Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-10-10
44 of Idaho's 44 counties — 100% — let an owner build their own home without a licensed contractor. That is the 30th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Latah County (80/100). Every entry below cites the county’s own official source.
Rules change, and cities inside these counties set their own — treat this as a verified starting point, not legal advice. All 2952 counties nationwide → Idaho: no building codes → Idaho: rv living → Idaho: tiny homes → Idaho: no minimum home size → Full Idaho profile →
44 of 44 Idaho counties · sorted by Index score
Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Idaho's Contractor Registration Act exempts owners constructing their own residence, so a Bonner County owner-builder need not be a registered contractor.
Bonner County Planning - Applications & Forms ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Unincorporated Idaho County: no county building permit is required, so there is no permit to be exempt from and you may build your own home. State licensing for electrical, plum…
Building/Living in Idaho County ↗Idaho's Contractor Registration Act exempts a property owner building/improving their own property not for sale, and Kootenai County allows owner-builders to build residential s…
Kootenai County - Building Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Under Idaho's homeowner exemption a property owner may obtain the permit and personally perform all work on their own primary or secondary residence without a contractor license.
Idaho Division of Building Safety - Homeowners ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Agricultural building exemption applications handled through the Adams County Building Department. The county building-department page identifies an Application for Agricultural…
Building Department | Adams County, Idaho ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗An owner-builder seeking a Shoshone County building permit for construction in the county's unincorporated areas, specifically exemption from Idaho contractor-registration proof…
Building Permit Addendum / Contractor Registration Exemption Declaration ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Idaho lets an owner build on their own personal residential property without contractor registration (subject to a 12-month occupancy rule before sale); a permit is still required.
Idaho DOPL – Contractor Registration FAQ ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. Homeowners personally performing plumbing work on their own residential premises in Idaho. The homeowner must own the residential property and personally perform…
Homeowner Plumbing Permit Application ↗Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the Idaho state page for all 44 counties ranked, or go back to the national list.
Off-grid gear
Building on land in one of these Idaho counties? The kit we'd start with:
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General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.
