Inside Jerome city limits, the City’s own Building Safety Department at 152 East Avenue A handles plan review, permit issuance and inspections for homes, businesses and industrial buildings. Applications go through Cloudpermit. Under the FY 2027 master fee schedule the permit fee comes from a project-value table, with plan review added at 40% for residential work and 65% for commercial, and the department’s goal for a first residential review is 2 to 4 weeks. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits are issued by Idaho DOPL, not the City.
What needs a building permit in Jerome?
The Building Safety Department says a permit is required for most construction and gives a working list in its FAQ. Work cannot begin until the permit is issued, and only the owner or someone the owner authorizes can apply.
Permit required
- New homes, garages, shops and carports
- Sheds over 120 sq ft
- Additions and covered porches
- Decks that are attached, more than 30 inches above the ground, over 200 sq ft, or serving the main entrance door
- Basement finishes, wall removals and new rooms
- Roof decking replacement
- New windows, if the structure or the size of the opening changes
- Fences over 7 ft tall
- Demolition of any structure, full or partial
- Installing or moving a manufactured home or other factory-built structure
No building permit
- A fence 6 ft tall; the Building Department does not review fences under 7 ft
- Sheds under 120 sq ft
- Some minor repairs, and the other work exempted by Section R105.2 of the residential code or Section 105.2 of the building code
Fence height, location and materials are a Planning and Zoning matter even when no building permit is needed, and a fence on commercial property should be discussed with that department before it goes up. Work begun without a permit is charged double the applicable permit fee and can also bring a stop-work order.
Who issues building permits in Jerome?
Jerome runs its own building program rather than relying on the county. The Building Safety Department works alongside the City’s Engineering, Fire and Planning divisions, and Kortnie Kent is the Building Official.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | City of Jerome Building Safety Department |
| Address | 152 East Avenue A, Jerome, ID 83338 |
| Phone | 208-324-8189 ext. 131 |
| Hours | Monday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except observed holidays |
| Building Official | Kortnie Kent |
| Planning and Zoning | 208-324-8189 ext. 140 |
| Engineering and Public Works | 208-324-9669 |
| Fire Department | 208-324-2323 ext. 113 |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →The City’s authority ends at the city limits. Land outside them is unincorporated Jerome County, where the Jerome County Building Department at 300 N. Lincoln (208-324-9262) issues the building permit. That includes the area of impact around the city: on April 7, 2026 the City Council passed Ordinance No. 1252, which repealed the City’s own area-of-impact chapter (Municipal Code 17.110) and left development there to Jerome County.
Jerome applications: Cloudpermit and the City packets
Building permit applications are submitted online in Cloudpermit, reached from the Apply Here page. The City posts new-user instructions and help videos, and the same portal takes inspection requests.
- Residential Building Permit Application Packet: the application and plan review submittal checklist for houses, additions and remodels.
- Commercial Building Permit Application Packet, used with the City’s Building Code Analysis form.
- Factory Built Structure Building Permit Application Packet: a permit is required to move or install any new or used manufactured, mobile or modular unit inside the city.
- Contractor Exemption Declaration Form, with the City’s list of exemptions, for applicants who are not registered contractors.
- Service Connection Application.
- Handouts: Basic Deck Information, Basic Stair Framing and Requirements, and the curb, gutter and sidewalk details required by Jerome Municipal Code 15.08.
Homeowners may take out permits for work on their own primary residence. A permit typically expires if work does not start within 180 days, or if it is abandoned for 180 days after it starts or after the last recorded inspection. Reinstating a permit that expired through inactivity costs $50.
Jerome building permit fees (FY 2027)
The City sets its fees by resolution every year in a master fee schedule, and the current one is the Master Fee Schedule FY 2027. Fees are based on the total value of all the work, including electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, labor, materials and the contractor’s overhead and profit, but not land. For new buildings and additions the City uses the value you submit or the ICC Building Valuation Data figure, whichever is greater.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Project value | Building permit fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $500 | $23.50 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $23.50 for the first $500 plus $3.05 per additional $100 or fraction |
| $2,001 to $25,000 | $69.25 for the first $2,000 plus $14 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | $391.75 for the first $25,000 plus $10.10 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $643.75 for the first $50,000 plus $7 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $993.75 for the first $100,000 plus $5.60 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,233.75 for the first $500,000 plus $4.75 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $1,000,001 to $5,000,000 | $5,608.75 for the first $1,000,000 plus $3.65 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $5,000,001 to $10,000,000 | $20,208.75 for the first $5,000,000 plus $2.75 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Over $10,000,000 | $33,958.75 for the first $10,000,000 plus $2 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Residential plan review | 40% of the building permit fee |
| Commercial plan review | 65% of the building permit fee |
| Additional plan review: revisions, deferred submittals, change orders | $50 |
| Demolition, moving a building, swimming pool | Calculated on project valuation, like a building permit |
| Re-inspection | $50 |
| Inspection with no listed fee | $50 per hour, 1-hour minimum |
| Inspection outside business hours | $50 per hour, 1-hour minimum |
| Expired permit reinstatement | $50 |
| Work without a permit | Double the applicable permit fee |
Plan review is charged on top of the permit fee. For example, a house with a project value of $300,000 has a building permit fee of $2,113.75 and a residential plan review fee of $845.50, or $2,959.25 together.
Two special cases are written into the City’s fee policy. A manufactured (HUD) home is valued at its declared price plus the installation work, and no plan review fee is charged on the home itself, though a garage, deck or porch built on site needs its own permit. A solar installation is valued at the applicant’s declared project value.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits in Jerome
The City does not issue trade permits. Its HVAC, Electrical and Plumbing Permits page states that Jerome partners with the State of Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses for all electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits, and links straight to the state’s site. DOPL’s main phone is 208-334-3233; the 208-332-4700 number printed in the City’s application packet is the state’s inspection scheduling line.
