Shed Permit in Boise, Idaho
It depends
Sometimes, depending on the project
Before building a detached shed over 200 sq ft, or any shed in a flood plain.
Issued byCity of Boise Planning and Development Services, Building Division
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
Quick answer
Boise exempts a garden shed of 200 sq ft or less from a building permit, except in a flood plain, where a permit is required regardless of size. A shed over 120 sq ft but under 200 sq ft still needs its setbacks confirmed with the Planning division. Detached sheds over 200 sq ft need a building permit.
Typical threshold: floor area of a one-story detached accessory structure.

Who is pulling this permit?
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When a permit is usually needed
Before building a detached shed over 200 sq ft, or any shed in a flood plain.
What a shed permit costs in Boise
How to apply in Boise
In Boise, a residential shed permit application, once the shed is large enough to require one, is a set of construction documents that show what will be built and prove it meets the adopted residential code. In practice that means a written permit application, a scaled site plan locating the shed and its distances to the property lines, and construction documents covering the shed's foundation or anchoring system and its framing.
What most shed permit applications include:
- For Boise, a written permit application identifying the proposed work and describing the property by its address or legal description, filed with the building department before construction begins (IRC R105.3).
- For Boise, a scaled site plan showing the shed's size and location and its dimensioned distances to all property lines so required setbacks can be verified before the permit is issued (IRC R106.2).
- Construction documents showing the shed's foundation: freestanding accessory structures at or under the code's small-structure size and eave-height limits (600 square feet and a 10 foot eave height in the model code) are exempt from continuous footings but must still be shown supported on undisturbed soil or engineered fill and anchored to resist wind-induced uplift and overturning (IRC R403.1).
- Where the shed does sit on a continuous foundation with a wood sill plate, anchor bolt or approved strap details tying the sill plate to the foundation (IRC R403.1.6).
- Roof framing details showing the rafter-to-wall or truss-to-wall connections, since even a shed exempt from continuous footings must be anchored to resist wind-induced uplift and overturning (IRC R403.1; R802.11).
General submittal guidance from IRC R105.3 (permit application), R106.2 (site plan), R403.1 (footings and anchorage for accessory structures), and R403.1.6 (sill anchorage), 2021 IRC. 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, a permitted shed is inspected in stages as it goes up: the foundation or the anchors that hold it down before they are covered, the framing before it is enclosed, and a final inspection once the shed is finished. Each stage checks the items that would be hidden or unsafe if skipped.
- Foundation or anchor inspection in Boise: called after any required footings, piers, or ground anchors are set and any forms or reinforcing steel are in place, but before concrete is placed, so the foundation or anchoring system can be verified before it is covered (IRC R109.1.1).
- Frame inspection in Boise: after the shed is framed, sheathed, and braced, the inspector checks the framing, bracing, fasteners, and the roof connections that resist wind uplift, before those elements are covered (IRC R109.1.4 frame inspection; R403.1 anchorage).
- Final inspection in Boise: made after the permitted work is complete and before the shed is used; work may not proceed past any inspection stage without the building official's approval (IRC R109.1.6 final inspection; R109.4 approval required).
- In Boise: for a pre-fabricated or kit shed, the manufacturer's installation instructions must be on site at the time of inspection so the inspector can confirm the anchoring and assembly match the design (IRC R106.1.2).
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 IRC R109.1.1 (foundation inspection), R109.1.4 (frame inspection), R109.1.6 (final inspection), and R106.1.2 (manufacturer's instructions on site), 2021 IRC. Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.
Your Shed Permit checklist for Boise
- Confirm the requirement. Sometimes, depending on the project. Typical threshold: floor area of a one-story detached accessory structure. Usually needed: Before building a detached shed over 200 sq ft, or any shed in a flood plain.
- 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). Official fee schedule.
- Apply. In Boise, a residential shed permit application, once the shed is large enough to require one, is a set of construction documents that show what will be built and prove it meets the adopted residential code. In practice that means a written permit application, a scaled site plan locating the shed and its distances to the property lines, and construction documents covering the shed's foundation or anchoring system and its framing. 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, a permitted shed is inspected in stages as it goes up: the foundation or the anchors that hold it down before they are covered, the framing before it is enclosed, and a final inspection once the shed is finished. Each stage checks the items that would be hidden or unsafe if skipped.
Compiled from the official sources on this page. Last checked .
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a shed permit in Boise?
- Boise exempts a garden shed of 200 sq ft or less from a building permit, except in a flood plain, where a permit is required regardless of size. A shed over 120 sq ft but under 200 sq ft still needs its setbacks confirmed with the Planning division. Detached sheds over 200 sq ft need a building permit. Floor area of a one-story detached accessory structure. Always confirm with the office before starting.
- How much does a shed 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). See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- Where do you apply for a shed 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 shed 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 |
| Pool Permit | It depends | prefabricated pools only; in-ground and deeper pools need a permit | Building permit fee from Table No. 1-A by valuation (e.g |
| Roof Replacement Permit | Permit required | Any size | 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.
- IRC R105.3 (permit application), R106.2 (site plan), R403.1 (footings and anchorage for accessory structures), and R403.1.6 (sill anchorage), 2021 IRC
- IRC R109.1.1 (foundation inspection), R109.1.4 (frame inspection), R109.1.6 (final inspection), and R106.1.2 (manufacturer's instructions on site), 2021 IRC
How this shed permit page for Boise was verified. 1 official source: cityofboise.org; 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.
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