Boise Home Remodel Permits Explained: What You Need and How to Get Them

Building permits feel like bureaucratic friction — another cost, another delay, another step between you and your finished remodel. We get it. But permits exist for reasons that directly protect you as a homeowner, and understanding those reasons transforms permits from an annoyance into something you actively want on your project.

Safety. Permits ensure that electrical work won't start a fire, plumbing work won't contaminate your water supply, and structural modifications won't compromise your home's ability to stand up. These aren't theoretical risks. We've seen unpermitted electrical work that created imminent fire hazards, unpermitted plumbing with cross-connections that allowed sewage to enter drinking water lines, and unpermitted wall removals that left homes structurally compromised. The City of Boise's Planning and Development Services department exists specifically to prevent these outcomes through plan review and field inspection.

Property value protection. When you sell your home, buyers (and their lenders and inspectors) look for permit records. Unpermitted work raises immediate red flags: Was the work done correctly? Is it up to code? Will the title insurance company cover defects? Appraisers may not give full value to unpermitted improvements. In Boise's competitive real estate market, unpermitted work can delay or kill a sale entirely.

Insurance coverage. Many homeowner's policies exclude or limit coverage for loss arising out of faulty or defective workmanship and for work that did not comply with applicable ordinances. Read your own policy's exclusions rather than assuming — but if an unpermitted bathroom remodel has a plumbing failure that floods your home, the permit record is one of the first things an adjuster will ask for. The permit itself is a small line item against that exposure: a plumbing permit for a four-fixture bathroom is $78 on Boise's published schedule.

Legal compliance. Idaho state law and Boise city ordinances require permits for construction work that meets specified thresholds. Performing work without required permits is a code violation that can result in fines, mandatory remediation (sometimes including demolishing and rebuilding the unpermitted work), and stop-work orders that halt your entire project.

The bottom line: permits are a modest investment that protect your family's safety, your property value, your insurance coverage, and your legal standing. Every reputable remodeling contractor in Boise includes permit costs in their project bids and handles the application process as part of the project management scope.

Boise's Homeowner's Guide to Residential Construction is the authoritative list, and it is stricter than most homeowners expect: the building code exempts interior work such as painting, floor covering, cabinets, countertops and wall coverings, but a permit is required as soon as the project removes wall coverings to expose framing, builds or moves a wall (bearing or non-bearing), or relocates sinks, tubs, showers or water closets. Here's the breakdown by project type:

Kitchen Remodels

• Always requires permits: Removing or building any wall, bearing or non-bearing; moving plumbing fixtures to new locations; running additional wiring or adding an outlet or switch; modifying gas piping between the meter and an appliance; adding or relocating range hood ducting
• Usually requires a trade permit: Replacing a dishwasher, sink or garbage disposal where concealed plumbing is disturbed (plumbing); adding under-cabinet lighting or a GFCI outlet (electrical); replacing a range hood (mechanical, since vents and ducts are being replaced)
• Exempt under the building code: Cabinets, countertops, wall coverings, painting and floor covering — provided the work does not expose framing or touch plumbing, wiring or ducts

Bathroom Remodels

• Always requires permits: Relocating a toilet, tub, shower or sink; adding or moving a shower or tub; adding electrical circuits (heated floors, new outlets); adding or replacing an exhaust fan (mechanical permit — Boise lists bath fan exhaust explicitly)
• Converting a tub to a shower relocates a fixture and disturbs concealed plumbing, so it needs a plumbing permit in Boise. This is the single most common surprise on our estimates.
• Note on "fixture-for-fixture" swaps: Boise's guide says a plumbing permit is required to install new plumbing fixtures such as toilets, sinks, showers and tubs, and to replace existing fixtures where concealed plumbing is involved. It also states plainly that plumbing permits are required for most bathroom remodels when fixtures are replaced. Don't assume a swap is exempt — call and confirm.
• Exempt under the building code: Re-tiling a surface, painting, and replacing a vanity top, where none of the concealed plumbing is touched and no framing is exposed

Whole Home and Structural Projects

• Always requires permits: Removing or adding any wall (determination of load-bearing status requires structural review), whole home remodels with layout changes, adding rooms or bump-outs, finishing an attic, garage or basement to create living space, converting garages, ADU construction
• Decks and patios: Boise requires a building permit when a wooden deck or concrete patio is more than 12 inches above grade. That is a Boise amendment and it is far lower than the 30-inch figure people quote from the unamended model code — most back-door decks in Boise clear it.
• Engineering drawings often required: Load-bearing wall removal, header/beam installations, foundation modifications, second-story additions, and any retaining wall Boise asks to have engineered