The state inspections are tied into the City’s schedule. All mechanical, electrical and plumbing rough-in inspections have to be completed by DOPL before you ask the City for a framing inspection, and the trade finals, along with any firewall and fire sprinkler finals, come before the building final. New homes also need Manual J, S and D calculations for the HVAC system in the building permit submittal.
What to submit with a Jerome application
The City answers in writing within 10 business days of a submission, or a revised one, saying whether the application is complete. A complete application only moves on to formal plan review; it is not an approval. The residential packet lists these documents.
Building and structural
- Site plan with dimensions to property lines, easements and any structure within 10 ft
- Foundation plan with reinforcing steel
- Floor plan with egress and exterior openings
- North, south, east and west elevations
- Building sections and details
- Window and door schedules, with safety glazing
- Roof and floor framing plans, headers, beams, straps and shear walls
- Manual J, S and D calculations for the HVAC system
Civil site plan
- Standard scale between 1:10 and 1:60
- Legal description or record of survey, and a vicinity map
- Existing and proposed easements
- Right-of-way improvements, including street and alley cuts
- Storm drainage and a site grading plan
- Size and location of new water, sewer and irrigation services
- New curb, gutter and sidewalk
- Off-street parking that meets Planning and Zoning requirements
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Design criteria on the City packet: 115 mph wind (3-second gust) with exposure C, a 30 lb per sq ft ground snow load, seismic design category B, a 24-inch frost line and 1,500 lb per sq ft soil bearing unless a soils investigation is provided. Foundation walls over 8 ft high need an engineered design, and truss drawings have to be kept on site.
Plan review times: the department’s goals are 2 to 4 weeks for a first residential review and 4 to 8 weeks for a first commercial review, taken in the order received. Its FAQ gives typical overall processing of 10 to 15 business days for residential projects and 45 to 60 business days for commercial ones.
How to apply for a Jerome building permit: 6 steps
Setbacks, fences, parking and commercial site plans are theirs (208-324-8189 ext. 140).
Residential, commercial or factory-built, from the Forms and Guidelines page.
Upload the plans, site plan and the other documents on the checklist.
The City replies in writing within 10 business days; plans are not passed to reviewers until everything required is in.
Engineering, Fire and Planning review alongside Building Safety, and the permit and plan review fees are calculated from the project value.
Trade contractors apply to DOPL; City inspections are requested by phone or in Cloudpermit.
Jerome inspections
Request an inspection by calling 208-324-8189 ext. 131 or through Cloudpermit, as far ahead as you can. Have the permit number, property address, contact name and phone number and the type of inspection ready. Inspections ordinarily take place Monday to Thursday during business hours and are done in the order received, except that concrete inspections get priority.
The City lists these required inspections: setbacks, footings, foundation wall, underfloor framing, shear wall, the three trade rough-ins, framing, insulation, final building and the three trade finals.
- Concrete: have the property pins identified and string lines set for the front, back and side setbacks.
- Framing: windows and doors must be sealed and draft stopping at vertical and horizontal penetrations complete, with the state rough-ins already passed.
- Final: the inspection card on site must be signed off for the trade, firewall and fire sprinkler finals first.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Approved construction documents have to be on site at all times. A re-inspection costs $50. Certificates of Occupancy are processed in the order received and can take up to 3 business days.
Local Jerome details that matter
Curb, gutter and sidewalk: Jerome Municipal Code 15.08 sets the City’s curb, gutter and sidewalk requirements, and the civil site plan has to show any that are new.
Storm drainage: on-site drainage design follows Jerome City Code Section 16.34, which the packet points applicants to.
Modular buildings: the factory work is regulated by DOPL and carries a state insignia. The City regulates the site work and installation, and zoning treats a modular building like a site-built one.
Four-day week: the department and its inspectors work Monday to Thursday, and no inspections are made on the 12 holidays the City observes.
Older buildings: the City’s FAQ reminds owners that renovation, repair and painting that disturbs lead-based paint in a pre-1978 home must be done by an EPA Certified Renovator.
Septic: South Central Public Health District issues septic permits, and its Jerome office is on 208-324-8838, the number in the packet’s contact list.
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 Jerome building permit 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 Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses
- City of Jerome
- City of Jerome Building Safety Department
- Jerome: apply in Cloudpermit
- Jerome Building Permit Fee Policy
- Jerome master fee schedule (FY 2027)
- Jerome building forms and application packets
- Jerome plan review turnaround times
- Jerome inspection request guidelines
- Jerome Building Safety FAQ
Jerome building permit FAQs
How much is a building permit in Jerome?
The fee is based on project value. A $300,000 house pays a $2,113.75 permit fee and an $845.50 plan review fee under the FY 2027 schedule.
How do I apply for a building permit in Jerome?
Online in Cloudpermit, with plans, a site plan and the documents on the City’s application packet.
How long does plan review take in Jerome?
The department aims for 2 to 4 weeks for a first residential review and 4 to 8 weeks for a first commercial review.
Do I need a permit for a shed in Jerome?
Yes, if it is over 120 sq ft.
Do I need a permit for a fence in Jerome?
Only for a fence over 7 ft tall. Lower fences are handled by Planning and Zoning for height, location and materials.
Do I need a permit for a deck?
Yes, if the deck is attached to a structure, more than 30 inches above the ground, over 200 sq ft, or serves the main entrance door.
Can a homeowner pull a permit in Jerome?
Yes, for work on the owner’s own primary residence. Some kinds of work still need a state-licensed contractor.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call 208-324-8189 ext. 131 or use Cloudpermit. Inspections are made Monday to Thursday.
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More Idaho permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Jerome permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.