The Fremont County Planning & Building Department issues building permits across the county outside the cities of St. Anthony and Ashton, which each take their own building permit applications. County applications go in by email or over the counter at 125 N. Bridge Street with two sets of plans, a $50 site plan review fee and a deposit, and the County allows roughly 4 to 6 weeks for plan review.
What needs a building permit in Fremont County?
The County’s one-page handout answers this by listing what is exempt and then stating that all structural modifications need a permit that has been applied for and approved. New homes, additions, garages, shops, carports, decks, commercial buildings and manufactured home placements all go through Planning & Building.
Permit required
- New residential and commercial buildings
- Additions and alterations
- Any structural modification
- Garages, shops, carports, decks and porches
- Sheds over 200 sq ft, or any shed with plumbing, electricity or living space
- Manufactured home placement (separate application)
Exempt on the County list
- One-story detached tool or storage sheds and playhouses up to 200 sq ft, more than 3 ft from any other structure; covered porches count toward the area
- Fences not over 6 ft high
- Retaining walls not over 4 ft from the bottom of the footing, unless supporting a surcharge
- Water tanks on grade up to 5,000 gallons
- Sidewalks and driveways
- Painting, tiling, siding, carpeting, cabinets and counter tops
- Prefabricated pools less than 24 inches deep
- Swings and playground equipment
- Window awnings projecting up to 54 inches
- Re-roofing, up to 2 layers in total
Agricultural buildings are exempt from the building codes under County Ordinance 2008-01, but they still need zoning approval: the County’s Agricultural Structure Application costs $100 and takes 7 to 10 working days to review. If the building is later used for something else, the County can revoke that approval and require a building permit.
Who issues building permits in Fremont County?
The County’s Building page says it administers the International Building Code requirements in the issuance of all permits, except within the city limits of St. Anthony; Ashton’s City Code separately requires a city building permit there. Blake Bowman is the Building Official, and the department also runs planning, zoning, addressing and code enforcement.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Fremont County Planning & Building Department |
| Address | 125 N. Bridge Street, Suite 1, St. Anthony, ID 83445 |
| Phone | 208-624-4643 (fax 208-624-1320) |
| p.b@co.fremont.id.us | |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Building Official | Blake Bowman |
Fremont County has eight incorporated cities. Two issue their own building permits, and several others add a city zoning step in front of the County building permit.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| City | Who issues building permits |
|---|---|
| St. Anthony | The City of St. Anthony. City Hall at 420 North Bridge Street (208-624-3494) publishes its own Residential Building Application, Commercial Building Application, Zoning Permit Application and Fence Permit Application. |
| Ashton | The City of Ashton. City Code 15.04.030 makes it unlawful to build, alter, repair, move or demolish a building or install a manufactured home without a city building permit, with permit and plan review fees set by City Council resolution. The City’s Building Permit Application is handed in at City Hall, 714 Main Street (208-652-3987). The City says Fremont County Planning and Building is helping with its planning and zoning administration until a new administrator is hired. |
| Island Park | Fremont County issues the building permit. The City first issues a zoning permit on its Residential or Commercial Zoning Application, filed at the City office, 3753 N. Highway 20 (208-558-7687, Monday to Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). |
| Newdale | Fremont County issues the building permit, reviews the plans, inspects and issues the Certificate of Occupancy. Newdale handles the zoning permit first, on its Pre-Approval Building Permit Application at City Hall, 325 City Street (208-458-4068). |
| Teton, Parker and Warm River | Fremont County Planning & Building, under the County’s statement that it issues all permits outside St. Anthony. The Commissioners’ minutes of September 8, 2026 name Parker, with Island Park, as a city where County staff do the inspections under an agreement. Teton City Hall is at 20 North Center (208-458-4537). |
| Drummond | Fremont County Planning & Building, on the same County statement; the City has no building ordinance of its own. Its posted ordinances do require every property boundary to be surveyed before a project starts and bar installing a trailer or manufactured home more than 20 years old. |
Land in the St. Anthony Area of Impact but outside the city limits is zoned and permitted by the County; the County Development Code has zones written specifically for that area.
Fremont County applications and forms
There is no online portal. The County publishes PDF forms on its Building and Planning pages and accepts fully completed applications, with attachments, by email to p.b@co.fremont.id.us or at the counter.
- Building Permit Application (revised April 17, 2026): used for every structure other than a manufactured home, residential or commercial, new or addition and alteration. It comes with the pre-construction checklist, a sample site plan, a site plan sheet and a zoning questionnaire.