Electrical Work

• Requires permits: Installing, changing or repairing any hard-wired electrical system; running additional wiring; adding an outlet, switch or light fixture in any room; panel upgrades and fuse-box-to-breaker conversions; EV charger circuits; 110-volt outdoor lighting
• No electrical permit: Low-voltage outdoor lighting

Plumbing Work

• Requires permits: Repairing, replacing, relocating or adding to the piping system inside the home; installing new plumbing fixtures (toilets, sinks, showers, tubs, dishwashers); installing or replacing a water heater (yes, this requires a permit in Boise); replacing existing fixtures where concealed plumbing is involved; re-piping; sewer line repair or replacement
• No permit: Clearing a drain clog and other maintenance that does not alter the piping system

When in doubt, call the City of Boise PDS at (208) 608-7070. They can confirm whether your specific project requires a permit in a 5-minute phone call — and they'd much rather hear from you before the work starts than after.

Understanding what doesn't require a permit is just as useful as knowing what does. These projects can proceed without involving the City of Boise (though they still need to meet applicable building codes):

No Permit Required in Boise For:

Boise's Homeowner's Guide states that the building code exempts interior work such as painting, floor covering, cabinets, countertops and wall coverings. In practice that covers:

• Painting — interior or exterior, any number of rooms
• Flooring replacement — carpet, LVP, hardwood, tile, as long as no subfloor structural modifications are needed
• Cabinet replacement — in the same configuration and locations (no plumbing or electrical relocation)
• Countertop replacement — in the same configuration
• Wall coverings — wallpaper installation or removal, and surface finishes that do not expose framing
• Interior trim and molding — baseboards, crown molding, door casing
• Landscape work — planting, hardscape 12 inches or less above grade, irrigation (an irrigation system connecting to the municipal water supply may need a plumbing permit, and disturbing 10 cubic yards or more of earth triggers an erosion and sediment control permit)
• Low-voltage outdoor lighting — no electrical permit; 110-volt lighting does need one
• Minor repairs — replacing hardware, door knobs, hinges, weather stripping
• Shelving and organizational systems — closet organizers, garage storage
• Driveways — no building permit, but you do need Planning and Zoning approval: call (208) 608-7100

Two common assumptions that do not hold in Boise: drywall repair that opens a wall is not automatically exempt, because a permit is required once the project removes wall coverings to expose framing; and a fixture-for-fixture plumbing swap is not automatically exempt either, because Boise requires a plumbing permit to install new fixtures and to replace existing ones where concealed plumbing is involved.

The Thresholds, Exactly as Boise Writes Them

• Window replacement: A building permit is required. Boise's guide lists "new, replacement windows or door openings, widen or reduce the size of existing openings" under Building Permits, and the city's online system lets homeowners pull window and siding permits directly. Replacement windows must also comply with the City of Boise Window Replacement Policy. Do not treat a like-for-like window swap as exempt.
• Fencing: A permit is required for a fence more than seven feet high — not six. All fences still have to comply with setback and sight-triangle requirements.
• Retaining walls: A permit is required for a wall measuring 4 feet or more from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, or for a 2-foot wall carrying a slope or surcharge (which also requires engineering).
• Storage sheds: No building permit as long as the structure is 200 square feet or less — but a shed over 120 square feet still requires you to confirm setbacks with the Planning division, and a shed in a flood plain always requires a permit. Stand-alone pergolas and gazebos over 200 square feet require a permit and are typically treated as pole construction needing structural engineering by an Idaho-licensed engineer.
• Decks and patios: More than 12 inches above grade requires a building permit.
• Sidewalks, slabs and driveways: A permit is required when they sit more than 30 inches above adjacent grade or over any story or basement.
• Attached patio covers: A permit is required regardless of size, because the added load transfers to the dwelling's exterior wall.

A cosmetic remodel — new flooring throughout, fresh paint, new countertops and new cabinets in the same configuration — can still transform a home without a permit. The line to watch is not cost or visual impact; it is whether framing gets exposed and whether anything plumbed, wired or ducted moves.

The City of Boise issues several types of permits relevant to home remodeling. Boise publishes a separate adopted fee schedule for each code — building, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical — and the figures below are taken directly from those schedules rather than estimated. They are the published rates, not quotes; the amount on your permit depends on the declared valuation and the fixture count in your scope.

