13 permits · verified 2026-10-14
What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Ada County?
In short
No permit applies to every contractor or trade in Ada County, ID. All 13 depend on your premises, the work you do or how you are set up. Ada County Development Services charges $100 per application (Resolution No. 3149, Zoning Certification, adopted November 25, 2025) for the zoning certificate: family daycare home or small home occupation. 3 of the 13 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-14 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Ada County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoning Certificate: Family Daycare Home or Small Home Occupationonly if it applies to you | Ada County Development Services | $100 per application (Resolution No. 3149, Zoning Certification, adopted November 25, 2025) | per application | 2026-10-14 |
| Electrical Contractor or Master Electrician Licenseonly if it applies to you | Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses | $140 to open as a contractor, being a $15 application and $125 license fee; a master electrician is $80 | 1 year for a contractor license; 3 years for a master electrician | 2026-09-04 |
| Plumbing Contractor Licenseonly if it applies to you | Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses | $244.50 to open, being a $22.50 application, a $75 exam fee and a $147 license; renewal is $108 | 3 years | 2026-09-04 |
| HVAC Contractor Licenseonly if it applies to you | Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses | $260 to open, being a $35 application and $225 license fee; renewal is $150 | 3 years | 2026-09-04 |
| Contractor Registrationonly if it applies to you | Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses | $120 to register, effective from 1 July 2026; renewal is $60 a year or $120 for two years | the board is transitioning to a biennial cycle; its own FAQ page still describes the older annual, birthday-based cycle | 2026-09-04 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Ada County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master Site Plan (unincorporated Ada County)only if it applies to you | Ada County Development Services | Varies — formula on the Ada County page | per application | 2026-10-14 |
| Sign Approval, signs over 64 square feet (unincorporated Ada County)only if it applies to you | Ada County Development Services | $200 per application, for "Sign Approval (>64 sq ft)" (Resolution No. 3149, adopted November 25, 2025) | per application | 2026-10-14 |
| Septic (Subsurface Sewage Disposal) Permit (Central District Health)only if it applies to you | Central District Health | Varies — formula on the Ada County page | per permit | 2026-10-14 |
| Building Permit and Commercial Mechanical Permit (unincorporated Ada County)only if it applies to you | Ada County Development Services | Varies — formula on the Ada County page | per permit | 2026-10-14 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
ID registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Idaho Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $100 filed online; $120 in person or by mail | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Idaho Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $100 filed online; $120 in person or by mail | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| General Business License — Idaho state positiononly if it applies to you | Idaho Secretary of State, Business Services Division | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-04 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Idaho Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $20 only if filed on paper in person — filing online is free | annual — due by the close of the entity's own anniversary month | 2026-09-04 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
How much does it actually cost to permit a contractor or trade in Ada County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 13 records listed for a contractor or trade in Ada County, ID, 0 apply to every business of this type and 13 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
3 of the 13 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all.
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Ada County permits page and the ID state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Ada County?
Permits for a contractor or trade in Ada County, ID come from 4 separate offices: Ada County Development Services, Central District Health, Idaho Secretary of State, Business Services Division, Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Ada County Development ServicesIssues 4 permits on this page: Master Site Plan (unincorporated Ada County), Zoning Certificate: Family Daycare Home or Small Home Occupation, Sign Approval, signs over 64 square feet (unincorporated Ada County), Building Permit and Commercial Mechanical Permit (unincorporated Ada County)200 W. Front St., Boise, ID 83702 · 208-287-7900adacounty.id.gov/developmentservices/permitting-division
- Central District HealthIssues 1 permit on this page: Septic (Subsurface Sewage Disposal) Permit (Central District Health)208-327-7499cdh.idaho.gov/licenses-permits/water-septic
- Idaho Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Certificate of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, General Business License — Idaho state position, Annual Report450 North 4th Street, Boise, ID 83702 · (208) 334-2301sos.idaho.gov/business-forms
- Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional LicensesIssues 4 permits on this page: Electrical Contractor or Master Electrician License, Plumbing Contractor License, HVAC Contractor License, Contractor Registration11341 West Chinden Boulevard, Building 4, Boise, ID 83714 · (208) 334-3233dopl.idaho.gov
What does a contractor or trade need in Ada County that other businesses do not?
4 of the 5 permits particular to a contractor or trade here apply to no other business type we cover in Ada County: Electrical Contractor or Master Electrician License, Plumbing Contractor License, HVAC Contractor License and Contractor Registration.
Electrical Contractor or Master Electrician License
The two tiers here run on entirely different clocks — an electrical contractor license renews every year at $100, while a master electrician's license, at $65 plus the same $15 application, runs for three years before renewal. Plumbing and HVAC follow the master electrician's three-year pattern rather than the contractor's annual one.
Plumbing Contractor License
Plumbing is the most expensive of Idaho's three licensed trades to enter, at roughly $244.50 in total once the application, examination and initial license fees are added together, though renewal every three years is a comparatively modest $108. Reinstating a lapsed license costs the full $147 license fee again.
HVAC Contractor License
Two hundred and sixty dollars to open — a $35 application plus a $225 license fee — on the same three-year cycle as plumbing and master electrician licensing, with renewal at $150 and reinstatement at the full $225 license fee.
Contractor Registration
This is registration, not a competency license — the governing act itself is explicit that it requires registration rather than licensure, and no examination sits behind it. Any construction job over $2,000 in combined materials and labour triggers the requirement unless the contractor is otherwise exempt. A fee change effective 1 July 2026 raised the registration to $120 and introduced a biennial option at the same $120 for two years or $60 annually; the board's own FAQ page has not yet been updated to match and still describes annual renewal tied to the registrant's birthday, so confirm the current cycle directly with the board before relying on either description.
Shared with other businesses in Ada County
- Zoning Certificate: Family Daycare Home or Small Home Occupation — Ada County Development Services, $100 per application (Resolution No. 3149, Zoning Certification, adopted November 25, 2025), per application. Also required for childcare centres; what it involves is set out on the childcare centres page.
The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Ada County, ID; what each one involves is set out on the Ada County permits page. The 4 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across ID and are covered on the ID state page.
How does a contractor or trade compare with other businesses in Ada County?
The closest match is a childcare centre, which shares 1 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs Electrical Contractor or Master Electrician License, Plumbing Contractor License, HVAC Contractor License and Contractor Registration. A childcare centre needs Conditional Use Application (unincorporated Ada County), Accessory Use, Administrative Approval (group daycare; large home occupation) and Child Care License, which a contractor or trade does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a contractor or trade | Only a contractor or trade needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Childcare centres | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Coffee shops | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 0 | 5 | 4 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
Sources
Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the childcare centres page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Ada County permits page and the ID state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Idaho DOPL — electrical contractor and master electrician fee scheduleIdaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Idaho DOPL — plumbing contractor fee scheduleIdaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Idaho DOPL — HVAC contractor fee scheduleIdaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Idaho Contractors Board — registration FAQ and the $2,000 job-value triggerIdaho Contractors Board · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.