Published
What does EIPH charge beyond the septic permit itself?
The rows under the headline fees
Everyone quotes the permit. Almost nobody quotes what happens around it — and a septic project rarely touches only the permit line. Eastern Idaho Public Health’s environmental health fee table prices the steps that follow the application: changing a permit after it is issued, the planning-and-zoning review of an existing-system connection, and the per-lot review that comes with dividing land. Those rows are the difference between a budget and a surprise.
Who sets them, and on what authority
The fee table is not a district office’s convenience pricing. EIPH’s own fees page states the authority:
“Eastern Idaho Public Health’s Board of Health, under the authority granted by Idaho Code 39-414 (1), 39-414 (11), 39-416, and Administrative Rules IDAPA 41.02.01, sets the following fee schedules based upon the actual cost of providing the services.”
— Eastern Idaho Public Health, Fees (Notice of Costs and Charges). Retrieved 5 October 2026
Two authorities worth noticing: an elected Board of Health setting the numbers, and a standard of actual cost — the table is priced to recover what the service costs, not to fund something else. One dating note before anything else: the fees web page labels the environmental services schedule effective 2/2/26, while the fee table PDF itself prints Effective 05/01/26. The PDF is the schedule; when a dollar figure matters, read it off the table and check the date on the document you are holding.
The amendment fee: when a permit changes after issuance
A septic permit is issued against a plot plan, and the packet’s construction step states the rule that makes the amendment row matter:
“The system must be installed in accordance with the issued permit and approved plot plan. Any changes must be approved by Eastern Idaho Public Health prior to changes being made.”
— Eastern Idaho Public Health, septic system installation packet (rev. 7/26). Retrieved 5 October 2026
Move the tank five feet, swap the trench layout, adjust the system type — each is a change requiring approval prior to being made, and the fee table prices that approval at $450.00. An owner who treats a mid-build change as a phone call discovers it is a line item. Which repairs and changes need a permit at all is covered here.
Planning & Zoning review: office or field
When EIPH reviews a connection or referral through its Planning & Zoning lane — the review that stands behind an application to connect to an existing system — the table prices it two ways: Office Review $150.00, or Field Visit Required $450.00 when someone has to drive out and look. Which one applies is decided by what the file already proves, not by preference; a complete file with a permit on record can often be answered at a desk. Ordering the septic records first is the cheapest way to keep a review in the office lane.
Land development: per lot, in halves
For subdivisions and lot splits, the fee is charged per lot, and the table splits the payment:
“Half of the fee is to be submitted with application, the remainder on signing the final plat.”
— Eastern Idaho Public Health, Environmental Health Fee Table, Effective 05/01/26. Retrieved 5 October 2026
The per-lot line expressly includes lot splits — a two-lot family split pays for two lots, not one project. And the table reserves the last word: “We reserve the right to adjust fees prior to signature of plot.” A Signature Fee of $150.00 sits beside the per-lot rows for the signing itself. The sanitary-restriction review behind all of this is its own subject, with its own steps and monitoring seasons.
The unprinted rows, in one table
| Fee table line | Amount (Effective 05/01/26) |
|---|---|
| Permit Amendment | $450.00 |
| Planning & Zoning Review — Office Review | $150.00 |
| Planning & Zoning Review — Field Visit Required | $450.00 |
| Land Development — per lot (includes lot splits; half at application, half at final plat signing) | $150.00 |
| Signature Fee | $150.00 |
The famous rows — the installation permit itself, the central system permit, renewals and transfers, and the tank-only permit — are printed in full on the county permit walkthrough. The installer and pumper license rows sit at the state minimums, which the installer-permit page prices from the state rule. This page exists for everything between them.
Budget the edges, not just the permit
- Before the project moves, decide whether anything about the approved plan might change — every change is an amendment, approved in advance.
- If a connection or referral review is coming, pull the septic file first — a complete file favors the office review over the field visit.
- For any land division, count the lots, not the project — the fee does.
- Re-check the current fee table on EIPH’s site before paying anything quoted here — the Board of Health can move the numbers.
- For a figure tied to your exact parcel, ask at (208) 656-1467.
Common questions
How much does a septic permit amendment cost at EIPH?
$450.00 on the environmental health fee table effective 05/01/26. The amendment is required because any change to the issued permit and approved plot plan must be approved by Eastern Idaho Public Health prior to changes being made.
When is the amendment fee charged?
When the system as built would differ from the issued permit and approved plot plan - a moved tank, a changed trench layout, a different system type. The approval must come before the change, not after the inspector finds it.
What does a Planning and Zoning review cost?
$150.00 as an office review, or $450.00 when a field visit is required, on the fee table effective 05/01/26. Which applies depends on what the file proves - complete records keep reviews in the office lane.
What does EIPH charge to review a land division?
$150.00 per lot, and the line expressly includes lot splits. Half of the fee is submitted with the application and the remainder on signing the final plat, with a $150.00 signature fee beside it.
Can EIPH change these fees mid-project?
The table reserves the right to adjust fees prior to signature of the plot, and the Board of Health sets the schedule under Idaho Code 39-414 and 39-416. Confirm the current table before budgeting.
Are the main septic permit fees on this page?
No - deliberately. The installation, central system, renewal, transfer and tank-only permit fees are printed on this site's county permit walkthrough, which links each fee to its step in the process.