Cost to Build an Assisted Living Facility in Idaho: 2026 Construction Guide

Building an assisted living facility in Idaho offers attractive economics compared to coastal markets, with moderate construction costs and strong demographic demand. Understanding the full scope of development costs is essential for successful project planning and financing in the Gem State.

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Idaho Construction Cost Overview

Regional Cost Comparison

Cost Component	Boise Metro	Coeur d'Alene	Idaho Falls	Twin Falls
Land (per acre)	$400K-1M	$300K-800K	$150K-400K	$100K-300K
Hard Costs (per SF)	$220-300	$230-310	$200-275	$190-260
Soft Costs (% of hard)	13-17%	14-18%	12-15%	12-15%
FF&E (per bed)	$10-15K	$10-15K	$9-14K	$9-13K
Total per Bed	$230-280K	$240-300K	$200-250K	$190-240K

Idaho vs. National Averages

Metric	Idaho	National Average	Difference
Hard Costs/SF	$220-280	$275-350	-15-20%
Land Costs	Moderate	High	-20-40%
Labor Costs	Below average	Average	-10-15%
Total Project Cost	$200-260K/bed	$250-350K/bed	-15-25%

Land Costs

Regional Land Prices

Boise Metropolitan Area:

Location	Price per Acre	Availability
Downtown Boise	$800K-1.5M	Very Limited
Meridian	$500K-900K	Limited
Nampa	$350K-600K	Moderate
Eagle	$600K-1M	Limited
Caldwell	$250K-450K	Good

North Idaho:

Location	Price per Acre	Availability
Coeur d'Alene	$400K-800K	Limited
Post Falls	$300K-600K	Moderate
Hayden	$350K-700K	Limited
Sandpoint	$300K-600K	Moderate

Eastern Idaho:

Location	Price per Acre	Availability
Idaho Falls	$200K-400K	Good
Pocatello	$150K-300K	Good
Rexburg	$175K-350K	Moderate
Twin Falls	$150K-300K	Good

Land Requirements

Typical Site Needs:

60-bed facility: 2.5-4 acres
80-bed facility: 3.5-5 acres
100-bed facility: 4.5-6 acres

Site Considerations:

Zoning compatibility
Utility availability
Access and visibility
Topography
Environmental factors
Future expansion potential

Hard Construction Costs

Building Cost Breakdown

Per Square Foot Costs (2026):

Component	Boise	Coeur d'Alene	Idaho Falls	Twin Falls
Site Work	$15-25	$18-28	$12-20	$12-18
Foundation	$18-25	$20-28	$16-22	$15-20
Structure	$45-60	$48-65	$42-55	$40-52
Exterior	$25-35	$28-38	$22-30	$20-28
Roofing	$12-18	$14-20	$10-15	$10-14
Interior Finishes	$55-75	$58-80	$50-68	$48-65
MEP Systems	$50-65	$52-68	$48-60	$45-58
Specialties	$10-15	$12-18	$8-12	$8-12
Total	$230-318	$250-345	$208-282	$198-267

Building Size Guidelines

Typical Square Footage:

Facility Size	Total SF	SF per Bed
40 beds	28,000-36,000	700-900
60 beds	42,000-54,000	700-900
80 beds	56,000-72,000	700-900
100 beds	70,000-90,000	700-900

Construction Type Impact

Construction Type	Cost/SF	Pros	Cons
Wood Frame	$200-260	Lower cost, faster	Height limits, fire concerns
Steel Frame	$240-300	Durability, flexibility	Higher cost
Concrete	$260-320	Fire resistance, longevity	Highest cost, longer timeline

Soft Costs

Soft Cost Categories

Category	% of Hard Costs	Typical Range
Architecture/Engineering	5-7%	$400K-700K
Permits and Fees	1-2%	$80K-200K
Legal	0.5-1%	$40K-100K
Accounting	0.3-0.5%	$25K-50K
Market Study	0.1-0.2%	$15K-25K
Appraisal	0.1-0.2%	$15K-30K
Environmental	0.1-0.2%	$10K-25K
Surveys	0.1-0.2%	$10K-25K
Insurance	0.5-1%	$40K-100K
Financing Costs	2-3%	$160K-300K
Developer Fee	3-5%	$240K-500K
Total Soft Costs	13-18%	$1.0M-2.0M

Permitting Costs by Region

Jurisdiction	Building Permit	Impact Fees	Other Fees
Boise	$25K-50K	$50K-150K	$15K-30K
Meridian	$20K-45K	$40K-120K	$12K-25K
Coeur d'Alene	$18K-40K	$30K-80K	$10K-20K
Idaho Falls	$15K-35K	$20K-60K	$8K-18K
Twin Falls	$12K-30K	$15K-45K	$6K-15K

