Bonner County has adopted no building codes since 1997, so it does not regulate the structural integrity of buildings. In unincorporated Bonner County the Planning Department, at 1500 Highway 2 in Sandpoint, regulates the location and use of development instead, through Building Location Permits checked against the county’s zoning, setback, shoreland and floodplain rules. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits come from the state.
This guide covers the Planning Department and how to reach it, what the Building Location Permit covers and what it does not, the other permits a project needs, what the county charges and how the permit is closed out.
This guide covers unincorporated Bonner County. The county has no jurisdiction inside cities, which have their own ordinances and building codes; Sandpoint, Ponderay and Priest River issue their own building permits.
The county does not review structural design or set a design snow load. Its Planning Department states that, with no adopted building codes since 1997, the structural integrity of a building is not regulated. Have the design loads for the site, including snow load, set by your designer or engineer.
What requires a county permit in Bonner County?
A Building Location Permit is required for any structure over 400 square feet and for any habitable structure, whatever its size (BCRC 11-101). A detached, non-habitable accessory structure over 400 and up to 1,080 square feet, such as a storage shed, shop or carport, takes a Small Structure Permit instead.
Permit required
- New structures and additions over 400 square feet, and any habitable structure (Building Location Permit)
- Detached non-habitable accessory buildings over 400 and up to 1,080 square feet (Small Structure Permit)
- Electrical work (state electrical permit from DOPL)
- Plumbing work (state plumbing permit from DOPL)
- HVAC installation (state mechanical permit from DOPL)
- Development in a mapped floodplain or floodway (Floodplain Development Permit)
Typically exempt
- Painting, wallpaper, flooring, trim, cabinets and countertops
- Non-habitable structures of 400 square feet or less, which must still meet the zoning setbacks
- Development excepted from the structure definition in BCRC Title 11, Chapter 2
- Repair and maintenance of an existing HVAC system (Idaho Code 54-5016)
An exemption from a Building Location Permit is not an exemption from zoning setbacks, floodplain rules, health district approval or the state trade permits. Confirm scope with the Planning Department before work starts.
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Get a free quote →Building codes in Bonner County
Idaho law makes local enforcement of the building codes optional (Idaho Code 39-4116), and Bonner County has adopted none since 1997. The county therefore does no building plan review and no building-code inspection. The state codes reach a project through the trade permits: the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) issues electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits in unincorporated Bonner County and inspects that work.
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
Who handles permitting in Bonner County?
The Planning Department’s jurisdiction is limited to unincorporated Bonner County. The cities have their own ordinances and building codes. Where the county has adopted an area of city impact, the county’s comprehensive plan and zoning and subdivision ordinances apply in it (Idaho Code 67-6526).
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | Bonner County Planning Department |
| Offices | 1500 Highway 2, Suite 208, Sandpoint, Idaho 83864 |
| Phone | 208-265-1458 |
| Counter hours | Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm |
| Jurisdiction | Unincorporated Bonner County only |
| Cities inside | Sandpoint, Ponderay, Priest River, Clark Fork and others |
| County permit | Building Location Permit (location, use, setbacks, shoreland, floodplain); no building plan review or building-code inspection |
| Building code | None adopted by the county since 1997; the state DOPL issues electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits |
| Common outside reviews | Fire district sign-off; Panhandle Health District or sewer district; Bonner County Road & Bridge, the Independent Highway District or ITD for road access; Idaho Department of Lands for lake encroachments |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Within 200 feet of water the application needs a Shoreland Development Worksheet (BCRC 12-710). Work in a lake below the ordinary high water mark, including docks, needs a lake encroachment permit from the Idaho Department of Lands, and work in, over or under navigable waters needs a permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers. These are separate from the county permit.
A parcel not served by public sewer needs a septic permit from Panhandle Health District, and the district’s acknowledgment is required before the county’s final inspection. Wells are permitted by the Idaho Department of Water Resources.
Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits come from the state’s Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses unless the city or county runs its own program by ordinance. Septic systems need a health district installation permit, a highway district controls the roads in its system, and since 2024 the county’s zoning applies in a city’s area of impact. Who issues permits in Idaho
Permit types
Residential permits
Homes, additions and accessory dwelling units take a Building Location Permit. The submission needs a site plan, the deed or recorded legal description, a diagrammatic floor plan, elevation drawings and the fire district approval. Depending on the site, the county may also ask for an address assignment, an erosion control and stormwater worksheet, a geotechnical analysis by an Idaho-licensed engineer, a wetland delineation or a Floodplain Development Permit.
Structural design
Because the county enforces no building code, it does not set a ground snow load or check a structure against one. The design loads for the site are for the owner’s designer or engineer to establish.
Commercial permits
Commercial, industrial and public structures also take a Building Location Permit, with the county’s commercial standards (BCRC 12-430, 12-450 and 12-460) where they apply. The fire district reviews commercial projects through its own plan review application, and the State Fire Marshal’s office reviews fire sprinkler plans.
