Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Bloomington, Idaho

Bloomington’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erecting, moving or adding to any building or structure (except fences) inside Bloomington city

  • Permit is issued by the city council on an application signed by the owner; the application form is set by council resolution.
  • Work begun without a permit incurs an additional fee and a cease-and-desist notice.

  “no building or other structure, except fences, shall be erected, moved, or added to without a permit issued by the council.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Buildings erected inside Bloomington city

  • The ordinance describes a review of each building under guidelines in the permit application form; it does not state an inspection schedule or required inspection types. Those guidelines sit in the council resolution, not located.

  “all buildings erected in the city of bloomington will be subject to review per guidelines found in the application for building permit and water and sewer connections.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Manufactured homes placed inside Bloomington city; no general minimum dwelling size for site-built homes was found

  • Applies to multi-sectional manufactured homes as defined in the ordinance.

  minimum enclosed floor area (manufactured home): >= 1000 square feet

  “a manufactured home shall be defined as multi-sectional and enclose a space of not less than one thousand (1,000) square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwelling lots inside Bloomington city (single district; no separate zoning districts found)

  • Footnote: refer to section 4.12 for possible exemption.
  • Section 4.12 exempts listed Bear Lake County tax ID parcels (and parcels petitioned in) from the acreage and frontage requirements.
  • Lots created after January 1, 2024 that do not meet the acreage and frontage requirements are not eligible for a building permit until compliant (section 4.13).

  minimum lot area per single-family dwelling: >= 0.5 acre (possible exemption under section 4.12 for listed prior-created lots) · minimum lot width facing public road: >= 100 feet (possible exemption under section 4.12 for listed prior-created lots)

  “a one-half (1/2) acre lot is required for each single-family dwelling*.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Buildings on single-family lots inside Bloomington city (single district)

  • Front and street-side setback is 20 feet from all public rights-of-way; corner lots need 20 feet on each side fronting a right-of-way (section 4.3).
  • Side and rear yard setbacks are 10 feet where no ditch is nearby; 25 feet from the ditch edge where a ditch is nearby; the line includes eaves and soffits (section 4.4).
  • Building closer to a ditch requires a letter of permission from the Bloomington Irrigation Co. or the private ditch owner (section 4.4).
  • Previously constructed buildings: current setbacks apply to additions but not to repairs or certain replacements (section 4.9).

  front setback from public right-of-way: >= 20 feet · side and rear setback (no ditch nearby): >= 10 feet · setback from ditch edge: >= 25 feet (owners may build closer with written permission from Bloomington Irrigation Co. or private ditch owner)

  “minimum front and side set-back twenty (20) feet from all public rights-of-way.”

• Building heightSpecified

  All buildings inside Bloomington city (height measured from average finished grade to highest roof point per definitions)

  • Height is measured from average finished grade surrounding the structure to the highest point of the roof or top of the structure (definitions).

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet

  “maximum building height thirty-five (35) feet.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes placed inside Bloomington city

  • Placement standards apply to manufactured homes; the ordinance defines the term and sets the foundation standard.
  • Minimum enclosed area is in the separate minimum_dwelling_size claim.

  “the manufactured home shall be placed on an excavated and backfilled foundation and enclosed at the perimeter such that the home is located not more than twelve (12) inches above finished grade, except when placed on a basement foundation.”

• Accessory dwellingsProhibited

  A second residential dwelling on one lot inside Bloomington city (accessory dwelling)

  • Accessory buildings (a detached subordinate building clearly incidental to the main building) are defined separately and are not treated here as dwellings; whether an accessory building may be used as a dwelling is not stated.

  maximum residential dwellings per lot: 1 dwelling

  “only one (1) residential dwelling per lot, parcel, or plot.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New homes inside Bloomington city that are near the city municipal water and sewer system

  • The ordinance requires connection only through the city's system ordinances; it does not state a distance threshold. Some properties may have no sewer availability, in which case a septic permit applies (see septic_permit claim).
  • Municipal water connection requires a signed application to the city clerk and payment of connection fees under the 2023 Municipal Water Ordinance (only its search summary was seen; not quoted here).

  “connecting to and obtaining service from the city of bloomington municipal water and sewer system is governed by the current city of bloomington municipal water and sewer systems ordinances.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdividing land inside Bloomington city limits

  • Exempt: cemetery plots; land sold to or by the state or a political subdivision; agricultural land sales; easement or right-of-way sales or vacations; sales aligning property lines; transfers by will, foreclosure or court order (section 4.13).
  • Lots created after January 1, 2024 that miss the acreage and frontage requirements are not eligible for a building permit until compliant.
  • The separate subdivision ordinance was a draft in the search results (Draft 8, Rev. 9.17.24); its adoption status was not confirmed.

  “no person shall subdivide any tract of land which is located within the city limits of bloomington city, except in conformity with the provisions of this ordinance and/or the subdivision ordinance.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permit and water/sewer connection fees in Bloomington city

  • Fees are set by council resolution from time to time and are not stated in the ordinance; they appear on the current application form, which was not located.
  • Variance applicants also pay a fee and advertising costs (section 6.7).

  “permit and connection fees shall be set forth by the city council by resolution from time to time.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit process in Bloomington city

  • The ordinance sets the application contents (signed form, site plan, construction plans, deed, survey, ditch approval, septic permit) and approval by council; the detailed checklist and fees are in a council resolution that was not located.
  • Colored building permit must be posted on the property until completion is advised.

  “the council shall approve a form and contents of the application for building permit by resolution.”

Rules another office applies inside Bloomington

Bloomington does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Septic permits for lots inside Bloomington city limits, issued by Southeastern Idaho Public Health (the ordinance calls it 'southeast idaho public health')

  • The city ordinance names the district as the septic permit issuer; the district's own homepage lists Bear Lake County among the counties it serves. geography is district-specific because the health-district scope enum does not allow municipality-specific; it applies inside Bloomington city.

  “owners that cannot be connected to the sewer system must provide a copy of their approved septic permit issued by southeast idaho public health.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Lots inside Bloomington city that cannot be connected to the city sewer system

  • Applies where the lot has no sewer availability; the ordinance also says an approved septic permit is needed 'if applicable' with a building permit application (section 3.3.7).
  • Some properties in the city may not have availability for sewer connection (section 4.10).

  “exception: some properties in the city of bloomington may not have availability for sewer connection. owners that cannot be connected to the sewer system must provide a copy of their approved septic permit issued by southeast idaho public health.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Bloomington or Bear Lake County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permit or licensing rules in Bloomington city
• Building code adopted — Which building code, if any, Bloomington city adopts
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy approval for new buildings inside Bloomington city
• Local zoning — Land inside Bloomington city limits: whether the city adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Bloomington city

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.