Bolthole Index

Caribou County, Idaho

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Grace, Idaho

Grace, Idaho has city zoning, but we could not confirm the general building-permit requirement inside city limits; start with the Grace City Office.12 Grace lies in Caribou County, where Southeastern Idaho Public Health handles onsite septic systems under Idaho’s district-administered rules.34 Grace also requires a development permit before construction or development in an area of special flood hazard.5

At a glance

Building permits
City requirement unconfirmed; ask Grace City Office2
Zoning
City use districts govern land and buildings inside Grace1
Residential lot size
R-1: at least 9,000 square feet and 75 feet wide at the building line6
Septic systems
Southeastern Idaho Public Health; installation permit generally required37
RV and tiny-home living
City occupancy rules unconfirmed; ask Grace City Office2
Private wells
IDWR drilling permit and licensed driller required8
Floodplain development
City development permit required in special flood hazard areas5

Who to call

Planning & zoning

Grace City Office

Starting contact for city zoning, setting-permit information, and confirmation of the building-permit issuer inside Grace.

(208) 425-3533

[email protected]

108 Center St, Grace, ID 83241

Planning & zoning

Grace City Office — Setting Permit

Setting-permit filing instructions and site-plan requirements.

Septic permits

Southeastern Idaho Public Health, Caribou County Office

Onsite wastewater (septic) permit intake and inspections for Caribou County properties, at the district's Soda Springs office

(208) 547-4375

55 East 1st South, Soda Springs, Idaho 83276

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Grace means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Grace, ID?

We could not confirm Grace’s general building-permit requirement, adopted construction-code edition, inspection schedule or certificate-of-occupancy process; ask the Grace City Office to identify the issuer for your parcel and project before starting work.2 The city’s website links a setting permit and its city code.2 Grace’s setting-permit instructions say to file at City Hall with city staff, supply drawings to scale, and include the owner’s name and signature if the applicant does not own the property.9

Idaho requires electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits for work subject to its trade-permit program, with local administration varying by location.10 An owner doing their own work on their own land without intending to sell within 12 months may qualify for a contractor-registration exemption; applicable building and trade permits still apply.11

Does Grace have zoning, and what are the lot and setback rules?

Grace’s zoning map defines use districts, and land and buildings must conform to the applicable district regulations.1 In Grace’s R-1 single-family residential zone, each residential structure needs a lot of at least 9,000 square feet, with at least 75 feet of width at the established building line.6

Grace’s R-1 setbacks include a generally required 20-foot front yard, a 5-foot side yard and at least a 10-foot rear yard, with established-frontage and corner-lot qualifications.12 The same R-1 provisions also specify a 20-foot house setback from the property line and different porch/deck allowances, so ask the City Office to mark the controlling lines on your site plan.122 The height limit is 36 feet in R-1; R-2 allows a greater height by conditional use permit.1314

How do septic permits work inside Grace?

For a Grace property proposing an onsite wastewater system, contact Southeastern Idaho Public Health’s Caribou County office; Idaho’s public health districts administer the state septic rules.34 The district’s local office is in Soda Springs and can be reached at (208) 547-4375.15

Idaho generally requires an installation permit to install, modify, repair or expand an individual or subsurface sewage disposal system, subject to specified repair and temporary-system exceptions.7 SIPH requires an onsite evaluation, a completed application and plot plan, a deed or tax notice, and the applicable fee.16 SIPH’s published information lists both a $925 full site-evaluation-and-permit charge and an $850 basic-or-complex-system fee; ask the district which charge applies before paying.16 A septic permit may be denied where public or central wastewater treatment is reasonably accessible; ask the city about sewer availability before planning an onsite system.17

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on land in Grace?

We could not confirm Grace’s rules for occupied RVs, temporary camping, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or minimum dwelling floor area; ask the Grace City Office about the proposed use and the parcel’s zoning district.2 Grace requires land and buildings to conform to the applicable use district, so a small building still needs a district-specific answer.1

For a manufactured home, Idaho requires inspection and approval by DOPL or the authority having jurisdiction before occupancy.18 New manufactured homes also need a state installation permit and tag before installation in areas without an approved local building program; ask which program covers the Grace address.19 These installation requirements do not establish whether Grace zoning allows the proposed residential use.1

Building a home in Grace: what are the steps in order?

  1. Ask the Grace City Office to confirm the zoning district, setting-permit paperwork, building-permit issuer and required inspections for the proposed project.21
  2. Check the lot’s legal subdivision and access: Grace generally requires 20 feet of public-right-of-way frontage and reasonably efficient vehicular access, with a setting-permit route for qualifying private easements.20
  3. Resolve wastewater service with the city and, if proposing septic, obtain SIPH’s site evaluation and required installation approval.16717
  4. If the parcel is in a special flood hazard area, obtain Grace’s development permit before construction or development; the application includes elevation information and may require scaled plans.5
  5. Obtain the applicable electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits before the relevant trade work.10

What should you check before buying land in Grace?