- Manufactured Dwelling Placement Permit Application: only the homeowner or an Idaho-licensed manufactured dwelling installer can take out the placement permit.
- Permission Letter to Build: the landowner must sign the application. If a contractor or builder applies instead, the County needs this signed letter from the owner.
- Agricultural Structure Application: the zoning approval for exempt farm buildings.
- Class I permits: sign, excavating and grading, plat amendment and similar zoning permits approved by the Administrator. Class II permits go to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →An approved application expires if the permit is not picked up within 180 days of approval. Once issued, a building permit is valid for 2 years.
Fremont County permit fees
The County does not post a building permit fee table; the Commissioners’ minutes of September 14, 2026 record that building permit fees still rest on a 2008 fee resolution and its 2008 amendment. The application says permit fees are based on a valuation calculated from the square footage of each kind of space (living area, basement, garage or shop, deck, porch or carport, other structures), and Ordinance 2008-01 leaves the amounts to a resolution of the Board of County Commissioners. A deposit is due when you submit, and the balance is paid when the permit is issued. The fixed charges below are printed on the County’s current forms.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Building permit | Calculated from valuation by square footage and type of construction; deposit due at submittal |
| Site plan review | $50, charged again if you bring the plans back for a change after approval |
| Manufactured home placement, single-wide | $78.75 |
| Manufactured home placement, double-wide or larger | $252 |
| Intent to declare a manufactured home real property (optional) | $71.50 |
| Agricultural structure application | $100 |
| Community sewer hook-up, Island Park/Mack’s Inn or Last Chance/Pond’s systems | $7,458 on the April 2026 application; raised by 4.99% under Resolution 2026-22, adopted September 28, 2026 |
The sewer hook-up fee is paid at the Fremont County Treasurer’s Office after you apply and before the building permit is released; ask the Treasurer for the amount now that the 4.99% increase has been adopted. Planning and zoning fees can be paid online through the payment link on the Planning & Building page.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →For zoning applications the County still posts its Planning and Building Department Fee Schedule from Resolution 2011-16, effective July 1, 2011. It lists $195 for the site plan zoning permit on a commercial or industrial structure, $295 for a variance and $495 for a conditional or special use permit, each before notification costs.
Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits in Fremont County
The County application covers the building itself. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits are bought from the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL). Its permit map sends all three trades in Fremont County to the state’s online services, and its inspector list assigns state inspectors to Ashton, Island Park, Newdale, Parker and Teton. Ashton’s commercial building packet likewise points applicants to the state electrical and plumbing inspectors.
The County has also adopted the 2018 International Fire Code. For a manufactured home, the County placement form asks for the set-up contractor’s installer licence number.
What to submit with a Fremont County application
The County will not accept or process an incomplete application. Its checklist asks for the following before review starts.
Application package
- Application signed by the landowner, or with the Permission Letter to Build
- Parcel number, section, township and range, plus subdivision, lot and block if there is one
- Two sets of detailed plans on paper at least 11 x 17 inches
- Engineering calculations and truss designs
- Accurate, detailed site plan with north arrow and scale
- ResCheck report, or a signed choice of the prescriptive energy path
- Completed zoning questionnaire
Outside approvals
- Septic permit from Eastern Idaho Public Health, due when the application is submitted, or proof of the community sewer hook-up
- Driveway permit submitted to Road and Bridge for any new build off a county road, or to the Idaho Transportation Department for a highway access
- Official property address
- Subdivision covenants checked; an architecture board letter may be needed before approval
Engineering: every structure built where the roof snow load is 70 lb per sq ft or more must be designed by a structural engineer or architect licensed in Idaho, and all free-standing post and beam structures need stamped engineered plans. Ordinance 2008-01 sets the ground snow load at 170 psf in the Island Park district, 115 psf in the North Fork Highlands, 90 psf in the County’s Ashton district and 50 psf in its St. Anthony district, with a 32-inch minimum frost depth for footings. Those are County figures for land outside the cities. Inside Ashton the City’s own code applies: section 15.04.020 sets the ground snow load at 100 with the same 32-inch frost depth, and the City’s permit application reminds applicants that the snow load for Ashton is 70 lb.
Rather not deal with the Fremont County building department?
Get a free quote →Site plan: show property lines with distances, every building with its setbacks, easements, surface water, floodplain and wetlands, and the road your driveway will use. The County reminds applicants that the edge of the road is not the property line.
How to get a Fremont County building permit: 6 steps
Inside St. Anthony, apply to the City. In Ashton, apply at City Hall, 714 Main Street. In Island Park or Newdale, get the city zoning approval first. Everywhere else, start with the County.
