One office issues most building permits in Minidoka County. The County’s Building and Zoning Department in Rupert permits the unincorporated area and serves as the building department for the cities of Rupert, Paul, Acequia and Minidoka. It also issues mechanical permits. Applications go through the County’s online web portal, residential plan review usually takes 5 to 10 business days, and electrical and plumbing permits are issued by the State.
When does Minidoka County require a permit?
The County’s rule covers any owner or authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, re-roof, re-side or change the occupancy of a building, or to install or replace an electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system.
Permit packets
- Residential: houses, duplexes and townhouses, additions, remodels, decks, patio covers
- Commercial, with a separate sign packet
- Mechanical / HVAC, including wood stoves
- Manufactured home placement
- Roofing and siding
- Demolition
- Agricultural siting permit
No permit required
- One-story detached sheds and playhouses up to 200 square feet for a one- or two-family dwelling, or up to 120 square feet on non-residential property
- Fences not over 6 feet high
- Retaining walls not over 4 feet from the bottom of the footing, unless supporting a surcharge
- Water tanks on grade up to 5,000 gallons
- Sidewalks and driveways not more than 30 inches above grade
- Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets and counter tops
- Prefabricated above-ground pools less than 24 inches deep
- Swings and playground equipment at a house; shade cloth structures for nurseries or agriculture
Agricultural buildings are exempt from a full building permit, the building code and its inspections when the building sits in an agricultural zone on a parcel of more than 5 contiguous acres actively devoted to agriculture. The owner still applies for a siting permit so road and property line setbacks can be checked.
Who issues building permits in Minidoka County?
Minidoka County Community Development, Building and Zoning, is designated by County Code 7-1-1 as the department of building safety, with its director as Building Official. Rick Nay is the Administrator and Building Official.
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Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Minidoka County Building and Zoning (Community Development) |
| Office | County Courthouse, 715 G Street, Rupert, ID 83350 (mail: P.O. Box 368) |
| Phone | 208-436-7183 |
| Building@minidokacounty.id.gov, also the address for approvals from other agencies | |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Apply | Minidoka County Building Department web portal |
| City | Who issues the permit |
|---|---|
| Rupert, Paul, Acequia and Minidoka | Minidoka County Building and Zoning, which serves as the building department for all four. Zoning applications still go to the city: Rupert 208-436-9600, Paul 208-438-4101, Acequia 208-436-6775, Minidoka 208-531-4101. |
| Heyburn | City of Heyburn Department of Building Safety, City Hall 208-679-8158 (option 2). Heyburn takes its own online permit applications, including mechanical permits, and quotes 1 to 3 weeks for residential plans and 2 to 6 weeks for commercial. Electrical and plumbing permits there are state permits. |
| Burley (the part in Minidoka County) | City of Burley Building Department, which issues building, electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits within the City of Burley. |
Permit packets and the web portal
Online application submittals and contractor inspection requests both run through the County’s Building Department web portal. Each permit type has a packet with a guide, checklist and application:
- Residential Application Packet and the Plot Plan form.
- Commercial Application Packet and Sign Application Packet.
- Mechanical Application Packet, plus the wood stove handout.
- Roof and Siding Application Packet.
- Demolition Permit Application.
- Agricultural exemption form for a siting permit.
- Property Division Buildable Lot Verification, to confirm a split parcel can be built on.
The residential application carries sign-off lines for the public health district and the irrigation district.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Minidoka County permit fees and valuation
County Code 7-1-3 has applicants pay permit and plan review fees in amounts set by resolution of the County Commission, before the permit is issued. The packets explain the basis: the fee is calculated from project value, the total value of the construction work including overhead and profit, finish work, painting, roofing, electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, other permanent equipment and owner-supplied items. Land is excluded.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Building permit and plan review | Calculated by the department from project value under the Commission’s fee resolution |
| Manufactured home placement permit, single wide | $150 |
| Manufactured home placement permit, multiple section | $200 |
| Concrete foundation under a manufactured home | Additional fee that varies with the size of the home |
| Agricultural building meeting the exemption | Siting permit in place of a building permit |
The fee for a specific building is quoted by the department once the application states the project value, and all fees are paid before the permit is released.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits
Trade permitting is split. Mechanical and HVAC permits are issued by the County, which adopted the 2018 International Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes. Plumbing and electrical applications, permits and inspections are handled by the State of Idaho, through the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (208-334-3233); the toll-free state line printed in the County’s packets is an older number.
Since February 1, 2021, every mechanical permit application for new residential construction must include Manual J design documents. The County posts its Manual J design criteria on the Mechanical / HVAC page and in the residential packet, including indoor design temperatures of 70°F for heating and 75°F for cooling and an altitude correction factor of 0.87.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Approval | Agency |
|---|---|
| Septic and drain field | South Central Public Health District, 208-678-8221 |
| Road approach | Minidoka Highway District, 208-436-6112 |
| Irrigation | Minidoka Irrigation District 208-436-3188, or A&B Irrigation District 208-436-3152 |
| Fire | City of Rupert 208-436-9600, West End Fire District 208-438-4511, or MCFPD 208-679-8250 |
Application documents and review times
Applications are reviewed in the order received. The packets ask applicants to allow 5 to 10 business days for most residential plan reviews and 10 to 15 for commercial, counted from the day all information is in; roofing and siding permits aim for 3 to 5 business days and signs for 5 to 10.
