Concrete in Boise, from the older neighborhoods to the foothills
Boise is Idaho's biggest city at about 256,000 people, and its concrete ranges from century-old sidewalks to slabs poured last spring. ACHD covers its streets, and Boise's own code says which flatwork needs a permit.
Boise writes its own amendments to the residential code, and they're friendly to flatwork. Under Boise City Code 9-1B-8, sidewalks and driveways don't need a building permit as long as they're no more than 30 inches above the adjacent grade and not over a basement. Retaining walls up to 4 feet (bottom of footing to top of wall, with nothing surcharging them) are exempt, and so are decks no more than 12 inches above grade. Anything beyond those limits goes through the City's permit process. The streets, approaches and most sidewalks belong to ACHD, the same as in Meridian, so curb cuts and approach work need ACHD's right-of-way permit and a bonded contractor.
The work itself varies by part of town. In the older neighborhoods close to downtown, it's replacing walks and driveways that have outlived several owners, lifting sidewalk panels pushed up by mature trees, and fitting new concrete to narrow lots and old foundations. On the Bench and in West Boise, it's the same builder-driveway and patio replacement we do in Meridian. In the foothills, it's drainage: a driveway or patio on a slope has to carry water away from the house and the neighbor's lot, and retaining walls taller than 4 feet need engineering and a permit. The climate is the same everywhere: about 108 freezing nights a year at the airport, so every exterior slab we pour in Boise is air-entrained and sealed.
What we do in Boise
Permit-exempt flatwork
Driveways and walks at grade built under Boise's exemption; anything over the limits permitted.
ACHD approaches
Curb cuts, approaches and carriage walks permitted and built by a bonded contractor.
Older-neighborhood replacement
Worn walks and driveways replaced and matched to older homes and narrow lots.
Foothill drainage
Slabs graded to move water off slopes and away from foundations and neighbors.
Low retaining walls
Walls up to 4 feet built to the exemption; taller walls engineered and permitted.
Repair and leveling
Tree-lifted panels, sunken garage aprons and scaled surfaces fixed or honestly replaced.
Neighborhoods and roads we cover
- West Boise
- Southwest Boise
- The Bench
- Southeast Boise
- North End
- East End
- Northwest Boise
- Collister
- Harris Ranch
- Boise foothills
- Columbia Village
- Five Mile and Cole Roads
Concrete services in Boise
- Driveways, builder driveway replacement, approaches and sidewalks, RV and parking pads
- Patios, stamped and decorative concrete, walkways and steps, sport courts
- Shed and shop slabs, foundations and footings
- Repair and leveling, removal
Questions from Boise homeowners
Do I need a permit for a driveway in Boise?
Not from the City if it's no more than 30 inches above adjacent grade and not over a basement. Work in the street right-of-way still needs an ACHD permit.
Can you build a retaining wall without a permit?
Boise exempts walls up to 4 feet measured from the bottom of the footing, with nothing pushing on them from above such as a driveway or slope. Taller or surcharged walls need engineering and a permit.
Do you charge more to work in Boise?
No. Boise is next door. The price depends on the job, the access and the ground, not the city.
Can a sidewalk panel the tree lifted be fixed without removing the tree?
Often, by grinding or lifting the panel and leaving room for the roots. ACHD's code makes private-tree damage the owner's responsibility, so check with ACHD if the tree is in the public strip.
Nearby: Garden City · Old Town Meridian · Eagle · South Meridian · full service area