Renovation permits and contractor licences in Idaho

Trades that need a licence in Idaho

• General contracting and renovation

  Registration is not a competence test, but it is compulsory, and it works both ways: a contractor may not engage another contractor who is required to register without satisfactory proof of registration. Anyone acting as a contractor, registered or not, submits to the jurisdiction of the Idaho Contractors Board.

  Sources:Idaho Code 54-5204 – Contractor registration required⁠(opens in a new tab)

• Certified trades

  Work on one project that is casual, minor or inconsequential, below an aggregate contract price the statute sets, is exempt from registration. The exemption disappears when the work is part of a larger construction project, or when the job has been divided into smaller contracts to get under the limit. An owner working on their own residential property is also exempt, with limits if they then sell within twelve months.

  Sources:Idaho Code 54-5205 – Exemptions from registration⁠(opens in a new tab)

• Electrical work

  No one may act as an electrical contractor, or as a residential, journeyman or master electrician, without a licence from the Division. Electrical licensing is within the exclusive jurisdiction of the state: no city or county can require its own extra licence, registration or fee, though it may impose stricter public safety rules.

  Sources:Idaho Code 54-1002 – Licence essential to engage in business⁠(opens in a new tab)Idaho Code 54-1001 – Declaration of policy, Idaho electrical code⁠(opens in a new tab)

• Plumbing

  Plumbing work needs a certificate of competency, with exceptions the statute lists — including an owner or contract purchaser doing plumbing work in their own single or duplex dwelling, who must still meet the minimum plumbing standards and rules. A holder of a current HVAC licence may install gas piping and piping for hydronic systems.

  Sources:Idaho Code 54-2602 – Plumbing exceptions⁠(opens in a new tab)

• Consumer protection

  Check both things before you sign: the contractor's registration and any trade licence the job needs. The Division's public search covers contractor registrations and trade licences in the same place, and it is where formal actions against registered contractors are published.

  Sources:Idaho DOPL – Licence search⁠(opens in a new tab)Idaho Contractors Board⁠(opens in a new tab)

Before you hire a contractor in Idaho

Practical checks you can do yourself, using official tools where they exist.

1. 1

   Check the contractor's registration and any trade licence in the Division's licence search before you sign.

   Official lookup: Idaho DOPL – Licence search⁠(opens in a new tab)

2. 2

   For electrical work, ask for the state licence: no city or county issues or requires one of its own.

   Official lookup: Idaho Code 54-1002 – Licence essential to engage in business⁠(opens in a new tab)

3. 3

   For plumbing, check the certificate of competency unless the work falls inside one of the statutory exceptions.

   Official lookup: Idaho Code 54-2602 – Plumbing exceptions⁠(opens in a new tab)

4. 4

   A small job may be exempt from registration, but not if it is part of a larger project or was split to stay under the limit.

   Official lookup: Idaho Code 54-5205 – Exemptions from registration⁠(opens in a new tab)

5. 5

   Ask your city or county which code editions it enforces and which permits your project needs.

   Official lookup: Boise – Building Division⁠(opens in a new tab)

6. 6

   Get a written estimate covering the work, the materials, the completion date and the price.

   Official lookup: FTC – How to avoid a home improvement scam⁠(opens in a new tab)