Zoning, building permits and septic rules in St. Charles, Idaho

Rules another office applies inside St. Charles

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

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building construction permits processed by Bear Lake County Building Department; the county page lists a 'st charles building permit application' among its permit forms. Adoption is by the county, not by St. Charles city.

  • The county page does not state in terms that the adopted code governs land inside St. Charles city limits; this applicability is inferred from the St. Charles permit form listing and must be confirmed.
  • The county page says the code was adopted and a building inspector retained in 2008; later amendments are not stated on the page.

  “the bear lake county commissioners adopted the international building code and has retained a building inspector in 2008”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Buildings used solely for agricultural purposes in Bear Lake County building permits; the county page does not state that this exemption applies inside St. Charles city limits.

  • Applies only to buildings used solely for agricultural purposes.
  • Requires an agricultural exempt building permit plus proof of ownership of the property.
  • Applicability inside St. Charles city limits is not confirmed.

  “exception buildings used solely for agricultural purposes are exempt from the building code. an agricultural exempt building permit along with proof of ownership of the property is all that is needed.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Bear Lake County building permits; the county page does not say the fee applies inside St. Charles city limits.

  • Fee is calculated from square footage, including decks or lean-tos; estimate form is for new residences only.
  • Other permit costs are set by the building official on request.
  • The county also lists a fee schedule PDF on its planning page that was not opened.

  “the cost of the permit is based on the square footage of the building including the deck or lean-to”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Whether a building permit is required for construction inside St. Charles city limits
• Owner-builder exemption — Whether an owner may build a home without a licensed contractor inside St. Charles city limits
• Inspections — Whether building inspections are required for construction inside St. Charles city limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Whether a certificate of occupancy is required for new construction inside St. Charles city limits
• Local zoning — Whether St. Charles city adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance for land inside city limits

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.