Residential plan set
- Two sets of plans, at least 11 x 17 and to scale
- Site plan with setbacks, easements, labeled utility lines, drainage and lot corners
- For county parcels: the septic and drain field location approved by South Central Public Health and a drive approach approved by the Minidoka Highway District
- Fire district approval for a driveway longer than 150 feet
- Foundation plan, floor plan with smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and braced wall lines, roof framing plan
- At least two building cross sections, and four elevations
- Truss and I-joist drawings, which may be deferred and left on site for the inspector
Commercial additions
- Engineer-stamped drawings for pre-fabricated metal buildings and their concrete
- Engineered foundation design for modular buildings
- Fire department access 20 feet wide, rated for 70,000 pounds, reaching within 150 feet of the building
- Design to the IBC risk category, 20 psf snow load and 24 inch frost depth
- Sign packet for any signage
In the floodplain the owner supplies an elevation certificate from an engineer or surveyor and a pre-construction elevation survey, and builds with flood-resistant methods or a finished floor 2 feet above existing grade. All development on the Snake River shoreline is reviewed by Building and Zoning.
Rather not deal with the Minidoka County building department?
Get a free quote →How to apply for a Minidoka County permit: 6 steps
County parcels go to Building and Zoning; inside Rupert, Paul, Acequia or Minidoka, start the zoning question at city hall.
Septic from South Central Public Health, the approach from the Minidoka Highway District, and the irrigation district’s signature where the parcel is served.
Use the residential, commercial, mechanical, roofing and siding or demolition packet that matches the job and complete its checklist.
Upload the application and plans, state the project value, and email other agencies’ approvals to the Building Department address.
The department calculates the permit and plan review fees, which are paid before the permit is issued.
Contractors request inspections in the portal; anyone can call the office at least half a working day ahead.
Inspections and permit completion
An inspection appointment has to be made at least half a working day in advance: by the previous afternoon for a morning inspection, or that morning for an afternoon one. Contractors can request inspections in the web portal, and the office number is 208-436-7183.
A permit becomes invalid if work does not begin within 180 days of issuance, or is suspended or abandoned for 180 days. The Building Official can grant extensions of up to 180 days each on a written request showing justifiable cause. No building may be used or occupied until the Building Official has issued the Certificate of Occupancy.
Local Minidoka County details
Setbacks on the packets: in the county, 30 feet from the edge of the road right-of-way and 5 feet from side and rear property lines; in the cities, 20 feet from the road right-of-way and 5 feet from the other lines.
Residential design criteria: 20 psf ground snow load, 90 mph wind, Seismic Design Category B and a 24 inch frost line.
Manufactured homes: any class may go on a space in an approved mobile home park. In Rupert, Heyburn and Paul only Class A homes (double wide on a permanent foundation) are allowed where single-family homes are, and in unincorporated areas inside an area of city impact only Class A and B homes. Electrical and plumbing connections need state permits, and a well needs a permit from the Idaho Department of Water Resources.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Code details: the County adopted the residential code with Appendix Q (tiny houses) and Appendix S (strawbale construction), and later editions take effect in the county on January 1 of the year after they become effective for the State.
Planning hearings: the Planning and Zoning Commission meets on the third Thursday of each month at 4:00 p.m., and zoning applications must be in at least 30 days before the meeting.
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 Minidoka 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
- Minidoka County residential building applications
- Minidoka County Building and Zoning
- Idaho DOPL building FAQ
- Minidoka County building permit requirements and exemptions
- Minidoka County Building Department web portal
- Minidoka County mechanical permits and Manual J criteria
- Minidoka County manufactured home placement
- Minidoka County: permitting with other agencies
- City of Heyburn Department of Building Safety
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Minidoka County building permit FAQs
Does the County issue building permits for Rupert?
Yes. Minidoka County Building and Zoning is the building department for Rupert, Paul, Acequia and the City of Minidoka as well as the unincorporated county.
Who issues building permits in Heyburn?
The City of Heyburn, through its own Department of Building Safety at City Hall, 208-679-8158.
How long does a permit take?
Allow 5 to 10 business days for most residential plan reviews and 10 to 15 for commercial, once everything has been submitted.
Do I need a permit for a shed or fence?
Not for a one-story detached shed up to 200 square feet at a house, or a fence up to 6 feet high.
Is Manual J required?
Yes, with every mechanical permit application for new residential construction.
Who issues electrical and plumbing permits?
The State of Idaho. The County issues the building and mechanical permits.
How much does it cost to place a manufactured home?
$150 for a single wide and $200 for a multiple section home, with an added fee for a concrete foundation.
Where is the Building and Zoning office?
At the Minidoka County Courthouse, 715 G Street, Rupert, open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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More Idaho permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Minidoka County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.