Permits & rules · City of Boise
Boise Plumbing Permits: When You Need One, Who Pulls It and What It Costs
Inside Boise city limits, the City's Building Division issues plumbing permits, and its Homeowner's Guide lists repairing, replacing or adding piping, installing new fixtures, replumbing, and installing or replacing a water heater as work that needs one (read November 10, 2026). The City's published fee schedule sets a single-fixture permit, such as a water heater, at $55. A licensed plumbing contractor normally pulls the permit as part of the job.
Published November 10, 2026 · Figures and rules checked against the sources listed at the end of this page.
Work that needs a plumbing permit
The City of Boise's Homeowner's Guide to Residential Construction lists these under plumbing permits:
- Repairing, replacing, relocating or adding to the piping system in your home
- Installing new plumbing fixtures such as toilets, sinks, showers, tubs and dishwashers
- Installing or replacing a water heater
- Replacing existing fixtures if concealed plumbing is required
- Replumbing pipes
The same guide adds that plumbing permits are required for most bathroom remodels when fixtures are replaced, and that a permit is required when a kitchen or bathroom project relocates sinks, tubs, showers or toilets. Gas piping between the meter and an appliance is listed under mechanical permits, not plumbing, which matters when a new water heater needs a different gas line.
Not sure whether your job counts? The City's own answer is to call the Building Division at (208) 608-7070, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Who can pull the permit
- A licensed plumbing contractor. The City says that if you are not doing all of the work yourself, the person performing plumbing work must be a State of Idaho registered and licensed contractor in that trade. The contractor pulls the permit.
- You, on your primary residence. Homeowners may work on their primary residence without registering as a contractor with the State. If a permit is required, you must get it and physically perform the work yourself. The City lets homeowners pull plumbing permits through its online permitting and licensing system, and offers a consultation with a plumbing inspector once the permit is issued.
What the permit costs
These are the residential fees in the Boise City Plumbing Code Fee Schedule published on the City's website. The PDF is dated October 2021 and we did not confirm whether a newer schedule has replaced it, so treat these as the published figures and confirm with the Building Division.
| Work | Permit fee |
|---|---|
| One fixture or appliance: water heater, toilet, sink, tub or shower, backflow preventer, water conditioner | $55 |
| Replace or install a single sewer line or water line | $55 |
| Water or waste re-piping | $80 |
| Re-plumb an entire house or unit | $110 |
| Repair, alteration or replacement involving several fixtures | $32 base + $12 per fixture |
| Re-inspection | $55 |
| After-hours inspection | $83 per hour, two-hour minimum |
Source: Boise City Plumbing Code Fee Schedule, Tables B(2), B(3) and D(1). A contractor normally includes the permit fee in the job price; ask to see it as its own line.
If work starts without a permit
The fee schedule charges a special investigation fee equal to 100% of the plumbing permit fee, in addition to the permit fee, when work begins before a permit is issued. There is one exception, and it matters for burst pipes and failed water heaters: the extra fee does not apply to emergency work when it was urgently necessary and it was not practical to get a permit first. The permit still has to be obtained as soon as practical.
What the inspector checks on a water heater
The City's Water Heater Installation Guide (June 2025) tells installers what the inspector will look for. The points homeowners most often get caught on:
- Drain pan. Required on any floor surface other than concrete, and piped to an approved drain, the garage floor or outside.
- Expansion tank. Required if the water system is closed, meaning a check valve on the cold side or a pressure-reducing valve on the supply.
- Relief valve drain. The temperature and pressure relief valve must be piped full-size to an approved drain, the garage floor or outside, pointing down and never capped. It cannot drain into the pan.
- Garage installs. The burner and ignitor of a non-sealed-combustion gas heater, or the lowest element of an electric one, must sit at least 18 inches above the garage floor.
- Gas. A shutoff valve within six feet of the heater, and a gas line sized for the new unit. The guide notes a typical 50-gallon gas tank is about 40,000 BTU and a typical tankless about 180,000 BTU, which normally needs a larger gas line.
- Carbon monoxide alarm. Outside each sleeping area in homes with fuel-fired appliances or an attached garage.
What this page does not cover
- Outside Boise city limits. Meridian, Eagle, Garden City, Kuna, Star and unincorporated Ada County are not covered by the City of Boise's permit program. We have not read their rules, so this page states none. Ask that city's building department, or the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL).
- The ordinance text. The guide and fee schedule are the City's own published summaries. We have not read the Boise City Code chapter behind them.
- Current fees. The published schedule is dated October 2021. The Building Division confirms today's fee at (208) 608-7070.
Sources and dates
Every figure and rule above names where it came from and the date it was read. If a source disagrees with a quote you receive, the quote wins: it reflects your house, your pipes and this week's demand. Prices are rechecked at least every six months.
- City of Boise Building Division, "Homeowner’s Guide to Residential Construction" — read November 10, 2026. Which plumbing work needs a permit; homeowners may work on their primary residence and must do the work themselves; anyone else must be a State of Idaho registered and licensed contractor in that trade; online homeowner permits; Building Division phone and hours; gas piping listed under mechanical permits.
- City of Boise, "Boise City Plumbing Code Fee Schedule" (PDF, dated Oct. 2021) — read November 10, 2026. Permit fees (Tables B(2), B(3), D(1)); special investigation fee and the emergency-work exception; boilers and gas piping permitted under a mechanical permit. The PDF footer reads "Oct. 2021"; we did not confirm whether a newer schedule has replaced it.
- City of Boise Building Division, "Water Heater Installation Guide" #420-A (6/2025) — read November 10, 2026. What the inspector checks on a water heater: drain pan, expansion tank, relief-valve drain, garage height, gas shutoff, carbon monoxide alarm.