Pool Permit in Boise, Idaho
It depends
Sometimes, depending on the project
Before installing an in-ground pool or a prefabricated pool deeper than 4 feet.
Issued byCity of Boise Planning and Development Services, Building Division
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
Quick answer
Boise's residential code exempts prefabricated swimming pools not greater than 4 feet deep; other residential pools require a building permit (the City's Residential Swimming Pool permit, form 426). Pool excavation can also trigger an erosion and sediment control permit, which the City lists for excavating more than 10 cubic yards, including swimming pools.
Typical threshold: prefabricated pools only; in-ground and deeper pools need a permit.
Who is pulling this permit?
Apply yourself
Hire it out
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When a permit is usually needed
Before installing an in-ground pool or a prefabricated pool deeper than 4 feet.
What a pool permit costs in Boise
How to apply in Boise
In Boise, a residential pool permit application covers both construction and safety: a scaled site plan, structural plans for the pool, a barrier plan showing how the pool will be enclosed, and an electrical plan covering bonding and the equipment disconnect.
What most pool permit applications include:
- Pool and spa design and construction fall under the residential code chapter that folds in the swimming pool and spa code, and permit review checks plans against that chapter (IRC R326).
- For Boise, the site plan must show pool equipment such as pumps, filters, and heaters set back at least 36 inches from the outside of the required barrier (ISPSC 305.2.9).
- For an in-ground pool, engineered structural plans covering the shell and reinforcing steel, with the responsible structural engineer's license information, are a standard part of the submittal (per official pool submittal checklists).
- For Boise, a barrier plan identifying the fence, pool structure, or dwelling wall that will enclose the pool must be submitted and must comply with the code's barrier chapter (ISPSC 305).
- Electrical plans must show the pool's equipotential bonding design, since the shell, perimeter surfaces, and metal fittings within 5 feet of the water must all tie into a common bonding grid (NEC 680.26).
- For Boise, the electrical plan must also show a disconnecting means for the pool equipment that is readily accessible and within sight of the equipment (NEC 680.13).
General submittal guidance from 2021 IRC R326 (adopting the ISPSC), ISPSC 2021 Section 305, and NEC 2020 Article 680. Source. City of Boise Planning and Development Services, Building Division sets the exact checklist for Boise.
Where to apply in Boise:
City of Boise Planning and Development Services, Building Division
- 150 N Capitol Blvd, Boise, ID 83702
- Phone: (208) 608-7070
Inspections and closing out your permit
In Boise, pool inspections track the concrete pour: the steel and bonding grid are checked before gunite or shotcrete goes in, bonding is checked again before decking is poured, and the permanent barrier and remaining electrical work are checked at final before the pool can be filled and used.
- In Boise: before gunite or shotcrete is sprayed, the inspector checks the rebar against the engineered plans and confirms the equipotential bonding wire is stubbed out and tied into the steel, since it will be buried in concrete afterward (NEC 680.26).
- In Boise: a bonding inspection separately confirms coping, decking, ladders, handrail cups, and any other metal within 5 feet of the water are tied to the bonding grid, and it must pass before coping is installed (NEC 680.26).
- In Boise: a temporary barrier at least 4 feet high must enclose the site from the moment excavation starts until the permanent barrier is finished, and inspectors check for it throughout construction (ISPSC 305.1.1).
- In Boise: a pre-plaster inspection confirms the circulation equipment's electrical work is installed and all bonding is complete before the pool's interior finish goes on (NEC 680.26).
- In Boise: at final inspection the permanent barrier is checked against the code's requirements and the equipment and cover-mechanism bonding must be complete before the pool can be filled and used (ISPSC 305, NEC 680.26).
Schedule each inspection in advance and pass the final before you use the work or close the permit. Request inspections through the Boise permit portal or by phone at (208) 608-7070.
Inspection sequence from NEC 2020 Article 680.26 (equipotential bonding) and ISPSC 2021 Section 305 (barriers). Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.
Your Pool Permit checklist for Boise
- Confirm the requirement. Sometimes, depending on the project. Typical threshold: prefabricated pools only; in-ground and deeper pools need a permit. Usually needed: Before installing an in-ground pool or a prefabricated pool deeper than 4 feet.
- Budget the fee. Building permit fee from Table No. 1-A by valuation (e.g. "$26.37 for the first $500.00 plus $2.95 for each additional $100.00" up to $2,000.00), plus residential plan review at 20% of the building permit fee; Boise City Building Code Fee Schedule, Oct. 2026 (FY27, effective 10-1-26). Electrical: "Swimming Pools: (up to three inspections)" $171.00 (FY27 Electrical Code Fee Schedule). Official fee schedule.
