The Jefferson County Planning, Zoning & Building Department in Rigby issues building permits for unincorporated Jefferson County and, by extension of its service, for the cities of Rigby, Menan and Lewisville; Mud Lake properties also use County permits. Applications are made in the County’s Cityworks portal. The 2026 fee schedule charges a valuation-based permit fee plus a 15% plan review fee, and the County allows about 15 business days for a non-commercial permit and about 20 for a commercial one. The County does not handle permits for Ririe or Roberts.
What needs a building permit in Jefferson County?
The County’s own sheet, Structures Requiring Building Permits, starts from the building code rule that an owner needs a permit to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building, and then lists what is exempt. One local twist: a small structure that is exempt from the building permit still needs a County Zoning Certificate if it is in the unincorporated county.
Exempt at a house
- One-story detached accessory structures up to 200 sq ft
- Fences not over 7 ft high
- Retaining walls not over 4 ft, unless supporting a surcharge
- Sidewalks and driveways not more than 30 inches above grade
- Painting, tiling, carpeting, cabinets and counter tops
- Prefabricated pools not more than 4 ft deep
- Detached decks up to 200 sq ft, not more than 30 inches above grade and not serving the required exit door
- Swings, playground equipment and flag poles
Exempt on commercial property
- One-story detached tool and storage sheds up to 120 sq ft
- Fences not over 7 ft high
- Retaining walls not over 4 ft
- Water tanks on grade up to 5,000 gallons
- Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting and similar finish work
- Movable fixtures, racks, counters and partitions up to 5 ft 9 inches high
Everything else is applied for by type: single-family dwellings (including modular homes), additions, basement finishes and residential remodels, accessory dwelling units, detached accessory buildings such as pole barns, shops, sheds, conex boxes and greenhouses, manufactured or mobile homes, non-commercial solar arrays, commercial new construction and additions, and commercial signs and towers. An accessory dwelling unit is capped at 1,200 sq ft of living space and 2 bedrooms.
Building or moving a structure without a permit costs twice the permit fee, and the permit still has to be applied for and paid.
Who issues building permits in Jefferson County?
The department manages land use only in the unincorporated county, but its building permit service reaches further. It also issues building permits for three cities and holds every permit to the same state and local building codes. County code enforcement stops at the city limits.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Jefferson County Planning, Zoning & Building Department |
| Address | 210 Courthouse Way, Suite 170, Rigby, ID 83442 |
| Phone | 208-745-9220 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Apply | Jefferson County Permit Application Portal (Cityworks) |
Jurisdiction depends on where the parcel is, not on the mailing address. The County’s jurisdiction guide sorts the six incorporated cities this way.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| City | Who issues building permits |
|---|---|
| Rigby | Jefferson County, using the Rigby application types in the County portal. The City’s Planning and Zoning office at City Hall, 158 W. Fremont (208-745-8111), handles the zoning side and its own deck, fence, garage or shed, sidewalk, sign and solar permit forms, and the City issues the Certificate of Occupancy. |
| Menan and Lewisville | Jefferson County. The County publishes separate help sheets for single-family and modular homes in each city, and the city issues the Certificate of Occupancy from the County’s inspection record. |
| Mud Lake | Jefferson County. The guide says properties in the City of Mud Lake use County permits. |
| Ririe (partly in Jefferson County) | Not Jefferson County. The City of Ririe posts its own Application for a Building Permit together with the Idaho state building permit application and submittal standards; the City office is on 208-538-5548. |
| Roberts | Not Jefferson County. The City of Roberts takes its own Building Permit Application, which staff review and the City Council approves; the Council generally meets on the second Tuesday of each month. |
Jefferson County applications in the Cityworks portal
Building permit applications exist only in the County’s public portal, which works in Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox; Edge and Safari are not supported. You register, validate the account, pick the jurisdiction (the County or one of the cities it serves), then choose a category by icon.
- Commercial: New Construction / Addition, and Signs & Towers.
- Noncommercial: Single Family Dwelling, Non-Commercial New Addition, Basement Finish or Residential Remodel, Accessory Dwelling Unit, Detached Accessory Building and Manufactured/Mobile Home. Duplexes and townhouses are application types in Rigby only.
- AG Exempt Building Permit: for buildings that meet the County’s agricultural exemption policy, filed with its affidavit.
- Solar: non-commercial arrays, roof or ground mounted.
- Zoning Certificate: structures under 200 sq ft in the unincorporated county.
- Demolition Permit and Conex Placement Permit.
The County writes a short help sheet for each application type, listing the fields and attachments it will ask for. Other forms sit on the Permits and Applications page: the Flood Plain Development Permit Application, the Building Permit Time Extension Application, the self-build exemption from state contractor registration, and the Road and Bridge Access Permit.
