Building permits for unincorporated Bonneville County are issued by Bonneville County Planning & Zoning, which moved to 357 Constitution Way in Idaho Falls on November 25, 2025. Bonneville had 135,771 people in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate, the fourth-largest county in Idaho.
This guide covers the department and how to reach it, the local conditions that shape a filing here, what permits cost and who may pull them, and how inspections are booked. Rules that apply everywhere in Idaho are summarized in each section, with a link to the full statewide explanation.
This guide covers unincorporated Bonneville County. Idaho Falls, Ammon and Iona issue their own building permits; for a parcel in another city, confirm the issuing office first.
Since January 20, 2026, the county issues electrical and plumbing permits. Bonneville County now processes electrical and plumbing permits and performs those inspections in its jurisdiction, and the State of Idaho no longer provides these services there. Apply through the county’s Cityworks portal, or call Planning & Zoning at (208) 524-7920.
What requires a building permit in Bonneville County?
Where a city or county enforces building codes, a permit is required under its ordinance before construction, alteration or repair (Idaho Code 39-4111).
Permit required
- New residential and commercial construction, additions, remodels and tenant improvements
- Structural and load-bearing work, foundations, decks, porches, stairs, garages and accessory buildings
- Electrical service changes, panel work, generators, solar, EV chargers and most wiring
- Plumbing, water heaters, sewer and water connections, gas piping, backflow and fixture relocations
- HVAC installation and replacement, ductwork, ventilation, combustion air and fuel-gas appliances
- Roofing, siding, windows, signs, pools, demolition, grading, erosion control and right-of-way work where regulated
Typically exempt
- Painting, wallpaper, flooring, trim, cabinets and countertops
- Minor repairs replacing existing materials in kind with no structural or system change
- Small detached accessory structures below the local threshold, without utilities, where zoning allows
- Portable equipment or temporary work the adopted code specifically exempts
Which work is exempt is set by the adopted codes (IBC and IRC Section 105.2) and the local ordinance, and an exemption from a building permit is not an exemption from zoning, setbacks, floodplain rules, utility approval or a fire authority review. Confirm scope with the department before work starts rather than after.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Which code edition applies
Bonneville County Code 150.01 adopts the state-approved editions as the county’s building codes: the 2018 International Building, Residential, Energy Conservation, Fuel Gas, Mechanical, Fire, Existing Building and Swimming Pool and Spa codes, the 2023 National Electrical Code and the Idaho State Plumbing Code, with all state amendments.
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 Bonneville County?
The county issues building, electrical and plumbing permits in unincorporated territory. Idaho Falls, Ammon and Iona issue their own permits inside their limits. Around each city the county adopts an area of city impact by ordinance, and since 2024 the county’s comprehensive plan and zoning and subdivision ordinances apply in it (Idaho Code 67-6526).
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | Bonneville County Planning & Zoning (Planning, Zoning, and Building) |
| Offices | 357 Constitution Way, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83402 (mailing: 605 N Capital Ave) |
| Phone | (208) 524-7920 |
| Office hours | Weekdays 8:00am to 5:00pm, excluding holidays |
| Apply | The county’s Cityworks online portal |
| Jurisdiction | Unincorporated Bonneville County only |
| Cities inside | Idaho Falls, Ammon and Iona issue their own permits |
| Trade permits | Electrical and plumbing issued and inspected by the county since January 20, 2026; DOPL’s permit-jurisdiction map also sends HVAC permits to the county |
| Agricultural buildings | Exempt from the building codes (County Code 150.01); zoning placement applies |
| Boundary to check | City limits; in an area of city impact the county’s zoning applies |
| Code | 2018 I-Codes with state amendments, 2023 NEC and the Idaho State Plumbing Code (County Code 150.01) |
| Common outside reviews | Eastern Idaho Public Health for septic, Bonneville County Public Works for county roads, floodplain review (County Code Chapter 154) |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →On parcels without public sewer, a septic system needs an installation permit from Eastern Idaho Public Health (IDAPA 58.01.03), whose Bonneville County office is at 1250 Hollipark Drive, Idaho Falls, (208) 522-0310. County roads and bridges are run by Bonneville County Public Works, 2700 Manwill Road, (208) 529-1290.
In 2025, building permits issued in unincorporated Bonneville County authorized 134 new privately owned housing units, 86 of them single-family homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.
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
Residential building, electrical and plumbing permits for unincorporated parcels are all applied for through the county’s Cityworks portal, and the county takes permit fee payments online.
Snow, seismic and wildland exposure
Design loads are site-specific. Idaho law lets each city and county set the design criteria in Section R301 of the Idaho Residential Code, including ground snow load, by local ordinance (Idaho Code 39-4116), so design to the figure the issuing department sets for the site.
