Meridian building department

Meridian Building Services, part of Community Development’s Development Services Division, handles structural, fire, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits inside Meridian city limits. Its work covers applications, plan review, permit issuance, and field inspections for residential, commercial, and industrial projects. The office is in Suite 102 of City Hall, 33 E. Broadway Avenue, and is open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Setbacks, easements, and HOA rules belong to Meridian Planning, which you can reach at (208) 884-5533.

Applying: Citizen Access and ProjectDox

Every permit type, including building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and fire, is applied for online in Accela Citizen Access, which is available 24/7. After you apply and pay the fees, the city emails you an invitation to ProjectDox (ePlan Review) with an “Applicant Upload” task. All drawings and documents are uploaded and reviewed in ProjectDox. The city publishes submittal checklists for each residential permit type, including new home, addition, remodel, garage, ADU, shed, patio cover, pool, solar, EV charger, and manufactured home, plus commercial checklists. It also posts a spreadsheet of current application and permit-issuance time frames.

Many new commercial projects and tenant improvements need an approved Location/Address Verification first. You request it in Citizen Access with a site plan.

What needs a permit

Project	Meridian rule
Detached shed or accessory building	Exempt if one story and 200 sq ft or less. Over 200 sq ft needs a Residential Shed permit
Shed 200–600 sq ft, eaves 10 ft or lower	Unheated with no power: slab with edges turned down 12 in. With power and heat: footing to the 24 in. frost line, plus an electrical permit
Shed over 600 sq ft	Footing and foundation to 24 in.
Deck	Exempt if 200 sq ft or less, no more than 30 in. above grade, not attached, and not serving the required exit door
Patio cover, pergola, gazebo, arbor	Exempt if detached and under 200 sq ft. Larger needs a Residential Patio Cover permit
Pool	Prefabricated pools 4 ft deep or less are exempt. All others need a permit and can’t encroach on easements
Fence	Residential Fence permit. No plan review, but a drawing showing the location is required
Retaining wall	Exempt up to 4 ft from bottom of footing, unless it supports a surcharge
Roof or siding/stucco replacement or repair	Permit required
New wood or pellet stove	Permit required
Structural changes, including non-bearing walls and window size changes	Permit required
Interior paint, flooring, light fixture swaps, appliance hookups to existing stubs, landscaping, RV pads	No permit

Any structure attached to the house is an addition and needs a permit. One shed of 200 sq ft or less may sit in the required rear yard without a permit. Accessory buildings aren’t allowed in the street yard or the required side yard. Typical easements are 10 ft at the rear and 5 ft at interior sides. A structure built on an easement may have to be moved at your expense.

Fence limits (UDC 11-3A-7)

In most residential zones, fences can be up to 6 ft tall. In the required front yard, the limit is 3 ft for closed-vision fences and 4 ft for open-vision fences. On a corner lot, a street-side-yard fence can be 6 ft but must be set back 10 ft. Electric fencing is banned, and barbed wire is allowed only on security fences in certain commercial and industrial districts. Fences next to pathways and common open space follow the city’s crime-prevention (CPTED) design rules.

Codes and design criteria

As of January 1, 2021, Meridian enforces the 2018 IBC, IRC, IEBC, IECC, IMC, IFGC, IFC, and ISPSC, along with the 2017 Idaho State Plumbing Code. Several of these carry Idaho or local amendments, published in City Code Title 10. The amended residential energy code requires air leakage below 5 air changes per hour. Under the city’s 2021 adoption memo, blower-door tests are required on 20% of the homes each contractor builds.

Design value	Meridian
Ground snow load	20 psf (roof minimum 25 psf); ice barrier not required
Wind	100 mph (Risk Category II or lower), 115 mph (III+), Exposure B
Seismic design category	C (geotechnical report required)
Frost depth	24 in.
Climate zone	5B
Winter design temperature	10°F

Fees

The full fee schedule is online. Meridian also publishes fee worksheets for residential, multifamily, new commercial, and tenant improvement projects. Water meter and Public Works review/inspection fees changed March 5, 2025. Police, fire, and parks impact fees, ACHD fees, and water and sewer assessments are listed in separate memos.

Inspections

To schedule an inspection, log in to Citizen Access. Search by permit number, open Record Info → Inspections, and choose Schedule or Request an Inspection. You can add notes for the inspector, such as access instructions, before you finish.

• Schedule, cancel, or reschedule before midnight the day before.
• Inspections happen between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the scheduled date. Morning or afternoon slots are offered only for new-home footings, stem walls, and foundations, so concrete pours can be coordinated.
• For other concrete work, contact the Building Inspection Supervisor at least one business day ahead.

Forms are available for after-hours inspections, partial occupancy, and permit extensions. Citizen Access also shows which approvals and inspections a commercial or multifamily certificate of occupancy still needs.