Blaine County Building Services in Hailey permits construction in the unincorporated county, and it accepts digital plans only, through the county’s OpenGov portal. On top of the valuation-based permit fee the county charges a 65% plan check fee and a fire district plan check fee, and every structural design has to be stamped by an engineer because roof snow loads run from 50 to 150 psf. Hailey, Ketchum, Sun Valley, Bellevue and Carey each handle permits inside their own limits.
When does Blaine County require a permit?
A county building permit is needed before any construction starts, and the county counts excavation as the start of construction. Building Services lists these projects as needing a permit; all of them also get a zoning review.
Permit needed
- Any new construction and structural additions
- Alterations, repairs and interior remodels that affect life safety
- Outbuildings over 120 square feet
- Re-roofing and porch roof coverings
- Demolition, including moving a structure off a site
- Manufactured homes, in or out of a park
- Moved structures, before the move
- Solar installations
Exempt under County Code 7-1-3
- One-story detached sheds and playhouses up to 120 sq ft
- Fences not over 7 feet high
- Retaining walls not over 4 feet from the bottom of the footing, unless they support a surcharge
- Water tanks on grade up to 5,000 gallons
- Sidewalks and driveways
- Painting, tiling, carpeting, cabinets and similar finish work
- Prefabricated swimming pools less than 48 inches deep
- Detached decks up to 200 sq ft and no more than 30 inches above grade
- Flag poles, swings and playground equipment
Agricultural buildings in the A-20, A-40, R-10 and RR-40 zoning districts need no building permit but do need a $25 agricultural setback permit, which includes fire district approval for access and water supply. In any other zone an agricultural building needs a full building permit.
Who issues building permits in Blaine County?
Blaine County Building Services, part of the Land Use & Building Services Department, covers land outside the five cities, including land in a city’s area of city impact that has not been annexed. The county re-adopted those areas by ordinance in 2025 (Hailey on March 11, Bellevue on April 15, Carey on October 15 and Ketchum on December 31; County Code 8-2-1). The office is on the 2nd floor of the County Annex Building in Hailey, across the street from the Old County Courthouse. Inside city limits, go to the city:
- Hailey: the Community Development Department takes building permit applications (208-788-9815). Its Building Services page lists State of Idaho building staff as the building official and inspectors.
- Ketchum: the Planning and Building Department issues permits and inspects, with a full-time building official and the CommunityConnect online system (City Hall, 208-726-3841).
- Sun Valley: the City’s Building Department, 81 Elkhorn Road (208-622-4438), with its own application and fee schedule.
- Bellevue: the city code (Title 9) adopts the building codes and sets the city’s own permit fees, administered by the city building inspector. Under City Code 9-1-2 the plan review fee is 65% of the permit fee, both are paid in full with the application, and roofs are designed for a snow load of at least 80 psf.
- Carey: applications go to Carey City Hall, 20482 N Main Street (208-720-9981). The city contracts with SAFEbuilt for plan review and inspections, and all contact with SAFEbuilt runs through the city’s Planning and Zoning Department.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Blaine County Building Services |
| Address | 219 South First Avenue, Suite 208, Hailey, ID 83333 |
| Phone | 208-788-5573 (inspection requests: extension 1125) |
| Hours | Monday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. |
| Apply | Blaine County OpenGov portal (digital plans only) |
| Septic permits | South Central Public Health District, 208-788-4335 |
Blaine County permit applications
Create an account in the county’s OpenGov portal and open the Building Services Department section. Search for the property by its parcel (RP) number, not the street address. The county recommends Chrome or Firefox.
- Residential Building Permit Application
- Commercial Building Permit Application
- Manufactured Home Building Permit Application — fees are based on the value of the site-built parts (foundation, garage, decks), not the home.
- Re-Roof Building Permit Application — must identify the existing roof structure (rafter size, spacing and span, or the truss system).
- Solar Permit Application — $200 for structural and zoning review and one site inspection.
- Demolition Permit Application — $50, valid for 90 days, with written acknowledgement that the utilities and the Assessor have been notified.
- Agricultural Setback Permit Application — $25.
- Tiny Home on Wheels Setback Permit Application — $300 where no conditional use permit is needed.
Land use applications (conditional use, floodplain, Mountain Overlay District, stream alteration, variances) are filed in the Land Use Department section of the portal. The pre-building-permit zoning review is free.