Ask the Grace City Office to confirm the parcel’s district and draw the buildable area using the district’s dimensional rules before committing to a house layout.1122 Grace’s access rules require legal subdivision and generally require public-right-of-way frontage; a qualifying private-easement proposal needs a setting-permit review.20

If proposing a private well, Idaho requires an IDWR drilling permit before drilling and an IDWR-licensed well driller; a domestic water-right exemption does not remove the drilling-permit requirement.8 A driveway connecting to state highway right-of-way requires an ITD encroachment permit.21 For property outside Grace city limits, use the Caribou County guide for the county’s unincorporated-area zoning answers.22

Watch-outs

  • Grace’s general building-permit requirement remains unconfirmed; ask the City Office to identify the responsible issuer before construction.2
  • Grace’s special-flood-hazard development permit covers mobile homes, fill and other development as well as conventional structures.5
  • Confirm the septic charge with SIPH: its published information includes both $925 and $850 figures.16

Sources

  1. 3-1-1: Use Districts Established (Grace), quoted and re-checked
  2. Grace City Office (cityofgraceid.com)
  3. Southeastern Idaho Public Health - Septic Permits (2026 county census)
  4. Septic and Septage (Idaho statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  5. 4-1-6-1: Establishment of Development Permit (Grace), quoted and re-checked
  6. 3-1-3: Regulations for the R-1 (Single-Family Residential) Zone (Grace), quoted and re-checked
  7. IDAPA 58.01.03 – Individual/Subsurface Sewage Disposal Rules and Rules for Cleaning of Septic Tanks (Idaho statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Wells Overview (Idaho statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Grace City Office — Setting Permit (cityofgraceid.com)
  10. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (Idaho statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (Idaho statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. 3-1-3: Regulations for the R-1 (Single-Family Residential) Zone (Grace), quoted and re-checked
  13. 3-1-3: Regulations for the R-1 (Single-Family Residential) Zone (Grace), quoted and re-checked
  14. 3-1-4: Regulations for the R-2 (Multiple-Family Residential) Zone (Grace), quoted and re-checked
  15. Southeastern Idaho Public Health, Caribou County Office (siphidaho.org)
  16. Septic Permits, quoted and re-checked
  17. IDAPA 58.01.03 Individual/Subsurface Sewage Disposal Rules (Idaho statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Building Archives - Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (Idaho statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Building Archives - Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (Idaho statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. 3-1-1: Use Districts Established (Grace), quoted and re-checked
  21. Types of Right-of-Way Encroachment Permits (Idaho statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. cms7files.revize.com, quoted and re-checked

Written October 12, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Grace

Grace’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Grace city and the City Impact Area, with the cited use-district rules applying within the city limits.

    • Land and buildings must conform to the regulations for the applicable use district.
    • The code states that zoning-map boundaries define the districts.
    “divided into the following use districts:”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single-family residential structures in Grace city's R-1 zone.

    • The lot must also have a width at the established building line of at least 75 feet.

    minimum lot area: >= 9000 square feet · minimum lot width at established building line: >= 75 feet

    “The minimum lot area for each residential structure shall be nine thousand (9,000) square feet and a lot width at the established building line of not less than seventy five feet (75').”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Buildings in Grace city's R-1 zone.

    • Front setback is generally 20 feet from the street right-of-way, but an established average may control where at least 50% of the frontage is developed; no front yard over 35 feet may be required.
    • Side setback is 5 feet, with a 20-foot street-side setback on corner lots for 40 feet in each direction, then 5 feet.
    • Rear setback is at least 10 feet.
    • Houses must be set back 20 feet from the property line; porches/decks may be within 10 feet of the property line and right-of-way on the property line.
    “Rear Yard/Lot: There shall be a rear yard/lot”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings and structures in Grace city's R-1 zone.

    • The cited maximum applies to any building, structure, or portion erected under the R-1 zone.

    maximum height: <= 36 feet

    “shall not exceed thirty six feet (36') in height.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Residences and commercial buildings erected or moved onto lots inside Grace city.

    • The lot must have 20 feet of frontage on a public right-of-way, reasonably efficient vehicular access, and must be legally subdivided.
    • A setting permit may be issued for a residence on a private easement if the listed conditions are met.

    public-right-of-way frontage: >= 20 feet (Private-easement setting permit may be available.) · private easement width: >= 20 feet (Only for a residence on a private easement.) · private easement length: <= 400 feet · turnaround radius: >= 40 feet · maximum grade: <= 10 percent

    “has twenty feet (20') of frontage on a public right-of-way”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Construction and development within an area of special flood hazard inside Grace city.

    • The permit applies to all structures, including mobile homes, and all other development including fill and other activities.
    • The application may require scaled plans and must include lowest-floor elevation, floodproofing elevation, professional certification for nonresidential floodproofing, and any watercourse alteration or relocation.
    “A development permit shall be obtained before construction or development begins within any area of special flood hazard”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Grace or Caribou County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits for construction inside Grace city.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions inside Grace city.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for construction inside Grace city.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Grace city.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Grace city.
18 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Lot coverage
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Grace publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Caribou County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Caribou County: county rules, score and offices