- Apply. In Boise, a residential pool permit application covers both construction and safety: a scaled site plan, structural plans for the pool, a barrier plan showing how the pool will be enclosed, and an electrical plan covering bonding and the equipment disconnect. Start at the Boise permit portal.
- Keep the office details handy. City of Boise Planning and Development Services, Building Division. Phone: (208) 608-7070. Address: 150 N Capitol Blvd, Boise, ID 83702.
- Plan for inspections. In Boise, pool inspections track the concrete pour: the steel and bonding grid are checked before gunite or shotcrete goes in, bonding is checked again before decking is poured, and the permanent barrier and remaining electrical work are checked at final before the pool can be filled and used.
Compiled from the official sources on this page. Last checked .
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a pool permit in Boise?
- Boise's residential code exempts prefabricated swimming pools not greater than 4 feet deep; other residential pools require a building permit (the City's Residential Swimming Pool permit, form 426). Pool excavation can also trigger an erosion and sediment control permit, which the City lists for excavating more than 10 cubic yards, including swimming pools. Prefabricated pools only; in-ground and deeper pools need a permit. Always confirm with the office before starting.
- How much does a pool permit cost in Boise?
- Building permit fee from Table No. 1-A by valuation (e.g. "$26.37 for the first $500.00 plus $2.95 for each additional $100.00" up to $2,000.00), plus residential plan review at 20% of the building permit fee; Boise City Building Code Fee Schedule, Oct. 2026 (FY27, effective 10-1-26). Electrical: "Swimming Pools: (up to three inspections)" $171.00 (FY27 Electrical Code Fee Schedule). See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- Where do you apply for a pool permit in Boise?
- You can apply through the Boise permit portal or contact the City of Boise Planning and Development Services, Building Division directly. The links are listed on this page.
- Can a homeowner pull a pool permit themselves in Boise?
- Under Idaho law (Idaho Code 54-5205(2)(l); 54-5209; 54-1016(2)(a); 54-2602(1)(a); 54-5002(1)(a)): Idaho homeowners may do their own work. The Idaho Contractor Registration Act exempts an owner building on their own residential property, whether or not they live there. That exemption does not cover an owner who builds in order to promptly sell, unless they have lived in the home as their primary residence for at least 12 months before the sale. The trade laws carry their own owner exemptions: a property owner may do noncommercial electrical work in their own primary or secondary residence (54-1016(2)(a)), and an owner or contract purchaser may do their own plumbing (54-2602(1)(a)) and HVAC work (54-5002(1)(a)) in a single-family home or duplex, but must still meet the code and get the permit. A permit issued to an exempt owner is marked "no contractor registration provided" (54-5209). Confirm how Boise applies this before you apply.
From the Library
What else needs a permit in Boise
Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel Permit | It depends | Before removing wall coverings to the framing, building a wall, relocating fixtures, or... | Plumbing: $33.00 base fee plus $12.50 per fixture (FY27 Plumbing Code Fee Schedule) |
| Deck Permit | It depends | deck height above grade at any point | Building permit fee from Table No. 1-A by valuation (e.g |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Any size | Single branch circuit: $57.00 (Table 2-b) |
| EV Charger Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...but not limited to, wall heaters, residential electric car outlets" $57.00 (Table... |
| Fence Permit | It depends | fence height | Building permit fee from Table No. 1-A by valuation (e.g |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...or appliance (including furnaces, air conditioners, mini-split systems): $57.00... |
| Patio Permit | It depends | concrete patio height above grade | Building permit fee from Table No. 1-A by valuation (e.g |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Any size | $33.00 base permit fee plus $12.50 each per fixture (e.g |
| Roof Replacement Permit | Permit required | Any size | Building permit fee from Table No. 1-A by valuation (e.g |
| Shed Permit | It depends | floor area of a one-story detached accessory structure | Building permit fee from Table No. 1-A by valuation (e.g |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...Solar Photovoltaic Systems plan review/inspections building permit fee: $171, plus... |
| Water Heater Permit | Permit required | Any size | Plumbing: $33.00 base fee plus "Water heaters $12.50 Each" (FY27 Plumbing Code Fee... |
Everything above, sourced
Code references
National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Boise documents; the office above sets the local rules.
How this pool permit page for Boise was verified. 2 official sources: cityofboise.org, codelibrary.amlegal.com; fee schedule: official document. Last checked by Mario Bailey, not confirmed with City of Boise Planning and Development Services, Building Division. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.
Last checked: Report an error on this page