Building permits for unincorporated Owyhee County are issued by the County Building Department, which works from the County’s Homedale office rather than the courthouse in Murphy. Anything over 200 square feet needs a permit, a complete application takes roughly 4 weeks, and the fee comes from the County’s valuation table with plan review at 16% of the permit fee. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits are state permits, and zoning approval comes first.
When does Owyhee County require a permit?
The Building Department gives a one-line test: anything over 200 square feet requires a building permit. The county code matches it, exempting one-story detached tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar structures of up to 200 square feet.
Covered by the county application
- Residential, commercial, agricultural and other structures
- New construction, remodels, repairs, additions and demolition
- Manufactured, modular and mobile homes, new or used
- Accessory structures such as shops and barns
- A change in use or occupant of a commercial building
Agricultural buildings
- Exempt from the building code under County Code 7-1-4 when on a single parcel of at least 5 acres, not counting public right-of-way
- Must hold an approved agricultural exemption from the County Assessor
- May not be a dwelling, a place of employment where farm products are processed, treated, packaged or sold, or a place used by the public
- Still subject to zoning placement rules, and the County may charge its minimum building permit fee to check setbacks and easements
No building permit can be issued, and no one may occupy or begin the proposed use, until the zoning official has issued a certificate of compliance. For a commercial project the County will not accept the building application until zoning compliance is approved.
Who issues Owyhee County building permits?
The County Building Department issues and inspects building permits for all unincorporated land in Owyhee County (County Code 7-1-1). The office is closed on Tuesdays and on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Owyhee County Building Department |
| Office | 130 W. Idaho Ave., Homedale, ID 83628 (mail: P.O. Box 2026) |
| Phone | 208-337-4540 ext. 2000 |
| Inspection line | 208-941-0134, call or text |
| Hours | Monday, Thursday and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; 2nd and 4th Wednesdays 8:30 to 5:00; closed Tuesdays and the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays; closed 12:00 to 12:30 for lunch |
| Planning & Zoning | 208-495-2095 (Community Planning, Murphy) |
| Assessor, for new addresses | 208-495-2817 |
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Get a free quote →| City | Who issues the permit |
|---|---|
| Homedale | City of Homedale Building Department, 31 W. Wyoming Ave., 208-337-4641. The City has its own residential and commercial building permit applications and takes a $100 deposit. |
| Marsing | City of Marsing Building Department at Marsing City Hall, 18 Sandbar Ave., 208-896-4122. Every application needs a land survey marking the property corners and lot lines. |
| Grand View | The City of Grand View. Its building code ordinance (No. 2016-002) gives the job to a City Building Official and has the City Council set permit fees by resolution, and the City’s Planning & Zoning page posts its own Building Permit Fee Schedule, which lists plan review at 21% of the permit fee and $200 plus fuel for the first residential site inspection. City Hall is at 425 Boise Avenue (208-834-2700), open Monday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. |
County applications
Owyhee County uses two forms, both revised in July 2026, and each has its submission requirements printed on the back:
- Residential Development Application, which also covers manufactured homes and accessory structures. It needs the property owner’s signature, the contractor registration number and expiry date, floor areas and the project value. A manufactured home application must show the VIN.
- Commercial Development Application, for non-residential and multi-family projects, with the construction type, occupancy, building area, stories, height and whether the building is sprinklered.
- Site Plan Example, showing what the County wants on a residential site plan.
Applications with large plans should be brought to the Homedale office with the plans and supporting documents. Smaller applications can be emailed to the permitting clerk at the address on the Building Department page. The County phones when the permit is ready to pick up.
Owyhee County permit fees
The Building Department posts a one-page Fee Schedule marked effective March 11, 2013. County Code 7-1-7 has the Board of County Commissioners set building fees by resolution and keep the schedule on file with the County Clerk and the building inspector.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Total valuation or item | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $1,000 | $30 |
| $1,001 to $5,000 | $30 for the first $1,000, plus $30 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $5,001 to $20,000 | $150 for the first $5,000, plus $12 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $20,001 to $50,000 | $330 for the first $20,000, plus $10 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $630 for the first $50,000, plus $11.50 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $100,001 to $200,000 | $1,205 for the first $100,000, plus $15 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $200,001 to $500,000 | $2,705 for the first $200,000, plus $20 per additional $2,000 or fraction |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $5,705 for the first $500,000, plus $22.50 per additional $2,000 or fraction |
| Plan review | 16% of the permit fee |
| Zoning and site plan review | $25, non-refundable, paid with the building permit fee |
| Manufactured home installation | $100 per transportable section; $150 for a single section |
| Permanent perimeter foundation under an existing manufactured home | $175 |
| Demolition permit | $40 |
| Re-inspection (second re-inspection of the same item), after-hours inspection, or investigation fee | $50 each |
| Appeal of a Building Official decision | $150 |
For example, a house valued at $300,000 pays $2,705 plus 50 × $20, or $3,705, and a plan review fee of $592.80. Payment is by exact cash, check, or debit or credit card, with a 3% fee on cards.