Building Permit (General Construction)

Covers structural work, framing, insulation, drywall, and general construction activities. The fee is calculated from the declared project valuation using Table No. 1-A of the Boise City Building Code Fee Schedule (effective 1 October 2023):

• $2,001–$25,000 valuation: $70.76 for the first $2,000, plus $12.71 for each additional $1,000 (a $25,000 job lands at $363.09)
• $25,001–$50,000: $362.80 for the first $25,000, plus $9.30 for each additional $1,000 ($595.30 at $50,000)
• $50,001–$100,000: $595.30 for the first $50,000, plus $6.35 for each additional $1,000 ($912.80 at $100,000)
• $100,001 and up: $913.09 for the first $100,000, plus $5.17 for each additional $1,000

A plan review fee is added when plans must be reviewed. For one- and two-family dwellings, townhouses and their accessory structures, Boise charges 20% of the building permit fee. (The 65% figure that circulates online is Boise's commercial plan review rate — it does not apply to a house.)

Plumbing Permit

Required for any new plumbing installation, relocation, or significant modification. Under the Boise City Plumbing Code Fee Schedule, a residential addition, alteration, repair or fixture replacement involving multiple fixtures is a $30 base fee plus $12 per fixture — tub or shower, sink, water closet, water heater, dishwasher, sewer line and so on each count as one fixture. Work limited to a single fixture or line is charged as a flat fee instead:

• Installation of a single fixture or appliance (including a water heater): $55
• Replacement of a single existing sewer or water line: $55
• Water or waste re-piping: $80
• Re-plumbing an entire house or unit: $110

Electrical Permit

Required for new circuits, panel work, and wiring modifications. Under the Boise City Electrical Code Fee Schedule:

• Single fixture or appliance in an existing dwelling (bath or kitchen exhaust fan, ceiling fan, single outlet, EV outlet, electric water heater, hot tub): $14 base fee plus $55
• More than one fixture installed under one permit for an addition, alteration, repair or fixture replacement: $110 flat
• New service entrance equipment, panel, sub-panel or main disconnect: $55 up to 200 amp, $65 over 200 amp
• Miscellaneous residential electrical work not otherwise listed: $80

Mechanical Permit

Required for HVAC, exhaust fans ducted through walls or roof, and gas appliance installations. The Boise City Mechanical Code and Fuel Gas Code Fee Schedule charges a residential alteration or fixture replacement at a $32 base fee plus $12 per appliance, connection or test — furnace, air conditioner, mini-split, bath exhaust, range hood, dryer exhaust, duct work and a gas piping pressure test are each $12. Work limited to a single appliance is a flat $55.

What That Means in Practice

Because the building permit fee is driven by declared valuation rather than by project label, two "bathroom remodels" can carry very different fees. A bathroom remodel whose only permit is a plumbing permit for four relocated fixtures is $30 + (4 × $12) = $78. A $60,000 kitchen remodel that needs a building permit is $658.80 on Table 1-A plus $131.76 in residential plan review, before the separate trade permits. Ask your contractor to price the permits from the declared valuation and the actual fixture count rather than from a rule of thumb — and note that Boise adds a special investigation fee equal to 100% of the permit fee on top of the normal fee for any work that starts before the permit is issued.

Boise has significantly modernized its permit application process. Here's how both channels work:

Online Filing

The City of Boise's Permitting and Licensing System (Accela Citizen Access, at permits.cityofboise.org) handles online applications for most residential work, and plan sets are routed through the city's separate ePlanReview system. Boise's own Homeowner's Guide confirms that homeowners — not just contractors — can use it to pull trade permits (plumbing, electrical, mechanical) and permits for a fence, roof, windows or siding. The process:

1. Create an account on the Permitting and Licensing System through the PDS website
2. Use the permit wizard to select the right permit type, then submit with project description, property address, declared project valuation, and contractor information (RCE number required)
3. Upload plans — for simple projects (bathroom remodel, kitchen remodel without structural changes), a basic floor plan showing existing and proposed layout is often sufficient. For structural projects, stamped engineering drawings are required.
4. Pay fees — payment through the portal
5. Track status and schedule inspections — the portal shows application status and reviewer comments, and inspections are booked through the same account

In-Person Filing

The Building division is located at 150 N Capitol Blvd, Boise, ID 83702 (City Hall), open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., closed holidays. In-person filing is useful when:

• Your project is complex and you want to discuss it with a plan reviewer before submitting
• You have questions about permit requirements that phone and email haven't resolved
• You need to submit large-format engineering drawings that are unwieldy in digital format

PDS also offers over-the-counter permits for simple, straightforward work — basic plumbing permits, electrical permits, and mechanical permits can sometimes be issued the same day if you visit in person with complete information.