FF&E Costs

Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment

Per Bed Budgets:

Category	Budget	Mid-Range	Premium
Resident Room	$4,000-5,500	$5,500-7,500	$7,500-10,000
Common Areas	$2,000-3,000	$3,000-4,500	$4,500-6,000
Dining	$1,500-2,500	$2,500-3,500	$3,500-5,000
Kitchen	$1,000-1,500	$1,500-2,500	$2,500-4,000
Administrative	$500-1,000	$1,000-1,500	$1,500-2,500
Total per Bed	$9,000-13,500	$13,500-19,500	$19,500-27,500

Technology Investments

System	Cost Range	Notes
Nurse Call System	$50K-100K	Required
Security/Access	$30K-60K	Cameras, access control
Fire Alarm	$40K-80K	Code required
Phone/Data	$25K-50K	Infrastructure
EHR System	$20K-50K	Software and setup
Entertainment	$15K-30K	TVs, common areas
Total Technology	$180K-370K

Sample Project Budgets

60-Bed Facility - Boise Metro

Category	Cost	% of Total
Land (3 acres)	$1,800,000	11%
Hard Construction (48,000 SF)	$12,000,000	72%
Soft Costs	$1,800,000	11%
FF&E	$720,000	4%
Working Capital	$350,000	2%
Total	$16,670,000	100%
Cost per Bed	$277,833

60-Bed Facility - Idaho Falls

Category	Cost	% of Total
Land (3 acres)	$750,000	6%
Hard Construction (48,000 SF)	$10,560,000	76%
Soft Costs	$1,400,000	10%
FF&E	$660,000	5%
Working Capital	$300,000	2%
Total	$13,670,000	100%
Cost per Bed	$227,833

80-Bed Facility - Coeur d'Alene

Category	Cost	% of Total
Land (4 acres)	$2,400,000	11%
Hard Construction (64,000 SF)	$17,280,000	75%
Soft Costs	$2,600,000	11%
FF&E	$1,040,000	5%
Working Capital	$450,000	2%
Total	$23,770,000	100%
Cost per Bed	$297,125

Cost Factors and Variables

Cost Drivers

Increasing Costs:

Labor shortages
Material price inflation
Land appreciation (Boise)
Regulatory requirements
Quality expectations
Technology requirements

Cost Reduction Opportunities:

Value engineering
Efficient design
Competitive bidding
Phased development
Alternative locations
Standardized plans

Regional Considerations

Boise Metro:

Highest land costs
Most competitive labor market
Fastest permitting (generally)
Best contractor availability
Premium market supports costs

North Idaho:

Seasonal construction challenges
Limited contractor pool
Higher material transport costs
Premium market positioning
Scenic site premiums

Eastern/Southern Idaho:

Lower overall costs
Good contractor availability
Longer permitting in some areas
Lower market rates
Value-focused development

Financing Construction Costs

Construction Loan Options

Loan Type	LTC	Rate	Term
Bank Construction	70-80%	Prime + 1-2%	18-24 months
SBA 504	90%	Fixed + Variable	Construction + Perm
HUD 232	85%	Fixed	40 years

Equity Requirements

Typical Equity Needs:

Loan Type	Equity Required	60-Bed Project
Bank	20-30%	$3.3M-5.0M
SBA	10-15%	$1.7M-2.5M
HUD	15-20%	$2.5M-3.3M

Timeline and Phasing

Development Timeline

Phase	Duration	Key Activities
Pre-Development	6-12 months	Site selection, design, approvals
Financing	2-4 months	Loan application, closing
Construction	12-18 months	Building construction
Lease-Up	12-18 months	Marketing, occupancy ramp
Total	32-52 months

Idaho-Specific Timeline Factors

Advantages:

Generally efficient permitting
Business-friendly environment
Available contractors
Reasonable inspection timelines

Challenges:

Winter construction limitations
Seasonal labor availability
Material delivery to rural areas
DHW licensing timeline

Cost Management Strategies

Pre-Construction

Thorough Planning: Complete design before bidding
Value Engineering: Optimize design for cost
Competitive Bidding: Multiple contractor bids
Fixed-Price Contracts: Lock in costs where possible
Contingency Planning: Adequate reserves

During Construction

Change Order Control: Minimize scope changes
Progress Monitoring: Regular site visits
Draw Management: Verify work before payment
Quality Control: Prevent costly rework
Timeline Management: Avoid delay costs

Related Resources

Idaho-Specific Pages

General Resources

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Disclaimer: Construction costs vary significantly based on location, design, market conditions, and timing. These estimates are for planning purposes only. Obtain detailed bids from qualified contractors for accurate project budgeting. All financing provided by Jaken Finance Group, subject to approval.