Who provides irrigation water for new homes around Twin Falls?

It depends on the home. The City of Twin Falls runs pressurized irrigation in many subdivisions, some subdivisions have private systems, and Jerome and Kimberly run their own. Ask the builder which system serves the home and how it's billed.

Where are Twin Falls and Jerome building fees listed?

Twin Falls posts a Master Fee Schedule, including impact fees, and Jerome's building department posts its fee policy and schedule. Ask the builder which fees are already in the price.

Do I need a home inspection on a brand-new home?

It's your choice. An inspection before closing, and another before any builder warranty ends, can turn up items to put on the builder's repair list. Ask whether the builder allows your inspector on site.

Does a builder fill out the Idaho seller disclosure form?

No. A newly built home that no one has lived in is exempt under Idaho Code 55-2505, except that the builder must still answer the annexation and city-services questions.

What if something's wrong after I move in?

Under Idaho's Notice and Opportunity to Repair Act, you send the builder written notice describing the defect before you can sue, and the builder has 21 days to respond in writing.

Where can I see new homes in the Magic Valley?

Browse Twin Falls, Kimberly and Jerome homes, check the listing details for new builds, and save the search to get listing updates.

Magic Valley

New construction homes in Twin Falls, Kimberly and Jerome: what to check before you sign

A new home in Twin Falls, Kimberly or Jerome comes with local details: who provides water, sewer and yard irrigation, which city fees apply, and what the builder's contract says. Idaho also has a few rules written just for new homes. Here's the checklist.

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Quick checklist

Check	Where to look	Source
City water, sewer and trash	City utility office	City pages below
Yard irrigation provider	Builder, HOA, city or canal company	Ask
City fees (Twin Falls)	Master Fee Schedule	City of Twin Falls
City fees (Jerome)	Building department fee page	City of Jerome
Lien disclosure	Builder contract	Idaho Code 45-525
HOA rules	CC&Rs, bylaws, rules	HOA documents

Utilities and irrigation in Twin Falls, Kimberly and Jerome

Each city runs its own water and sewer, and each handles yard irrigation a little differently. Listed alphabetically:

Jerome. The city's Utility Division bills water, sewer, sanitation and irrigation assessments. New residential service is set up in person at City Hall, in the property owner's name (City of Jerome, Utility Division). The city's irrigation season runs from about May to October, and new users can schedule a city irrigator to walk them through the system (City of Jerome, Irrigation).
Kimberly. City utilities include potable water, pressurized irrigation, sewer and sanitation. New owners fill out a Utility Billing Application before service is turned on (City of Kimberly, Utility Billing Services). Kimberly (83341) homes orients you to the town.
Twin Falls. The city's Utility Services office handles water and sewer billing (City of Twin Falls, Utility Services). The city runs pressurized irrigation stations in many subdivisions, using canal water from the Twin Falls Canal Company, and posts each subdivision's station status. Some subdivisions are on a private system instead (City of Twin Falls, What Is Pressurized Irrigation?; station status).

Ask the builder

Which provider serves this home for drinking water and sewer?
How does the yard get water: a city pressurized system, an HOA system, a canal company or drinking water?
If there's pressurized irrigation, who maintains it, and how is it billed?
Is the home inside city limits? (This also matters for the annexation disclosure below.)

Well, septic and irrigation water in Idaho covers water questions in more depth.

City fees and permits

New homes pay city permit fees, and Twin Falls also charges impact fees. Builders often fold these into the price, so ask what's included. Each city posts its own schedule:

Jerome. The city's building department bases building permit fees on the value of the construction work, using the International Code Council's building valuation data (City of Jerome, Fees).
Kimberly. Ask the City of Kimberly for its current permit and connection fees.
Twin Falls. The city's Master Fee Schedule covers building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits and impact fees. The city says impact fees help pay for police, fire, parks and recreation, and street facilities for new development, and are adjusted each January 1 for inflation (City of Twin Falls, Master Fee Schedule).

Fee schedules change each year. Check the city's current page instead of relying on an old number.

