof in Cityworks. Pay online or with the City Clerk at 308 Constitution Way.

Class	Scope	New / renewal fee
A	All building types	$325 / $225
B	Buildings up to 3 stories	$325 / $225
C	Residential one- and two-family	$325 / $225
D	Sub-contractor: roofing, concrete, drywall, framing, masonry, telecom	$250 / $150
Reciprocal	—	$60 / $60

Residential general contractors need a Class B or C license plus state licensing. Commercial general contractors need Class A or B plus state licensing. Roofers need Class D plus state licensing. Plumbers, electricians, and HVAC contractors need state licensure only. Licenses expire one year after issue. To renew, Class A–C holders need 8 hours of continuing education and Class D holders need 4.

Homeowners who live in, or will live in, the single-family home they’re working on, including its accessory structures, don’t need a license. They still need permits (City Code 4-7-3:B(3)).

Adopted codes

Code	Edition
International Building, Residential, Existing Building, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Energy Conservation, Fire, Property Maintenance, and Swimming Pool and Spa Codes	2018
Idaho State Plumbing Code	2017
National Electrical Code	2023

The city’s Comprehensive Zoning Code is on the Building and Planning pages. For pre-1978 homes, the city reminds contractors that EPA rules require lead-safe renovation by an EPA-certified renovator and firm.

Inspections and occupancy

The permit holder schedules inspections in Cityworks, checks results there, and must give inspectors access to the work. Before a certificate of occupancy is issued, you may need building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, water, Public Works, fire, and zoning finals. Once those pass and fees are paid, the Building Division issues the certificate. Work that doesn’t create a new occupancy or change the use gets a final approval letter instead.