Boise Building Permit Review Times
Boise is unusually transparent about review performance: its Planning & Development Services department publishes a quarterly Permit Processing Timeframes report with the actual average first-review time for each permit type.
Boise permitting, the figures
The key published figures for this jurisdiction — each cited to its official source.
What the data shows
Boise publishes actual average first-review times by permit type each quarter, each against a goal, a rare level of transparency. In the Jan–Mar 2025 report, averages ran from 6 working days (simple tenant improvements) to 46 (new multi-family, Level 2) (City of Boise, Permit Processing Timeframes).
The city beat its goal on nearly every category and improved year over year: new commercial (Level 1) first review fell to 20 working days (from 40 in 2022) and new multi-family (Level 1) to 21 (from 52), with only the most complex multi-family (Level 2, 46 days) running just over its <45-day goal.
These are first-review averages in working business days; resubmittal cycles and customer pick-up time are tracked separately, and the City notes timeframes shift with workload.
Most delay accumulates before technical review
The data points to the same lever everywhere: most delay accumulates before technical review, in completeness and resubmittal cycles. Permittable's Permit Review Diagnostic checks your plans against applicable codes and common reviewer issues before you submit — so your package is more likely to clear on the first pass.
Boise permitting: FAQ
How long does plan review take in Boise?
In the City of Boise's Jan–Mar 2025 Permit Processing Timeframes report, average first review ran about 20 working days for a new commercial building (Level 1), 21 for new multi-family (Level 1), and up to 46 for the most complex multi-family (Level 2). Simple tenant improvements averaged 6 days. Most categories beat their published goal.
Are these the total permit times?
No: they're average first-review times in working business days. Resubmittal cycles and the time a finished permit waits for customer pick-up are tracked separately, and figures change quarter to quarter with workload.
Does Boise publish its review times?
Yes. Boise's Planning & Development Services department publishes a quarterly Permit Processing Timeframes report showing the actual average first-review time for each permit type.
Sources
All figures on this page are drawn from Permit Processing Timeframes (quarterly report, Apr–Jun 2022) — City of Boise, Planning & Development Services. Official quarterly report of average first-review timeframes by permit type, in working business days (excludes holidays and weekends). Figures cited from the April 1 – June 30, 2022 edition; the City notes timeframes change with workload. www.cityofboise.org/departments/planning-and-development-services/. Specific tables, reports, and pages are cited inline with each figure above.
These are the City of Boise Planning & Development Services department's average first-review times in working business days (excludes holidays and weekends), from its Permit Processing Timeframes report for January 1 – March 31, 2025 (the most recent edition). They are first-review averages, not total end-to-end permit time, and the City notes figures change with workload. Boise restructured its categories after 2022 into Level 1/Level 2 tiers, so the year-over-year comparisons map the old single rows to the current Level 1 tier. Methodology differs from other jurisdictions on this site, so compare with care.