A local government must say within 10 business days (residential) or 20 (commercial) whether an application is complete, and if an inspection is not made within 48 business hours the permit holder may hire a third-party inspector and is refunded the fee (Idaho Code 39-4117, 39-4118). Deadlines on Idaho permits
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Bonner County permit costs and fees
Building Location Permit fees are flat amounts by floor area under the county’s Title 11 fee schedule (Resolution 2022-70, effective September 8, 2022), with technology, GIS/addressing and floodplain review fees added to each application. The schedule has no separate plan review fee. Fire district, health district, road access and state trade permits carry their own fees.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Residential Building Location Permit | $250 for the first 500 sq ft, rising in steps to $950 for 5,001–6,000 sq ft, plus $125 for each further 1,000 sq ft |
| Commercial Building Location Permit | $400 for the first 500 sq ft, rising in steps to $1,750 for 10,001–11,000 sq ft, plus $125 for each further 1,000 sq ft |
| Small Structure Permit | $150 for up to 1,080 sq ft with no plumbing and no living space |
| Trade permits | Charged by the state DOPL, which issues electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits |
| Outside agency reviews | Charged by the fire district, health district and road authority; the Sagle, Westside and Northside fire districts charge $70 for a residential sign-off |
| Re-inspections and revisions | $100 for each additional site inspection and $75 for a revision review; work started before the permit is issued pays a further fee equal to the original permit fee |
Need a real number for a specific Bonner County project? Send us the scope, address and floor area and we will identify the filing path, the reviews it will trigger and the fee categories that will apply.
Fee schedules are revised on each jurisdiction’s own cycle, so ask the issuing department for the schedule in force on your filing date, and ask separately about plan review, trade, re-inspection and revision charges. How Idaho permit fees work
Rather not deal with the Bonner County building department?
Get a free quote →Trade permits and who may pull them
Permit required
- Service upgrades, panels, new circuits, solar PV, EV chargers and generators
- New plumbing, fixture relocations, water heaters, sewer and water connections and gas piping
- Furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, ductwork, ventilation and commercial kitchen exhaust
- Fire alarm, sprinkler and suppression systems on commercial work
Typically exempt
- Replacing a fixture, switch, receptacle or light with no alteration to wiring or piping
- Clearing a stoppage without replacing or rearranging concealed piping
- Filter, thermostat and routine component service
- Appliance repair that does not alter the gas, electrical or venting connection
Contractors must register with the state, and electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors are licensed by the state; a city or county may not require an extra licence or fee for HVAC work. Contractor registration in Idaho
How to apply for a Bonner County Building Location Permit
Setbacks, density and protected features such as wetlands, shoreline and floodplain limit where you can build.
It is part of the Building Location Permit submission (BCRC 11-110).
Within 200 feet of water a Shoreland Development Worksheet is required (BCRC 12-710).
Road access comes from Bonner County Road & Bridge, the Independent Highway District or ITD, depending on the road.
Inside the area of impact the county’s zoning applies (Idaho Code 67-6526).
Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits come from DOPL, not the county.
Under Section 105.5 of the adopted codes a permit becomes invalid if work does not start within 180 days or stops for 180 days; check whether the local ordinance amends that. How long Idaho permits last
Inspections in Bonner County
The county does no building-code inspections. When the structure is complete or ready to occupy, the owner notifies the Planning Department, and an acknowledgment from Panhandle Health District is required before the county’s final inspection (BCRC 11-119). DOPL inspects the electrical, plumbing and HVAC work under its permits.
Do not cover electrical, plumbing or HVAC work before the state inspection of it has been approved.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Bonner County permit search and official resources
Permit records sit with the body that issued them. A property can have a Building Location Permit with the county, trade permits with DOPL, an access permit with the road authority and a septic permit with Panhandle Health District. If you are buying, refinancing or renovating, ask the Bonner County Planning Department what it holds for the parcel, and ask separately about the trade, septic and access records. Planning staff confirm that a lot or parcel was legally created only through a Certificate of Compliance application.
Where a property has been annexed, permits issued before annexation may still be held by the county.
No county building code applies. Bonner County has adopted no building codes since 1997. The state electrical code (the 2023 National Electrical Code), the Idaho State Plumbing Code and the state mechanical codes apply through DOPL’s trade permits.
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and portal procedures change. Confirm the position for your filing date.
- Bonner County Planning Department — Building Location Permit
- Idaho DOPL — adopted building codes
- Idaho DOPL — plan review and permits
- Idaho Contractors Board — contractor registration
Frequently asked questions
Does Bonner County review building plans?
No. Bonner County has adopted no building codes since 1997, so it does not regulate the structural integrity of a building or set a design snow load. It regulates where a structure goes and how it is used, through the Building Location Permit.
Who issues electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits?
The Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) issues them in unincorporated Bonner County, along with manufactured home placement permits.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →What applies on a lakefront parcel?
Within 200 feet of water, a Shoreland Development Worksheet (BCRC 12-710). Docks and other work below the ordinary high water mark need a lake encroachment permit from the Idaho Department of Lands.
What does the health district do?
Installing, modifying, repairing or expanding a septic system needs an installation permit, which the public health district finalizes (IDAPA 58.01.03).
Which codes apply in Bonner County?
No county building code: Idaho law makes local enforcement optional (Idaho Code 39-4116), and the county has adopted none since 1997. Electrical work follows the 2023 National Electrical Code (Idaho Code 54-1001) and plumbing the Idaho State Plumbing Code (IDAPA 24.39.20), through DOPL’s permits. Cities in the county have their own building codes.
Does the International Plumbing Code apply?
No. Idaho has adopted the Idaho State Plumbing Code, based on the 2015 Uniform Plumbing Code with Idaho amendments (IDAPA 24.39.20).
Simplify Bonner County permitting with Alliance Permitting
In Bonner County the county permit is about location, not construction. We settle zoning, setbacks, shoreland and the fire district sign-off before the application, and line up the state trade permits alongside it.
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Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Bonner County because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- We check zoning, setbacks and protected features for the parcel before the application.
- We obtain the fire district sign-off and the road access permit.
- We resolve shoreline and lake requirements on waterfront property.
- We line up the state electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits with DOPL.
- We track the Panhandle Health District acknowledgment the county needs before final inspection.
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Idaho. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the Planning Department and the state 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 permitting authorities.
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More Idaho permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Bonner County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.