Talk to the City Before You Draw

For complex projects — large additions, ADUs, work in a historic district, homes near a floodplain — call PDS before you commission drawings. Boise publishes a Building division line at (208) 608-7070 for permit questions and a Planning & Zoning line at (208) 608-7100 for zoning, setback and driveway approval, and the city states that it can confirm whether your project requires a permit over the phone. Ask what a consultation or pre-application review costs and how to book it; the answer is worth having before you invest in plans that might need revision. In a historic district, remember that windows, siding and tree removal need a Certificate of Appropriateness from Planning before you apply for the building permit.

Who Files: You or Your Contractor?

Boise's Homeowner's Guide is explicit: homeowners may perform work on their primary residence without registering as a contractor with the State of Idaho, but if a permit is required and you act as the sub-contractor on your own project, you must pull the permit and physically perform the work yourself. If someone else does the electrical, plumbing or mechanical work, that person must be an Idaho-registered and licensed contractor in that trade. In practice your general contractor should file the permits as part of their project management scope. If a contractor asks you to pull a permit for work they intend to perform, that is a red flag — Boise does not allow it, and it shifts the liability onto you.

You don't have to guess at this one. Boise PDS publishes a quarterly Permit Processing Timeframes report showing its target and its actual average first-review time for each permit category. Here is what the report covering 1 June – 31 August 2026 recorded for the two categories that cover residential remodeling:

Residential Additions, Alterations and Repairs — Level 1

Target: under 1 business day. Actual average first review: 1 business day.

Level 1 is the simpler end — less routing to other review disciplines. Boise issued 70 of these in that quarter, and the average "ready to issue" time was 8 business days, with customers then waiting an average of 1 day to pick up.

Residential Additions, Alterations and Repairs — Level 2

Target: under 10 business days. Actual average first review: 8 business days — a day faster than the same window in 2025.

Level 2 is mid-level work with more routing between disciplines: structural modifications, layout changes, projects touching multiple trades. Boise issued 185 of these in the quarter. Average time to "ready to issue" was 28 business days, which reflects the resubmittal cycle rather than the first review.

Two things to read carefully in those numbers. First, they are working business days and exclude weekends and holidays. Second, first review and ready to issue are different milestones — the gap between 8 days and 28 days is almost entirely corrections and resubmittals. That gap is the part you control.

Check the current report before you build a schedule on these figures; PDS refreshes it every quarter on the Building division page.

What Causes Delays

Boise's own figures point straight at incomplete applications: first review on a Level 2 residential alteration averages 8 business days, but average time to "ready to issue" is 28 — and the difference is correction cycles. Missing information triggers a review comment, which pauses the review until you respond. Common issues:

• Structural calculations not included for beam/header sizing
• Site plan not showing setbacks and lot coverage
• Insufficient detail on scope of work
• Missing contractor RCE number
• Incorrect project valuation

An experienced contractor submits complete, detailed applications the first time — dramatically reducing the likelihood of review comments and re-submissions. This is one of the underappreciated values of working with an established Boise firm.

Building Your Permit Timeline Into Your Project Schedule

Smart project planning accounts for permit processing before the first day of demolition. Here's how we approach it at Iron Crest:

1. Week 1–2: Design finalization and permit document preparation
2. Week 3: Permit application submitted
3. Week 3–6: Permit processing (use this time for material ordering and trade scheduling)
4. Week 6–7: Permit issued, demolition begins

By front-loading the permit process, we eliminate what would otherwise be idle waiting time mid-project.

The Boise metro area spans two counties — Ada County (Boise, Eagle, Meridian, Kuna, Star, Garden City) and Canyon County (Nampa, Caldwell, Middleton). While both follow the same Idaho building codes, their permit processes, fees, and administrative procedures differ in ways that affect your project timeline and experience.