The builder contract and Idaho's new-home rules

Lien disclosure (Idaho Code 45-525)

Before signing a contract to buy a newly built home, the general contractor must give you a written disclosure statement and keep your signed receipt. It tells you that you have the right to (Idaho Code 45-525):

Ask the builder to get lien waivers from subcontractors, at your reasonable expense
See proof of the builder's general liability insurance and worker's compensation coverage
Buy an extended title insurance policy that covers certain unrecorded liens
Require a surety bond, at your expense

Before closing, the builder must also give you a written list of the subcontractors and suppliers it hired directly for the home. A lien waiver is a signed release saying a subcontractor or supplier has been paid and won't file a claim against the house.

If something's wrong after you move in (Idaho Code 6-2503)

Idaho's Notice and Opportunity to Repair Act sets the first step for a construction defect claim. Before you can sue, you must send the builder a written notice describing the defect. The builder then has 21 days to respond in writing: offering to inspect, offering to settle, or disputing the claim (Idaho Code 6-2503). Keep copies of everything you send.

The seller disclosure form

A newly built home that no one has lived in is exempt from Idaho's seller property disclosure form (Idaho Code 55-2505). One part still applies: the builder must answer the annexation and city-services questions, such as whether the home is in an area of city impact or has a recorded consent to annex (Idaho Code 55-2508).

Walk-through and warranty

Ask the builder:

When the final walk-through happens, and how items on your list get fixed
What the warranty covers, for how long, and how to file a claim
Whether you can bring your own inspector before closing

Home inspection and appraisal in Idaho covers the inspection steps.

HOA and CC&Rs

Most new subdivisions come with an HOA. Before you sign, read:

The declaration and CC&Rs
The bylaws and rules
The HOA budget and account statement
Any rules on fences, landscaping, parking, sheds and rentals

Ask whether the builder still controls the HOA board, and when owners take over. HOAs in Idaho new communities walks through each document.

Property tax on a new home

Idaho assesses property at market value as of January 1 each year (Idaho Code 63-205). A home built during the year is taxed that year only for the part in place on January 1, and once someone moves in, a separate occupancy tax covers the rest of that year (Idaho Code 63-317). Property tax on new construction in Idaho explains how that works and how to apply for the homeowner's exemption once you move in.

Browse new homes in Twin Falls, Kimberly and Jerome

Check the listing details for new builds, then save the search to get listing updates.

Weighing a new build against an older home? New construction vs. resale lays out the trade-offs.

Related guides

Guide	Why it helps
New construction vs. resale	Trade-offs between the two paths
Property tax on new construction in Idaho	January 1 assessment and the homeowner's exemption
HOAs in Idaho new communities	Reading CC&Rs and HOA rules
Moving to Twin Falls	Relocation basics for the city
Twin Falls homes by ZIP code	The city's ZIP codes in plain words
Jerome (83338) homes	Orientation to Jerome

FAQ

Who provides irrigation water for new homes around Twin Falls?: It depends on the home. The City of Twin Falls runs pressurized irrigation in many subdivisions, some subdivisions have private systems, and Jerome and Kimberly run their own. Ask the builder which system serves the home and how it's billed.
Where are Twin Falls and Jerome building fees listed?: Twin Falls posts a Master Fee Schedule, including impact fees, and Jerome's building department posts its fee policy and schedule. Ask the builder which fees are already in the price.
Do I need a home inspection on a brand-new home?: It's your choice. An inspection before closing, and another before any builder warranty ends, can turn up items to put on the builder's repair list. Ask whether the builder allows your inspector on site.
Does a builder fill out the Idaho seller disclosure form?: No. A newly built home that no one has lived in is exempt under Idaho Code 55-2505, except that the builder must still answer the annexation and city-services questions.
What if something's wrong after I move in?: Under Idaho's Notice and Opportunity to Repair Act, you send the builder written notice describing the defect before you can sue, and the builder has 21 days to respond in writing.
Where can I see new homes in the Magic Valley?: Browse Twin Falls, Kimberly and Jerome homes, check the listing details for new builds, and save the search to get listing updates.