Blaine County permit fees and valuation
The county’s Permit Fee Table, revised July 1, 2025, combines Building Code Table 1 with the local add-on fees in County Code 7-1-3. Valuation is the actual value of the project at current construction costs for similar work, and the Building Official makes the final call; owner-supplied materials and free labor do not reduce it.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Total valuation | Permit fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $500 | $24.75 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $24.75 for the first $500, plus $3.20 for each additional $100 or fraction |
| $2,001 to $25,000 | $72.75 for the first $2,000, plus $14.70 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | $410.75 for the first $25,000, plus $10.60 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $676 for the first $50,000, plus $7.35 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $1,043.50 for the first $100,000, plus $5.90 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,395.50 for the first $500,000, plus $5 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $1,000,001 and up | $5,889.25 for the first $1,000,000, plus $3.85 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plan check fee | 65% of the building permit fee |
| Fire district plan check fee | 40% of the plan check fee |
| Deposit for final inspection (refundable) | $1,500 or 10% of the total permit fees, whichever is greater |
| Partial payment, projects valued at $200,000 or more | $1,500, non-refundable, credited toward the permit fee |
| Re-inspection, after-hours inspection, extra plan review | $100 per hour |
| Cancellation after approval, or permit not picked up within 180 days | 20% of the permit and plan check fees |
| Permit renewal after expiry | 10% of the original permit fee |
| Deed-restricted community housing | 50% of the permit and plan check fees |
Worked through for a $500,000 house: the permit fee is $1,043.50 plus 400 × $5.90, or $3,403.50; the plan check fee is about $2,212; and the fire district plan check fee is about $885. That is roughly $6,500, plus the $1,500 final-inspection deposit, which comes back after a successful final inspection and Certificate of Occupancy.
Fees are paid when the permit is issued, by card online (a processing fee applies) or by check at the office with no extra charge. A moved structure is charged on 50% of its assessed value plus new on-site work.
Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, septic and fire permits
Blaine County issues none of the trade permits. Its 2026 checklist tells applicants to get plumbing, HVAC and electrical permits from the State of Idaho inspectors, and the state’s permit map shows all three as state-issued across the county.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Permit | Issued by |
|---|---|
| Electrical, plumbing, HVAC | State of Idaho (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) |
| Septic system | South Central Public Health District, before the building permit application |
| Well | Idaho Department of Water Resources |
| Fire sprinkler, hydrant or cistern | The fire district serving the site |
| Access from a county road | Blaine County Road and Bridge (Approach & Encroachment permit) |
| Access from a state highway | Idaho Transportation Department encroachment permit |
| Stormwater (1 acre or more disturbed) | Idaho Department of Environmental Quality |
The portal routes plans to the fire district for you (Wood River, North Blaine County, Carey, West Magic or Smiley Creek), but it does not route anything to the health district. Upload the health district’s stamped site plan and septic permit with the application.
Application documents and site approvals
The county publishes a “Checklist for a Complete Building Permit Application” (2026). Zoning, the fire district and Building Services all have to approve before a permit is issued.
Plans to upload
- Floor plans for each level with room uses, smoke and CO alarms, safety glazing, egress openings and stair details
- Elevations with building height from natural grade
- Scaled site plan: lot lines, setbacks, building envelope, easements, septic, well and utilities, fire access, and any floodplain, riparian, avalanche or Mountain Overlay limits
- Landscape, grading and drainage plan with contours
- Cross sections of the crawlspace, exterior walls and roof assembly, showing how the Class A roof covering requirement is met
- Engineer-stamped foundation, framing and roof framing plans with the design criteria
- Outdoor lighting plan and signed lighting checklist (County Code 9-29A)
Approvals and reports
- Health district septic permit and stamped plans
- Well permit, or a will-serve letter from the water system
- Road access or encroachment permit if there is no approved access
- Energy code compliance: prescriptive details on the plans, or a REScheck or COMcheck
- ACCA Manual J for HVAC sizing
- HOA or design review committee approval, where one exists
- Stormwater plan for sites disturbing 1 acre or more
Rather not deal with the Blaine County building department?
Get a free quote →All commercial projects must be designed by an Idaho-licensed architect. Minimum design values: footings 32 inches below grade, 36 inches from the bottom of the footing to the top of the stem wall, and 115 mph wind. Roof snow load depends on where you build:
| Area | Roof snow load |
|---|---|
| North Fork to Smiley Creek | 150 psf |
| North of Ketchum to North Fork | 125 psf |
| West of Ketchum to the western end of platted Lower Board Ranch | 110 psf |
| West of Lower Board Ranch, and east of Triumph | 125 psf |
| North of Bellevue to south of Ketchum | 100 psf |
| Picabo to south of Bellevue | 65 psf |
| Carey, including south and east of Carey | 50 psf |
How to apply for a Blaine County permit: 6 steps
It is free, and the county recommends it for sites in the Floodplain, Mountain Overlay or other overlay districts.
