In unincorporated Nez Perce County, building permits are issued by the County’s Department of Planning and Building Services at the courthouse in Lewiston, which also issues mechanical permits. Electrical and plumbing permits come from the State, septic permits from Public Health – Idaho North Central District, and approach permits from County Road and Bridge. The County values a new house at no less than $112.65 per square foot of living space when it sets the permit fee.
When does Nez Perce County require a permit?
The county’s Building Code Ordinance (County Code Chapter 102.04) is broad. No work, including site preparation, may start and no building may be demolished, constructed, altered, moved or placed before a permit is obtained, and that includes agricultural buildings that are otherwise exempt from the building codes.
County building permit categories
- Single family residence
- Accessory building
- Commercial building
- Manufactured home
- Mechanical
- Blasting
- Siting, for agricultural buildings only
Rules in the county code
- A manufactured or mobile home needs an installation permit before it is placed, must carry a HUD label and goes on a permanent foundation
- A moved building needs a permit before it is moved or placed and must be brought up to current code; the County may require a bond
- Agricultural buildings on 5 acres or more of land actively devoted to agriculture are exempt from the building codes but need a development or site permit
- The agricultural exemption is not available in platted residential subdivisions or where farming is not the primary use
The ordinance applies to all unincorporated land in the county except land owned by the federal government or by the Nez Perce Tribe.
Who issues Nez Perce County building permits?
Planning and Building Services issues the building permits, makes all the inspections the building codes require, and administers zoning, subdivisions and the floodplain program. Kile Allen is the Building Official.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Nez Perce County Planning and Building Services |
| Office | Courthouse, 3rd floor, 1230 Main Street, Lewiston, ID 83501 (mail: P.O. Box 896) |
| Phone | 208-799-3197 |
| Building Official | Kile Allen, 208-799-3035 |
| Hours | Monday to Thursday 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Friday 7:00 a.m. to noon |
| Assessor (parcel numbers) | 208-799-3010 |
| City | Who issues the permit |
|---|---|
| Lewiston | City of Lewiston Building Services, which permits inside the city limits and issues the city’s own trade permits. |
| Peck | Peck’s Ordinance No. 143 adopts the International Building Code, the International Residential Code and the International Energy Conservation Code as the City’s official building codes, with agricultural buildings exempt but still subject to zoning placement rules. The City posts no permit form, fee or reviewer, so ask Peck City Hall, 120 West Howard Street, 208-486-7791 (open Monday to Wednesday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). |
| Lapwai | Lapwai’s City Code (§ 150.15) says the City follows the state building codes and contracts with the State for inspection and enforcement, with code service fees set by City Council resolution. It also keeps structures, fences and decks 10 ft back from a right-of-way line, and buildings and decks 5 ft from a property line. The City posts no building permit form; ask City Hall, 315 S. Main Street, 208-843-2212. |
| Culdesac | The published sources do not say; ask Culdesac City Hall. |
In Lapwai and Culdesac the State’s permit map lists electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits as state permits.
A quick test for county jurisdiction: county parcel numbers on the tax bill generally start with RP, and the County’s interactive web map shows the parcel and its zone.
County applications
The Applications page groups the County’s forms by category, and each building category opens a folder of documents. For most of them that folder holds an application requirements sheet marked “please read first”, the application in fillable and plain versions, and reference sheets.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →- Single family residence, accessory building, commercial building and manufactured home applications, each with its own requirements sheet.
- Plot Plan Form and a Plot Plan Example.
- Technical Information for Pole Buildings and a Typical Garage Wall Section, with the accessory building forms.
- Mechanical and blasting permit applications.
- Siting permit for agricultural buildings.
- Floodplain Development Permit and Elevation Certificate.
Land use applications (administrative land division, conditional use, preliminary plat, variance and zone change) are on the same page, along with the year’s application deadline dates.
Nez Perce County permit fees and valuation
County Code 102.04.060 lets the Board of Commissioners set fees for building permits, plan reviews and inspections. The County’s Residential Building Permit Fee Schedule, effective October 1, 2017, fixes the minimum value per square foot used to work out the fee. These figures are valuations, not the fee itself, and the contract amount is used whenever it is higher.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fixed living space | Valued at $112.65 per sq ft |
| Garages | Valued at $44.63 per sq ft |
| Interior finish and remodel | Valued at $56.33 per sq ft |
| Manufactured home foundation and slab | Valued at $18.59 per sq ft |
| Pole buildings | Valued at $14.06 per sq ft |
| Decks, carports and patio covers | Valued at $13.80 per sq ft |
| Manufactured home placed in a park | $161.87 fee for the first section, $97.71 for each additional section |
| Manufactured home placed on a private lot | $259.59 fee for the first section, $129.69 for each additional section |
For example, a house with 2,000 square feet of living space and a 500 square foot garage is valued at no less than $247,615, and the permit fee is then taken from the County’s fee table for that valuation. The manufactured home fees do not include electrical and plumbing, which are state permits.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits
Nez Perce County sends each trade to a different counter:
| Permit | Issued by |
|---|---|
| Mechanical | Nez Perce County Planning and Building, 208-799-3197 |
| Electrical | State of Idaho, Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, 208-334-3233 |
| Plumbing | State of Idaho, Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, 208-334-3233 |
| Septic | Public Health – Idaho North Central District, 215 10th Street, Lewiston, 208-799-3100 |
| Road approach | Nez Perce County Road and Bridge, 208-799-3060 |
The Lewiston arrangement is different: inside the city, trade permits are city permits, so check which side of the city limit the parcel is on before buying a state permit.