Impact fees are added for a new residence in the fire and ambulance districts that have them: $1,349 in the Homedale Fire District, and $1,500 for the Marsing Fire District plus $594 for Marsing EMS, $2,094 in total.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits
Owyhee County does not issue trade permits. Its building code ordinance removed the mechanical, plumbing and gas references from the adopted building code, and the Building Department sends applicants to the State for all three.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Permit | Who issues it |
|---|---|
| Mechanical | Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, 208-334-3233 |
| Electrical | Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, 208-334-3233 |
| Plumbing | Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, 208-334-3233 |
| Septic | Southwest District Health, 208-455-5400 |
| Road approach | The highway district for the road, or the Idaho Transportation Department on a state highway |
| Fire | The fire district serving the parcel |
The County’s page still prints a separate older state number for each trade; 208-334-3233 is the main number the state division publishes today. Septic, approach and fire district permits are all on the County’s submission list, so they are obtained before the building application goes in. Adding bedrooms to an existing house needs an accessory permit from the health district.
Application documents
Residential
- Detailed site plan (it need not be to scale) with boundary dimensions, every existing and proposed structure labeled by use, distances to property lines and between structures, adjacent road names, septic, well and easements
- Signed warranty deed or sales agreement if ownership or the parcel description changed in the past 30 days
- Two complete sets of building plans with rooms labeled, plus an electronic copy
- An 8½ x 11 copy of the site plan and floor plans
- REScheck energy compliance
- Manual J or S and D heating and cooling calculations
- Septic permit, highway district or state approach permit, and fire district permit
- Any conditions from a Conditional Use Permit
Commercial
- Zoning compliance approval from Owyhee County Planning and Zoning, before the application is accepted
- Two complete plan sets plus an electronic copy, prepared by an architect or engineer licensed in Idaho
- Site plan by a licensed engineer or architect, at a standard scale between 1:10 and 1:60
- Sheets no smaller than 8½ x 14 inches and no larger than 24 x 36 inches
- Legal description or record of survey, and a vicinity map
- Septic, approach and fire permits identified by staff
Rather not deal with the Owyhee County building department?
Get a free quote →A previously owned manufactured home bought from an individual also needs the ad valorem tax certificate from the assessor of the county where the home is located, and a home built before June 1976 needs the state rehabilitation compliance checklist.
Any missing document delays the permit. With everything filed at the start, the County says it takes roughly 4 weeks to get the approved permit back.
How to apply for an Owyhee County permit: 6 steps
Call 208-495-2095 about setbacks, parcel splits and what can be built; a conditional use permit, if one is needed, comes before the building permit.
Southwest District Health, the highway district or the Idaho Transportation Department, and the fire district each issue their own.
Residential or commercial, signed by the property owner, with the project value and contractor registration.
Bring large plan sets to 130 W. Idaho Ave. on a day the office is open.
Pay the permit fee, the 16% plan review fee, the $25 zoning review fee and any impact fee when the County calls.
Request the address from the Assessor after paying, and call or text for inspections 24 hours ahead.
Inspections and permit completion
Inspections are scheduled by calling or texting the county building inspector at 208-941-0134 at least 24 hours before the inspection is needed.
- A permit expires 180 days after it is issued or 180 days after the last inspection.
- The county code adds an outer limit: if the work is not finished, finally inspected and approved for occupancy within 2 years of issue, the permit is void and a new one is needed.
- A final inspection and approval are required before any building is occupied or used, and the code allows utility service to be cut off without it.
- A second re-inspection of the same item may be charged $50.
Building Official decisions can be appealed within 15 days. The appeal is heard first by the Planning and Zoning Commission and can go on to the Board of County Commissioners.
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Get a free quote →Local Owyhee County details
Setbacks: in the Agricultural, Multi-use and Residential zones no building may be placed within 5 feet of a property line, within 40 feet of a county road or within 100 feet of a state or federal highway.
Snow load: the county amendment sets a minimum roof snow load of 25 psf below 6,000 feet of elevation and 35 psf above it.
Code editions: the county code names the 2012 International Codes but provides that later editions adopted by the Idaho Building Code Board replace them automatically on the state effective date.
Two county offices: the Building Department is in Homedale, while Community Planning is based in Murphy, where the Planning and Zoning Commission meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at 17069 Basey Street.
Addresses: a new address is requested from the Assessor’s Office only after the approved building permit has been paid for.
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 Owyhee 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
- Idaho DOPL building FAQ
- Owyhee County Building Department
- Owyhee County Planning & Zoning codes
- Owyhee County Building Department fee schedule
- Owyhee County Residential Development Application (July 2026)
- Owyhee County Commercial Development Application (July 2026)
- Owyhee County Community Planning
- Owyhee County Code
- City of Homedale forms and building permit applications
- City of Marsing documents and building permit applications
- City of Grand View Planning and Zoning page and building permit fee schedule
Owyhee County building permit FAQs
Do I need a building permit in Owyhee County?
Yes, for anything over 200 square feet on unincorporated land. Homedale, Marsing and Grand View issue their own permits inside city limits.
How long does it take to get a building permit?
Roughly 4 weeks when all required documents are submitted with the application.
How much is a building permit in Owyhee County?
The fee follows the County’s valuation table. A $300,000 house pays $3,705, plus $592.80 for plan review and a $25 zoning review fee.
What impact fees does the County collect?
For a new residence, $1,349 in the Homedale Fire District, or $1,500 for the Marsing Fire District plus $594 for Marsing EMS.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call or text 208-941-0134 at least 24 hours ahead.
Where do I get electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits?
From the State of Idaho. The County issues building permits only.
When do I get an address?
After paying for the approved building permit, apply to the Assessor’s Office at 208-495-2817.
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More Idaho permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Owyhee County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.