South Central Public Health District has to approve the septic design before you apply to the county.
Stamped structural plans are mandatory; truss specifications can follow as a deferred submittal.
Choose the application, find the parcel by RP number and upload the plans and approvals.
For projects valued at $200,000 or more it is due once the submittal is judged complete; the file then moves into plan review.
The county emails you when the permit is ready. Buy state trade permits separately.
Review times, inspections and permit life
The county asks applicants to allow 4 to 5 weeks after the fire district has reviewed the plans, and fire districts ask for up to 14 working days. Its FAQ page gives about four weeks as usual in the March-to-October building season and suggests filing in December, January or February for a spring start.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Request building inspections by phone at 208-788-5573, extension 1125, and leave a message with the permit details. Depending on the structural design, the county may require your architect or engineer to stay involved for certain inspections.
A building permit expires 30 months after the fees are paid and can be extended once, for 6 months. It also lapses if work does not start within 180 days or stops for 180 days. The final-inspection deposit is released after the final inspection and Certificate of Occupancy.
Local Blaine County filing considerations
Natural hazards: the county may ask for site-specific surveys and engineering for avalanche areas, debris flows, floodplain, wildfire and soils. Natural grade has to be documented before excavation because building height is measured from it.
Re-roofing older homes: one- and two-family homes built before current snow load standards may keep their existing roof structure when re-roofed, and the owner stays responsible for shoveling the roof.
Yurts: allowed only as an accessory to an existing house or lodging use, up to 452 sq ft plus a 30 sq ft vestibule, with no kitchen or plumbing.
Radon: the county adopted the 2018 residential code with Appendix F, radon control methods, and the checklist asks for the radon system on the crawlspace section.
Irrigation: a landscape plan served by a domestic well may show no more than ½ acre of irrigation.
Idaho building code
Idaho’s building codes are set statewide and enforced by the cities and counties that run a building program: the 2018 International Building Code and the Idaho Residential Code (based on the 2018 IRC), the 2018 Idaho Energy Conservation Code, the 2023 National Electrical Code, and a state plumbing code based on the 2015 Uniform Plumbing Code rather than the International Plumbing Code. Idaho’s adopted codes
Official Blaine County permitting resources
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →- Idaho DOPL HVAC permit FAQs
- Idaho Building Code Board (DOPL)
- Blaine County Building Services and OpenGov
- Idaho DOPL Building Program FAQs
- Blaine County OpenGov permit portal
- Checklist for a Complete Building Permit Application (2026)
- Blaine County Permit Fee Table (revised July 1, 2025)
- Blaine County Land Use & Building Services fee schedule (July 1, 2025)
- Blaine County Code (Title 7, Building Regulations)
- Blaine County Building Services FAQs
- Bellevue City Code (Title 9, Buildings and Construction)
- South Central Public Health District offices
Blaine County building permit FAQs
How much is a building permit in Blaine County?
The permit fee comes from Table 1 by valuation, then 65% of it is added as a plan check fee and 40% of the plan check fee as a fire district fee. For a $500,000 house the three together come to roughly $6,500, plus a refundable $1,500 final-inspection deposit.
How long does a Blaine County permit take?
Allow 4 to 5 weeks after the fire district review, which itself can take up to 14 working days.
Do I need a permit for a shed?
Not for a one-story detached shed of 120 sq ft or less. Larger outbuildings need a permit, and every project is subject to zoning setbacks.
Do agricultural buildings need a permit?
In the A-20, A-40, R-10 and RR-40 districts they need only a $25 agricultural setback permit. Elsewhere they need a building permit.
Who issues electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits?
The State of Idaho. The county issues the building permit only.
Who issues septic permits in Blaine County?
South Central Public Health District (208-788-4335). The approval must be in hand before you apply for the building permit.
Does the county permit work in Ketchum, Hailey or Sun Valley?
No. Each city, along with Bellevue and Carey, handles building permits inside its limits.
How long is a Blaine County building permit good for?
30 months from payment of the fees, with one 6-month extension on written request.
Simplify Blaine County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Idaho. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.
Ready to break ground in Blaine County sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Blaine County permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Idaho permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Blaine County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.