Application documents and site approvals
Start with the requirements sheet in the folder for your permit category; it is the County’s checklist for that application. The plot plan is drawn on the County’s Plot Plan Form, following its posted example.
- Access first for new homes. Under County Code 102.04.040 a building permit is not issued for a new dwelling until the driveway and any private road linking it to the public road meet the county road and driveway requirements, plus any area of city impact or fire district standards that apply.
- Septic. The septic permit comes from the health district office in Lewiston, not the County.
- Floodplain. Sites in the flood hazard area file the Floodplain Development Permit and an Elevation Certificate with Planning and Building.
- Snow load. The County says snow loads can vary by up to 30 pounds within a five mile radius depending on elevation and terrain, and refers designers to the Ground and Roof Snow Loads for Idaho study; call the department if the map leaves the figure in doubt.
- Address. An address is issued once a building permit has been applied for. The County does not assign addresses to vacant property.
Rather not deal with the Nez Perce County building department?
Get a free quote →How to apply for a Nez Perce County permit: 6 steps
Look for a parcel number starting with RP, check the interactive web map for the zone, or call 208-799-3197.
Get the approach permit from Road and Bridge and the septic permit from Public Health – Idaho North Central District.
Read the requirements sheet for a single family residence, accessory building, commercial building or manufactured home, and complete the application and Plot Plan Form.
Submit the application to the department on the third floor of the courthouse; the office opens at 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and closes at noon on Fridays.
Apply to the County for the mechanical permit and to the State for electrical and plumbing.
All code inspections are made by Planning and Building Services through to final approval.
Inspections, enforcement and appeals
County Code 102.04.050 has Planning and Building Services provide every inspection required by the adopted codes, so building and mechanical inspections are arranged with the department, while electrical and plumbing inspections follow the state permits.
The Building Official is the enforcement officer and may issue a stop work order where construction does not follow the ordinance. Violations can be charged as misdemeanors. A decision of the department can be appealed to the Board of Commissioners in writing by certified mail; the letter must state the cause and reach the department within 14 days of the decision, and the Board hears the appeal within 20 days of receiving the notice.
Local Nez Perce County details
Tribal and federal land: the county building ordinance does not apply to land owned by the Nez Perce Tribe or the federal government.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Agricultural buildings: even an exempt agricultural building needs a siting permit, and the Building Official can require inspections to confirm it respects zoning setbacks and utility easements. Zoning and administrative fees may apply.
Older manufactured homes: a manufactured or mobile home without a HUD certification label is not allowed except as provided in the state rehabilitation law, and any addition or alteration to a manufactured home must meet the building code.
Lead paint: the Building Permits page links the EPA guide for renovation work in older buildings.
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 Nez Perce 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
- Idaho DOPL building FAQ
- Nez Perce County Planning and Building Services
- Nez Perce County permit and trade applications
- Nez Perce County building permits and valuation schedule
- Nez Perce County Planning and Building frequently asked questions
- Nez Perce County Code, Chapter 102.04 Building Codes
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Nez Perce County building permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Nez Perce County?
Nez Perce County Planning and Building Services for unincorporated land, and the City of Lewiston inside the city. The county office is on the third floor of the courthouse at 1230 Main Street, Lewiston.
How is the permit fee worked out?
From the valuation of the project. The County values living space at no less than $112.65 per square foot and garages at $44.63, and uses the contract amount when that is higher.
Where do I get electrical and plumbing permits?
From the State of Idaho, through the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses on 208-334-3233. Mechanical permits come from the County.
Where do I go to get a septic permit?
Public Health – Idaho North Central District, 215 10th Street in Lewiston, 208-799-3100.
Do agricultural buildings need a permit?
They are exempt from the building codes on 5 acres or more of actively farmed land, but they still need a county siting permit.
What are the office hours?
Monday to Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Friday from 7:00 a.m. to noon.
How do I get an address for new land?
An address is issued once a building permit has been applied for; vacant property is not assigned one.
Simplify Nez Perce County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Idaho. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority 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.
Ready to break ground in Nez Perce County sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Nez Perce County permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Idaho permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Nez Perce County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.