The seismic design category is also set by the site under the adopted codes, and wildland-urban interface rules apply where the county or fire district has adopted them. Confirm the design criteria for the parcel with Bonneville County Planning & Zoning at the start of design.
Commercial permits
Commercial work follows the 2018 International Building Code with the state’s amendments and the 2018 International Fire Code, which County Code 150.01 adopts with the State Fire Marshal’s amendments and Appendices B, C, D, E and F.
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 →Bonneville County permit costs and fees
Bonneville County permit fees are set by the county, and the Planning & Zoning page links to an online payment portal for hearing and permit fees. Ask the office for the fee on a specific project.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Residential building permit | Set by the adopted county fee schedule |
| Commercial building permit | Set by the adopted fee schedule |
| Plan review | Per the adopted schedule |
| Trade permits | Electrical and plumbing permits are issued and charged by the county since January 20, 2026 |
| Outside agency reviews | Septic permits are charged separately by Eastern Idaho Public Health |
| Re-inspections and revisions | Charged where the local schedule provides for them |
Need a real number for a specific Bonneville County project? Send us the scope, address and valuation 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
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
Rather not deal with the Bonneville County building department?
Get a free quote →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 Bonneville County building permit
Idaho Falls, Ammon and Iona issue their own permits.
Building, electrical and plumbing permits go through the county’s Cityworks portal.
Inside the area of impact the county’s zoning applies (Idaho Code 67-6526).
Eastern Idaho Public Health handles septic, and Bonneville County Public Works runs the county roads.
A parcel without public sewer needs a septic installation permit from the health district (IDAPA 58.01.03).
Contractors register with the state; electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors hold state licences.
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 Bonneville County
The county performs building, electrical and plumbing inspections in its jurisdiction; ask for its list of required inspections when the permit is issued. A septic system is finalized by the health district (IDAPA 58.01.03).
Do not cover work before the required inspection has been approved. The approved construction documents must be kept at the site (IBC 107.3.1, IRC R106.3.1).
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Bonneville County permit search and official resources
Permit records sit with the body that issued them. Since January 20, 2026, Bonneville County issues electrical and plumbing permits in its jurisdiction; earlier ones were issued by the state. Septic records are with Eastern Idaho Public Health. If you are buying, refinancing or renovating, ask Bonneville County Planning & Zoning what it holds for the parcel, and ask separately about the septic records.
Where a property has been annexed, permits issued before annexation may still be held by the county.
Confirm the code edition against Idaho’s adopted list. Idaho enforces the 2018 International Building Code and the Idaho Residential Code (based on the 2018 IRC), the 2023 National Electrical Code and a plumbing code based on the 2015 Uniform Plumbing Code. A new edition takes effect on January 1 after the Idaho Building Code Board adopts it (Idaho Code 39-4109), so check the codes and local amendments in force on your filing date.
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and portal procedures change. Confirm the position for your filing date.
- Bonneville County Planning & Zoning
- Idaho DOPL — adopted building codes
- Idaho DOPL — plan review and permits
- Idaho Contractors Board — contractor registration
Frequently asked questions
Who issues electrical and plumbing permits?
In unincorporated Bonneville County, the county, since January 20, 2026; it also performs those inspections. Inside Idaho Falls, Ammon and Iona the city issues them, according to the permit-jurisdiction map of the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses.
Does the county permit inside Idaho Falls?
No. Idaho Falls, Ammon and Iona issue their own permits inside their limits. In an area of city impact outside a city, the county issues the permit and the county’s zoning applies (Idaho Code 67-6526).
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Are agricultural buildings exempt?
From the building codes, yes, under County Code 150.01 and Idaho Code 39-4116, when the building meets the IBC definition of an agricultural building and the County Assessor has found the land actively devoted to agriculture. Zoning placement requirements still apply.
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). In Bonneville County that is Eastern Idaho Public Health.
Which code edition applies in Idaho?
Idaho enforces the 2018 International Building Code with Idaho amendments and the 2021 IBC mass timber provisions, the Idaho Residential Code based on the 2018 IRC, the 2018 Idaho Energy Conservation Code and the 2023 National Electrical Code (IDAPA 24.39.30; Idaho Code 54-1001).
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 Bonneville County permitting with Alliance Permitting
In Bonneville County the first questions are whether the parcel is in a city or in unincorporated territory and, since January 2026, that electrical and plumbing permits come from the county rather than the state.
Trusted by leading builders, developers, and national contractors — 21+ years of filing in the jurisdictions we write about.
Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Bonneville County because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- We file building, electrical and plumbing permits through the county’s Cityworks portal.
- We confirm agricultural building exemptions with the county up front.
- We confirm whether the county or a city issues the permit.
- We resolve septic, water and access on rural parcels early.
- We identify health district and county road approvals before filing.
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Idaho. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the building department 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.
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More Idaho permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Bonneville County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.