Teton County, Idaho Building Permit Guide

The Teton County Building Department, Room 107 of the courthouse in Driggs, issues building and mechanical permits for land outside the cities of Driggs, Victor and Tetonia, each of which issues its own. Applications are emailed to the department or uploaded to its iWorQ portal, staff calculate the permit and plan review fees from ICC valuation data once the application is complete, and a County building permit is valid for 3 years.

When does Teton County require a permit?

County Code 6-8-1 is broad: nobody may erect, construct or alter any type of building in the county without first getting a building permit. Each structure on a property needs its own permit. The department’s forms and fee list show the main categories:

Before any earthwork, a project that disturbs more than 1,500 sq ft needs a Grading and Erosion Control Permit from County Public Works. Tilling on slopes under 30%, emergency flood control, ditch maintenance outside the floodplain and routine road maintenance are exempt.

Who issues Teton County building permits?

The Building Department enforces the 2018 I-Codes and the County’s Flood Control Ordinance in unincorporated Teton County. Wendy Koch is the Building Official. Planning, the Teton County Fire District and Road & Bridge review each application through the same permitting software.

The 3 cities permit themselves. The County department does not issue permits inside city limits:

• Driggs: the City’s Planning & Building Department requires a building permit for any construction, alteration, repair, relocation, demolition or change of occupancy in the city, filed through the City of Driggs iWorQ portal. City Hall is at 60 South Main Street, 208-354-2362.
• Victor: the City’s Planning and Building Department reviews plans, issues building permits and inspects all construction in the city, through its own online portal, and aims to finish reviews within 15 business days. Main office 208-274-7082.
• Tetonia: the City issues its own building, mechanical, fence and sign permits on paper forms returned to City Hall, 3192 Perry Avenue, 208-456-2249.

Some county subdivisions outside the cities are on Driggs or Victor sewer; those still get their building permit from the County, but need a connection agreement with the city first.

Teton County applications and how to file

You can email the application and every attachment to the department, or upload them to the Building Applications Portal. The Forms page of the Building Department lists what the County uses:

• First Steps: Building Permit Submittal Checklist, the residential cover sheet that every applicant initials.
• Residential Building Permit Application (December 5, 2023), for detached one- and two-family dwellings and their accessory buildings.
• Residential Design Standards Requirements, a checklist signed section by section and returned with the application.
• Commercial Building Permit Application and Commercial Submittal Requirements.
• HUD Setting Permit and HUD Installation Permit applications, with a HUD application checklist.
• Mechanical Installation Permit Application.
• Agricultural Exempt Permit Application (updated July 1, 2025).
• Building Permit Extension / Transfer Application, also used to reactivate an expired permit or move a permit to a new owner.
• Letter of Authorization, for an owner who wants an agent to sign and act for them.
• Pre-application Conference Request.

Optional third-party review: since April 2026 the County lets residential applicants have their plans reviewed by an approved outside consultant, either before applying (pre-approved plans) or during the County’s review. The consultant’s fee is paid directly to the consultant on top of the County fees, and you ask the County for a fee schedule for the project before sending plans out.

Teton County permit fees and valuation

The Building Department’s posted fee list is headed with an effective date of December 9, 2024, and it already carries the fiscal year 2027 changes the commissioners adopted after a public hearing on August 10, 2026: the agricultural exempt permit and the permit for a fence over 8 ft each went from $76 to $228, and the manufactured (HUD) home installation permit was added at $150, $200 or $250. For houses and commercial buildings it gives no flat price: the department works out permit and plan review fees from the square footage and the ICC Building Valuation Data once a complete application is in, and the fee list says to contact staff for the calculation. The County posts an Excel permit fee calculator for estimates; it does not include impact fees and is not binding.

The estimated cost of construction you write on the application is used for reporting only, not for the fee. A Grading and Erosion Control Permit is $150 by cash or check, or $153 by card, paid up front and non-refundable.

The department does not take personal checks above $5,000; larger payments have to be by certified check. A permit is not valid until all fees are paid in full.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and septic permits

Teton County’s building code deletes the electrical and plumbing provisions, leaving both solely to the State of Idaho. You need final inspections from the state electrical and plumbing inspectors before you can call the County for a final inspection.

Mechanical and fuel gas work is the County’s: it has adopted the 2018 International Mechanical Code and International Fuel Gas Code, takes a Mechanical Installation Permit Application and charges $76 per unit. The residential application asks for the mechanical contractor’s Idaho HVAC registration number, which can be supplied later but must be on file before any mechanical work starts.

Septic permits come from Eastern Idaho Public Health (208-354-2220). A new dwelling outside city water and sewer service needs the septic permit before the building permit is approved; a remodel that adds a bedroom or bathroom needs the health district’s permission to connect to the existing system; and the septic final has to be approved before a Certificate of Occupancy.