Jefferson County building permit fees
Fees are set by the Board of County Commissioners in the Jefferson County Fee Schedule 2026, adopted April 6, 2026. The Building Official sets the valuation, and the permit fee is read from this table.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Total valuation | Building permit fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $500 | $26.46 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $26.46 for the first $500 plus $3.30 per additional $100 or fraction |
| $2,001 to $40,000 | $75.96 for the first $2,000 plus $12.13 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $40,001 to $100,000 | $536.90 for the first $40,000 plus $9.92 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $1,132.10 for the first $100,000 plus $7.71 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $4,216.10 for the first $500,000 plus $5.52 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $1,000,001 to $5,000,000 | $6,976.10 for the first $1,000,000 plus $3.30 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $5,000,001 and over | $20,176.10 for the first $5,000,000 plus $2.20 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Plan review | 15% of the building permit fee |
| GIS/mapping review | $30, added to each application |
| Technology fee | $30, added to each application |
| Agricultural exempt building permit | $250 |
| Zoning certificate (structure under 200 sq ft) | $50 |
| Demolition permit | $100 minimum, plus the plan review fee |
| Conex placement permit, unoccupied storage conex | $90 per structure |
| Manufactured home | $250 single-wide, $500 double-wide, $750 triple-wide |
| Moving a structure | $550, plus permit fees and required inspections |
| Inspection or re-inspection fee | $90 |
| Inspection outside normal business hours | $250 per hour, 2-hour minimum |
| Additional plan review for changed plans | $120 per hour, half-hour minimum |
| Change of occupancy | $150 |
| Permit extension | $80 |
| Working past a required inspection without passing it | 25% of the permit fee |
| Occupying a structure without a Certificate of Occupancy | Twice the permit fee |
The plan review, GIS and technology fees are added to the permit fee and are due when the application is submitted; no further review happens until they are paid. For example, on a valuation of $250,000 the permit fee is $2,288.60 and the plan review fee is $343.29, and with the two $30 fees the building total is $2,691.89 before mechanical and impact fees.
Impact fees for a new dwelling in the 2026 schedule are $720.90 for roads and bridges, $138.30 for parks and recreation and $46.80 for the Sheriff, plus $200 in the Central Fire District or $500 in the Roberts Fire District.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits in Jefferson County
Mechanical (HVAC) permits are County permits in the unincorporated county and in Rigby. The department says it handles mechanical permits for Jefferson County, and the 2026 fee schedule has its own mechanical table. DOPL’s permit map is narrower: it sends HVAC permits to the County for unincorporated land and Rigby, and to the state’s online services for Menan, Lewisville, Mud Lake, Ririe and Roberts. A residential mechanical permit is $200 for work valued up to $1,000, then $200 plus $6.50 per additional $1,000 up to $10,000, with further steps above that. Commercial mechanical permits start at $200 and add $12 per $1,000 up to $10,000. Modifying or replacing appliances, ducts or pipes on an existing system is a flat $100. An older County help sheet, dated January 2024, still tells applicants that mechanical systems are permitted by the state.
Electrical and plumbing permits are state permits, issued and inspected by the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. The County’s inspection sequence puts the trade rough-in inspections before framing and the state finals before its own final.
Commercial building permits inside the Central Fire District also need a Fire Plan Review, applied for through the link on the County’s guidance page.
What to attach to a Jefferson County application
All attachments must be PDFs. For a single-family dwelling the County’s help sheet lists these.
Required attachments
- Site plan with property lines, setbacks, easements, north arrow, all structures, driveway, canals, rivers and roads
- Complete set of plans, with floor plans for each floor
- Footing and foundation details with steel requirements
- All four elevations, labeled by compass direction
- Floor layout, truss layout and engineered truss design
- Recorded warranty deed
- Idaho contractor licence, or the completed contractor exemption form
Outside approvals
- Approved septic permit from Eastern Idaho Public Health, or its letter authorizing connection to an existing or private sewer system
- Approved access permit from Jefferson County Public Works for an approach onto a county road, or from the Idaho Transportation Department for a state highway
- Flood Plain Development Permit Application and Elevation Certificate, if the property is in a flood plain
Rather not deal with the Jefferson County building department?
Get a free quote →The application itself asks for the parcel number and size, zoning, each setback, building heights, the square footage of every kind of space, whether there are canals on the property and the distance from the canal’s high water mark, the sewer provider and permit number, the water source and the heating system.
How to apply for a Jefferson County building permit: 7 steps
Unincorporated county, Rigby, Menan, Lewisville and Mud Lake use the County portal. Ririe and Roberts do not.
It lists every field and attachment the portal will ask for.
Both have to be approved before you apply.