City of Boise (Ada County)

• Permit authority: Boise Planning and Development Services. Building division: (208) 608-7070. Planning & Zoning: (208) 608-7100.
• Online portal: the Permitting and Licensing System (Accela Citizen Access) for applications, inspections and payment; ePlanReview for plan sets
• Published timeframes: Boise is the only Treasure Valley jurisdiction we know of that publishes its actual review performance quarterly — see the figures in the previous section
• Fee basis: Table 1-A valuation schedule for building permits; separate adopted schedules for plumbing, electrical and mechanical

City of Meridian (Ada County)

• Permit authority: Meridian Community Development Department
• Online portal: Meridian uses Accela Citizen Access (citizenportal.meridiancity.org), with drawings reviewed through ProjectDox. It is a separate account and a separate submittal from Boise's.
• Notable difference: Meridian has specific design standards for some residential zones that don't apply in Boise — check before planning exterior modifications

City of Eagle (Ada County)

• Permit authority: Eagle Planning and Zoning Department
• Notable difference: Eagle has hillside development overlay zones in the Foothills area with specific requirements for grading, drainage, and structural engineering

Ada County (Unincorporated Areas)

• Permit authority: Ada County Development Services
• Applies to: Homes in unincorporated Ada County (outside city limits)

Canyon County (Nampa, Caldwell, Middleton)

• Permit authority: Each city has its own building department; unincorporated areas fall under Canyon County Development Services
• Key differences from Ada County:
  • Separate online systems — a Boise account does not carry over
  • Separately adopted fee schedules; confirm the current one with the jurisdiction rather than assuming Boise's figures transfer
  • Different inspectors and inspection scheduling procedures
  • Some zoning differences, particularly for agricultural-to-residential conversions

The critical takeaway: your contractor must know and be experienced with the specific jurisdiction where your home is located. A contractor who regularly works in Boise but has never pulled a Nampa permit will face a learning curve that costs you time. Ask specifically: "How many projects have you permitted and completed in [my city]?"

Inspections are the enforcement mechanism behind the permit system. A city inspector visits your project at specific milestones to verify that the work meets applicable building codes. Here's what happens at each inspection point:

Rough Plumbing Inspection

When: After plumbing supply, drain, and vent lines are installed but before walls are closed.

What they check: Pipe sizing and materials, drain slope (1/4 inch per foot on the small-diameter drains a bathroom or kitchen uses), vent connections and sizing, support and hanging of pipes, fixture rough-in locations, water hammer arrestors, and code-compliant connections. The inspector may also check for proper air gaps and backflow prevention.

Rough Electrical Inspection

When: After wiring is run, boxes are installed, but before drywall covers the work.

What they check: Wire gauge matches circuit amperage, GFCI protection in wet areas (kitchens, bathrooms, garages, outdoors), AFCI protection in living spaces (required by current code), proper box fill calculations, grounding, smoke/CO detector wiring, and code-compliant circuit loading. In bathrooms, the inspector verifies dedicated circuits for bathroom outlets — a requirement that's frequently violated in older homes.

Rough Mechanical Inspection

When: After HVAC ductwork, exhaust fan ducting, and gas lines are installed.

What they check: Duct sizing, exhaust ventilation rates (bathroom fans must move minimum 50 CFM per current code), gas line sizing and pressure testing, combustion air provisions for gas appliances, and proper venting to the exterior (not into the attic — a common violation).

Framing/Structural Inspection

When: After framing modifications are complete but before insulation and drywall.

What they check: Header and beam sizing matches engineered plans, proper post-to-beam connections (Simpson ties, through-bolts), wall sheathing and bracing per code, proper nailing patterns, and any structural modifications match the approved plans.

Insulation Inspection

When: After insulation is installed but before drywall covers it.

What they check: Insulation R-value meets Idaho energy code requirements — Table R402.1.2 of the Idaho Energy Conservation Code sets R-20 (or R-13 plus R-5 continuous) for wood-frame walls and R-49 for ceilings in Climate Zone 5, which is where Ada County sits (R-38 is only allowed as an alternative in cathedral ceilings with limited depth). The inspector also checks air sealing, gaps or compression in batt insulation, and vapor barrier placement.

Final Inspection

When: After all work is complete.

What they check: Everything from the rough inspections is still intact and functional, fixtures are properly installed, smoke/CO detectors are operational, GFCI outlets trip correctly, plumbing fixtures don't leak, and the overall project matches the permitted scope of work.

Tips for Smooth Inspections

• Don't cover rough work before inspection. Closing walls before the inspector signs off means they'll require you to open the walls — at your expense.
• Have the permit card visible on site. Inspectors need to see the active permit posted in a window or on the job.
• Be present or have your contractor present. Inspectors may have questions that need immediate answers to avoid a return trip.
• Expect corrections. Minor correction notices are normal and don't indicate a problem with your contractor. Major failures requiring structural or system redesigns are rare with experienced contractors.