Application documents, planning and site approvals

The First Steps checklist lists 12 items for a residential permit:

• The correct application, completed in full, with “not applicable” written where a section does not apply.
• The signed Design Standards Checklist.
• Plans stamped by a structural engineer licensed in Idaho, showing building height from grade to the highest point of the roof, with an electronic copy.
• A site plan with all existing and proposed structures, the driveway, well and septic locations and distances to each property line. The same site plan must be used for the grading, building and septic permits.
• Proof of ownership: the warranty deed or quitclaim deed, and signing authority for an LLC or corporation.
• A Letter of Authorization if someone other than the owner signs.
• The septic permit, or a city sewer connection agreement.
• Energy compliance: a REScheck report or the prescriptive table on the application (for example R-49 ceilings and U-0.35 windows).
• The Grading and Erosion Control Permit approval from the Public Works Director.
• A Wildlife Habitat Analysis if the parcel is in a Natural Resource Overlay on the County GIS map.
• Any Scenic Corridor, floodplain, wetlands or Road & Bridge approval that applies.
• The initialled owner and applicant acknowledgements.

Design criteria in Title 6: 115 mph wind speed, Seismic Design Category D-1, 32-inch frost line and a site-specific snow load; the application asks whether the site is at 6,600 ft or higher. The County adopted the radon appendix, so plans must show a radon system below living spaces with its vents through the roof. Fire sprinklers are not required in residential buildings of 4 units or fewer.

Plans that are insufficient for architectural, life safety or structural reasons may be refused.

How to apply for a Teton County permit: 7 steps

Inspections and permit completion in Teton County

Contractors request inspections in the Building Applications Portal: search for the permit, choose Request An Inspection and enter their contractor code number, using the comments box to tell the inspector what is ready. The same record lets you upload documents, check status and message the department. The County’s inspectors cover the building and mechanical work; the state inspects electrical and plumbing, and both state finals have to be done before the County final.

Inspections beyond the normal sequence, re-inspections and inspections not tied to a permit cost $76 per hour with a 1-hour minimum. Occupying a new structure, in whole or in part, without the required final inspections can bring fines under Title 6.

Permit life: a County building permit expires 3 years after it is issued. An extension, applied for before the expiry date, lasts 1 year, and there is no limit on the number of extensions. The same form reactivates an expired permit or transfers one to a new owner.

Local Teton County filing considerations

Overlays first: Scenic Corridor review, floodplain, wetlands and the Natural Resource Overlays are Planning matters under the Land Development Code, and their approvals are submitted with the building application, not after it.

Hillsides: if the project is on a hillside or the driveway is steep, the plans may need more engineering and the Fire Marshal may ask for more information before approval.

Job-site rules: no burning without a permit from the Teton County Fire District, and the address must be posted as the County’s address ordinance (Title 13) requires.

Heaters: un-vented heaters are not allowed for comfort heat in occupied spaces.

Old manufactured homes: a home built before June 15, 1976 must be re-certified under the Idaho Mobile Home Rehabilitation Act before a permit is issued.

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 Teton County permitting resources

• Teton County Building Department
• Teton County Building Applications Portal (iWorQ)
• Teton County building forms and checklists
• Teton County Building Department fees (posted list, including the fiscal year 2027 changes)
• Teton County Commissioners’ minutes, August 10, 2026 (fiscal year 2027 fee changes adopted)
• Teton County building regulations and adopted codes
• Teton County Title 6 Building Regulations
• Teton County Letter of Authorization
• Teton County Code, including the Land Development Code
• City of Driggs building permit applications and requirements
• City of Victor building information
• City of Tetonia building permits and forms
• Idaho DOPL building program
• Idaho DOPL HVAC permit questions
• Idaho DOPL building questions

Teton County building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Teton County, Idaho?

The Teton County Building Department (208-776-8171) for unincorporated land. Driggs, Victor and Tetonia each issue building permits inside their own city limits.

How much is a building permit in Teton County?

There is no flat rate for a house. Staff calculate permit and plan review fees from the square footage and ICC valuation data after a complete application is filed. Flat fees include $76 per mechanical unit, $228 for an agricultural building or a fence over 8 ft, and $304 for a solar installation.

How long is a Teton County building permit valid?

3 years from the date of issuance. Extensions last 1 year each and can be repeated without limit.

Do my plans need an engineer’s stamp?

Yes. The County’s residential checklist requires all plans to be stamped by a structural engineer licensed in Idaho.

Do I need a permit for a barn?

You need an approved Agricultural Exempt Building Permit Application ($228) before building. The barn is exempt from the building codes only if it is used solely for farm storage or animals on a working, revenue-producing farm.

Who issues electrical and plumbing permits?

The State of Idaho. The County issues the building and mechanical permits, and Eastern Idaho Public Health issues septic permits.

Can a contractor apply for the owner?

Yes, with the owner’s signed Letter of Authorization. Only the legal owner or an authorized agent may sign the application.

Simplify Teton 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.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Teton County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.