Nampa building department

The Nampa Building Safety and Code Department handles permits, plan review, inspections, and code enforcement inside Nampa city limits. It is part of Development Services at 500 12th Avenue South, which is open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. You need a permit before any new construction, addition, alteration, or repair, and for all plumbing, electrical, and mechanical work. For property outside city limits, contact Canyon County Development Services at (208) 454-7458.

What needs a residential permit

Project	Nampa rule
New house, mobile home, or ADU	Permit required
Garage, deck, covered patio, carport, storage building	Permit required
Detached storage building under 200 sq ft and no more than 12 ft tall	Exempt
Accessory building of any size with permanent wiring, plumbing, or HVAC	Permit required, plus an approved permanent footing or foundation
Retaining wall over 4 ft, including footing	Permit required
Fence	Permit required
New or replacement stucco or siding	Permit required
Re-roof	Permit required (separate re-roof application)
HVAC, fireplace, wood stove, or other heating or ventilation system	Permit required
Moving or demolishing a structure	Permit required
Improvements, additions, and remodels	Permit required

Gas log fireplaces and solid-fuel stoves need separate permits. The city publishes handouts on patio covers, pole barns, egress windows, stairs, and typical wall sections. If you convert a patio cover or garage into living space, or change a residence to commercial use, see the city’s building bulletins.

The permit process

1. Zoning check. Ask Planning and Zoning whether the use fits the parcel’s zoning, whether you need any other entitlements, and which development code sections apply.
2. Apply in Citizen Self Service (CSS), Tyler EnerGov, or in person. You must create a CSS account first. The city recommends Chrome or Edge. Choose the permit type carefully, because a permit issued under the wrong type is voided.
3. Intake. Staff check the application for completeness and invoice plan review fees. All notices come from [email protected], so make sure those emails don’t go to spam.
4. Plan review. Corrections and markups are posted in CSS. Upload your responses there with a transmittal letter. The city has a response letter template.
5. Issuance. Once every department signs off, final fees are invoiced. After you pay, the approved plans, marked “Approved” in the file name, are released in CSS.
6. Plan modifications. Significant design changes go back through intake and review, and may cost more.
7. Inspections and conditions. Every required inspection and condition listed on the permit must be completed.
8. Certificate. A Certificate of Occupancy is issued when the work creates a new occupancy. A Certificate of Completion is issued for a shell building, a space with no named tenant, or a space already occupied by an existing tenant.

The city has application packets for new homes, additions, remodels, accessory structures, ADUs, pools, demolition, manufactured and modular homes, solar, and moving a building. Commercial packets cover new buildings, shells, additions, tenant improvements (including occupancy-only), multifamily, civil site work, racking, and fences. Workflow charts show the order of steps for shell buildings, complete buildings, and tenant improvements. You can request a pre-application meeting.

Fees

Building, plan review, and development impact fees are on the city’s Permit Fee Schedules page. Pay permit and impact fees online in CSS. Project valuation, sub-permit payments, refunds, permit reactivation, and penalties for work without permits are covered by administrative bulletins.

Adopted codes

Code	Edition
International Building, Residential, Existing Building, Energy Conservation, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, and Fire Codes	2018
Idaho State Plumbing Code	2017
National Electrical Code	2023
ICC/ANSI A117.1 accessibility	2009
NFPA 30A (motor fuel dispensing) / NFPA 99 (health care)	2015

Local amendments are in City Code Title 4, Building Regulations.

Design value	Nampa
Ground snow load	20 psf (roof minimum 25 psf); ice barrier not required
Wind speed	90 mph
Seismic design category	B
Frost line	24 in.
Winter design temperature	10°F
Air freezing index	860
Weathering / termite	Severe / slight to moderate

Inspections

The applicant or contractor requests inspections in CSS. Log in, open My Permits, select the permit, then Inspections, and click Request Inspection. Don’t put special time requests in CSS. They go to the building official in writing at least 48 hours ahead. Morning and afternoon windows are offered only for footing, foundation, masonry grout, and open-trench inspections. The full approved plan set must be on site for every inspection, and you may be charged a re-inspection fee if the work isn’t ready. Inspection results are emailed and also posted in CSS.

When mechanical, electrical, or plumbing work is done as an emergency over a weekend or city holiday, the permit can be issued on the next business day.