We encounter unpermitted work frequently when demolishing for remodels in older Boise homes. The consequences for the previous homeowner are now the current owner's problem — and they can be severe:

During the Project

• Stop-work order: If a city inspector or code enforcement officer discovers unpermitted work in progress (neighbor complaint, routine patrol, or when the contractor pulls permits for other work on the same property), they can issue a stop-work order that halts all construction immediately. Work cannot resume until permits are obtained — which may require opening completed walls for inspection, hiring an engineer to evaluate structural work, or even demolishing non-compliant work and starting over.
• Special investigation fee: Boise's adopted fee schedules are explicit. For building work, "a fee equivalent to 100% of the building permit fee shall be charged in addition to the original permit fee to investigate work commencing before a building permit is issued." The electrical and plumbing schedules carry the same provision. In effect, starting early doubles the permit cost — before any other enforcement action.
• Contractor consequences: A registered contractor who performs work without required permits is exposed to disciplinary action by the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), the agency that administers contractor registration in Idaho. That is why legitimate contractors won't skip permits — their registration is the thing that lets them work.

At Resale

• Disclosure requirements: Idaho real estate law requires sellers to disclose known material defects, including unpermitted improvements. Failure to disclose can result in post-sale lawsuits.
• Appraisal issues: Appraisers may not count unpermitted square footage or improvements toward the home's value. A finished basement without permits may be appraised as unfinished space.
• Buyer financing problems: FHA, VA, and some conventional lenders may not finance homes with significant unpermitted work. This eliminates a large segment of Boise's buyer pool.
• Title insurance complications: Title companies may add exceptions for unpermitted work, reducing your buyer's protection and complicating the sale.
• Negotiation leverage loss: Savvy buyers use unpermitted work as negotiation ammunition, often demanding price reductions that far exceed what permits would have cost.

Insurance and Liability

• Claim denial: If unpermitted work causes damage (a plumbing leak from improper connections, an electrical fire from faulty wiring), your homeowner's insurance may deny the claim. The policy protects against unexpected events, not foreseeable consequences of code violations.
• Personal liability: If unpermitted work injures someone (a guest falls through a structurally inadequate floor, a child is shocked by exposed wiring), you face personal liability without the shield of code compliance that permits provide.

The math is straightforward. Boise's published rates put the plumbing permit for a four-fixture bathroom at $78 and the building permit plus residential plan review on a $60,000 kitchen at about $791. The consequences of skipping them start with a special investigation fee equal to 100% of the permit fee, and run through stop-work orders, opened walls, resale complications and personal liability. There is no rational financial argument for avoiding permits.

A professional remodeling contractor in Boise handles the entire permit process as part of their project management scope. Here's what you should expect from your contractor regarding permits:

What Your Contractor Should Do

• Determine which permits are needed based on the project scope and local jurisdiction requirements
• Prepare all application documents — scope descriptions, floor plans, structural drawings (coordinating with engineers when needed), and site plans
• File all applications through the appropriate jurisdiction's portal or in person
• Pay permit fees (typically passed through to you as a line item in the project bid)
• Respond to reviewer comments promptly if the jurisdiction requests additional information or modifications
• Post the permit card visibly on the job site
• Schedule all required inspections at the appropriate project milestones
• Be present for inspections or ensure a qualified representative is on site to answer inspector questions
• Address any inspection corrections and schedule re-inspections as needed
• Close out all permits by obtaining final inspection approval on every permit issued
• Provide you with copies of all permits and final inspection records for your files

What You Should Do

• Budget for permits — verify they're included as a line item in your contract
• Verify permits were pulled — you can check the status of permits on your property through the City of Boise's online portal
• Keep records — store copies of all permits and inspection reports with your important home documents (you'll need these at resale)
• Ask questions — if you're unsure about whether a permit was obtained or an inspection passed, ask your contractor directly and verify through the city portal

Red Flag: "Let's Skip the Permits"

If a contractor suggests skipping permits to "save money" or "speed things up," consider it an immediate disqualification. This suggestion reveals either ignorance of legal requirements, willingness to cut corners, or an inability to pull permits (which may mean their registration isn't current). For guidance on choosing the right contractor, see our complete contractor vetting guide.

For a detailed walkthrough of permit considerations for specific project types, visit our permits and inspections resource center or request a free estimate and we'll identify exactly which permits your project needs.