Apply to Eastern Idaho Public Health for a septic permit, or arrange the community sewer hook-up in the Island Park and Last Chance service areas.
Use the County’s Address Request form, and submit the driveway permit to Road and Bridge if the lot is reached from a county road.
Prepare two plan sets, truss designs, engineering where the snow load requires it, the site plan and the energy code choice.
Email the package to p.b@co.fremont.id.us or bring it to 125 N. Bridge Street, and pay the deposit and the $50 site plan review fee.
After the roughly 4 to 6 week review, pay the balance, collect the permit within 180 days and post it on the site.
Inspections and occupancy in Fremont County
The permit must be posted on the construction site when the project starts and stay there until the final inspection is passed and occupancy is granted. Inspection requests go to Planning & Building on 208-624-4643, the one number the County lists for its building staff.
Under the County Development Code, a Certificate of Occupancy is required before anyone occupies a building or tenant space that needed a building permit. The assigned street address is printed on that certificate, and the address has to stay clearly visible through every phase of construction. Trade inspections on DOPL permits are booked with the state, not the County.
Local Fremont County rules that affect a project
Setbacks: the County’s sample site plan uses 30 ft from the property line next to a road (50 ft on a highway) and 25 ft at the sides and rear for a house, and 10 ft at the sides and rear for detached accessory buildings. Structures stay 75 ft back from the high-water mark of streams and lakes. Subdivision covenants can require more.
Height: buildings may not exceed 30 ft, and accessory structures may not exceed 25 ft.
Septic: Eastern Idaho Public Health issues septic permits for Fremont County. Its local office is at 45 South 2nd West in St. Anthony (208-522-8065), open Monday to Thursday.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Roads: a County building permit does not mean the County will maintain the road to the property, and the application makes the applicant sign a statement to that effect.
Zoning questionnaire triggers: disturbing more than 1 acre on a slope steeper than 8%, or creating more than 20,000 sq ft of impervious surface, calls for a runoff and erosion control plan. Wetlands, springs, floodplain, stream corridors and steep slopes each bring extra review, and building in a floodplain needs a surveyor’s certificate of elevation.
Irrigation: if the parcel includes or borders a canal or irrigated land, the County sends applicants to the Fremont-Madison Irrigation Company in St. Anthony (208-624-3381) about water shares, canal maintenance and crossings.
Utilities: utilities brought to the property must be underground.
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 Fremont County permitting resources
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
- Idaho DOPL trade permits
- Idaho DOPL building codes
- Fremont County Planning / 2026 code revisions
- Fremont County Planning and Building
- Idaho DOPL building FAQ
- Fremont County Building page and forms
- Fremont County Building Permit Application and checklist (April 2026)
- Fremont County: Do I Need a Building Permit
- Fremont County Manufactured Dwelling Placement Permit Application
- Fremont County Planning and Building Fee Schedule (Resolution 2011-16)
- Fremont County hearing notice: new planning and zoning fee schedule (October 13, 2026)
- City of Ashton Planning and Zoning page and building permit applications
- Ashton City Code 15.04.030, building permit required
- Eastern Idaho Public Health septic program
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Fremont County building permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Island Park?
Fremont County Planning & Building issues the building permit. The City of Island Park issues a zoning permit first, from its office at 3753 N. Highway 20.
How much is a building permit in Fremont County?
The fee is calculated from a valuation based on square footage and type of construction, so it varies by project. A $50 site plan review fee and a deposit are due when you apply. A new fee schedule that would raise the site plan fee to $75 or $105 went to public hearing on October 13, 2026.
Who issues building permits in Ashton?
The City of Ashton. City Code 15.04.030 requires a city building permit, and the application is handed in at City Hall, 714 Main Street (208-652-3987).
How long does plan review take in Fremont County?
The County’s checklist says to allow approximately 4 to 6 weeks once a complete application is in.
Do I need a permit for a shed in Fremont County?
Not for a one-story detached storage shed of 200 sq ft or less that is more than 3 ft from other structures and has no plumbing, electricity or living space. Covered porches count toward the 200 sq ft.
Do I need a permit to re-roof?
The County lists re-roofing as exempt up to 2 layers in total.
Do my plans need an engineer?
Yes where the roof snow load is 70 lb per sq ft or more, and for any free-standing post and beam structure.
Is a driveway permit required?
Yes for all new builds off county roads, through Road and Bridge. Access onto a state highway goes through the Idaho Transportation Department.
Who issues septic permits in Fremont County?
Eastern Idaho Public Health. The County wants the septic permit number with the building permit application.
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More Idaho permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Fremont County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.