Use Chrome or Firefox, validate the account and upload the PDFs.
The plan review, GIS and technology fees come first; zoning, floodplain and plan review follow.
The permit is issued once it is approved and paid in full, and the permit sign must be visible on the property.
Give at least 24 hours’ notice for each inspection.
Jefferson County inspections
Inspections need a minimum of 24 hours’ notice. The County lists the basic sequence for a building permit; a particular permit may need fewer or more.
| Inspection | Note |
|---|---|
| 1. Layout | First inspection on the County’s list |
| 2. Footing | Before concrete is poured |
| 3. Foundation | Before concrete is poured |
| 4. Sheathing | The building cannot be wrapped yet |
| 5. Trade rough-in inspections | The County’s sheet lists electrical, plumbing and HVAC |
| 6. Framing, then insulation | After the rough-ins pass |
| 7. Drywall | Seams cannot be taped or mudded yet |
| 8. State finals and health department final | Where they apply |
| 9. Final by the Building Department | Leads to the certificate |
After the final, the County issues a Certificate of Occupancy or a Certificate of Completion. For property inside a city, the County sends its documentation to the city and the city issues the certificate. A re-inspection costs $90, and the County advises booking the final several days before a loan closing in case a correction is needed.
Local Jefferson County details that matter
Septic: Eastern Idaho Public Health issues septic permits. Its Jefferson County office is at 380 Community Lane, Rigby (208-745-7297).
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Canals: the application asks for the irrigation canal’s name and the distance from its high water mark, and the County keeps a canal information sheet, updated in June 2026, with the forms.
Floodplain: every application gets a floodplain review. A property in a flood plain needs the County’s Flood Plain Development Permit Application and an Elevation Certificate.
Agricultural buildings: County Code 104-1 exempts agricultural buildings from the building codes and from impact fees when they stand on an agricultural unit of land of 5 acres or more and are used only for a qualifying farm use. The building still needs a zoning permit, must meet setbacks and gets a layout and a final inspection, and it cannot be converted to another use without a conversion permit that brings it up to the current building code. The AG Exempt Building Permit costs $250 and requires the County’s signed affidavit on its exemption policy.
County design values: County Code 104-25 sets a 35 psf live snow load, a 45 psf ground snow load, 90 mph wind speed, seismic design category D1 and a 30-inch frost line for houses.
Stale applications: an application with no permit issued within 180 days expires, and reviving it means resubmitting plans and paying a new plan review fee.
Conex boxes: an unoccupied storage conex needs a $90 Conex Placement Permit.
Owner-builders: an owner building without a registered contractor files the County’s Exemptions from State Registration Form.
Extensions: a Building Permit Time Extension Application is available, at $80.
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 Jefferson 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 trade permits
- Idaho DOPL building codes
- Jefferson County Code: permit valuation and fees
- Jefferson County Code: building code adoption
- Jefferson County Permit Application Portal (Cityworks)
- Jefferson County Planning, Zoning & Building
- Idaho DOPL building FAQ
- Jefferson County building permit guidance and help sheets
- Jefferson County guide to jurisdiction, category and application type
- Jefferson County: Structures Requiring Building Permits
- Jefferson County building permit process, plan submittal to certificate
- Jefferson County Fee Schedule 2026 (adopted April 6, 2026)
- Jefferson County proposed 2026-2027 Master Fee Schedule (Resolution 2026-45, heard September 28, 2026)
- Jefferson County permits and applications
Jefferson County building permit FAQs
Does Jefferson County issue building permits inside Rigby?
Yes. The County’s building permit service covers Rigby, Menan and Lewisville, and Mud Lake properties also use County permits. The city issues the Certificate of Occupancy.
Who issues building permits in Ririe and Roberts?
Not the County. Each of those cities takes its own building permit application.
How much is a building permit in Jefferson County?
The fee is based on valuation, plus a 15% plan review fee and two $30 fees. On a $250,000 valuation the building total is $2,691.89 before mechanical and impact fees.
How long does a Jefferson County building permit take?
About 15 business days for a non-commercial application and about 20 for a commercial one.
Do I need a permit for a shed in Jefferson County?
A one-story detached accessory structure of 200 sq ft or less is exempt from the building permit, but in the unincorporated county it needs a $50 Zoning Certificate.
Who issues HVAC permits in Jefferson County?
The County, for unincorporated land and Rigby. The state’s permit map shows HVAC permits for Menan, Lewisville, Mud Lake, Ririe and Roberts as state permits. Electrical and plumbing permits come from the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses everywhere.
Which browser works with the Jefferson County permit portal?
Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. The County says Edge and Safari are not supported.
How much notice does an inspection need?
At least 24 hours.
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More Idaho permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Jefferson County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.