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Change of Occupancy / Change of Use Permit in Great Falls, Montana

Great Falls does not publish a separate standalone 'change of use' or 'Certificate of Occupancy' permit application or fee. Per 2021 IBC/IRC Section 105.1 as locally adopted, changing the occupancy classification of a building or structure requires a permit application to the Building Official -- in practice this is processed through the City's standard Commercial Building Permit Application or Commercial Tenant Improvement (TI) Building Permit Application, both of which capture the declared Occupancy Type and Construction Type directly on the form. A Certificate of Occupancy is issued by the Building Official once all required plans, inspections, and approvals are complete.

Reviewed 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Any change in the occupancy classification of a building or structure requires an application to the Building Official and issuance of a permit, per 2021 IBC/IRC Section 105.1 as locally adopted -- confirmed directly from the City of Great Falls Building Division FAQs
  • Great Falls has no distinct change-of-occupancy application; the change is processed through the standard Commercial Building Permit Application or the Commercial Tenant Improvement (TI) Building Permit Application, both of which require the applicant to declare Construction Type and Occupancy Type on the form itself
  • Governed by the 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), Chapter 10 (Change of Occupancy), as adopted by the City of Great Falls September 9, 2022, in addition to the 2021 IBC/IRC permit requirement
  • Commercial plans must be stamped by a Montana-licensed architect or engineer
  • A Certificate of Occupancy is issued by the Building Official once all required plans, inspections, and approvals for the new occupancy are complete

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee -- valuation-based (same table used for all commercial building/TI permits)No separate change-of-occupancy or Certificate-of-Occupancy fee line was found in Resolution No. 10374, Exhibit A, the City's 2023-revised Building Fee Schedule, or the Building Permit Fees / Fee Schedule pages -- a change of occupancy is billed as an ordinary commercial building or TI permit
Determined by declared project valuation against the standard Building Permit Fee table
Commercial Plan Review FeeResolution No. 10374, Exhibit A
65% of the Building Permit Fee

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Change of Occupancy / Change of Use Permit permit actually take in Great Falls?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Final / Occupancy Inspection

    Building Official verifies compliance with the new occupancy classification's requirements (egress, fire separation, accessibility, fire sprinklers, etc.) before issuing a Certificate of Occupancy

See the full Great Falls inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Great Falls does not have a distinct 'change of use' or 'Certificate of Occupancy' permit -- any change in occupancy classification is processed through the standard Commercial Building Permit or Tenant Improvement (TI) Building Permit application, which captures the new Occupancy Type and Construction Type directly on the form.
  • Both the Commercial Building Permit and Commercial TI Building Permit applications ask whether the space has fire sprinklers, since occupancy classification and fire sprinkler status jointly determine code requirements under the 2021 IBC and IEBC Chapter 10.
  • Commercial plans -- including for a change of occupancy -- must be stamped by a Montana-licensed architect or engineer.

Frequently asked questions

Great Falls requires a change of occupancy / change of use permit for: Any change in the occupancy classification of a building or structure requires an application to the Building Official and issuance of a permit, per 2021 IBC/IRC Section 105.1 as locally adopted -- confirmed directly from the City of Great Falls Building Division FAQs; Great Falls has no distinct change-of-occupancy application; the change is processed through the standard Commercial Building Permit Application or the Commercial Tenant Improvement (TI) Building Permit Application, both of which require the applicant to declare Construction Type and Occupancy Type on the form itself; Governed by the 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), Chapter 10 (Change of Occupancy), as adopted by the City of Great Falls September 9, 2022, in addition to the 2021 IBC/IRC permit requirement; Commercial plans must be stamped by a Montana-licensed architect or engineer; A Certificate of Occupancy is issued by the Building Official once all required plans, inspections, and approvals for the new occupancy are complete. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Great Falls Building Division (Planning & Community Development Department) at (406) 455-8430 before starting work.

In Great Falls, the published Building Permit Fee -- valuation-based (same table used for all commercial building/TI permits) is: Determined by declared project valuation against the standard Building Permit Fee table. Additional published fees: Commercial Plan Review Fee — 65% of the Building Permit Fee. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Great Falls does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Great Falls Building Division (Planning & Community Development Department) at (406) 455-8430 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Commercial Building Permit Application or Commercial Tenant Improvement (TI) Building Permit Application; Commercial Building Permit Checklist or TI Building Permit Checklist. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Great Falls requires 1 inspection(s) for a change of occupancy / change of use permit, in order: Final / Occupancy Inspection. Schedule each through City of Great Falls Building Division (Planning & Community Development Department) ((406) 455-8430).

Apply through City of Great Falls Building Division (Planning & Community Development Department) at Civic Center, 2 Park Drive South, Room 112, P.O. Box 5021, Great Falls, MT 59403-5021. Phone: (406) 455-8430, email: permit@greatfallsmt.gov. Office hours: Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Official information: https://greatfallsmt.gov/627/Building-Division.

No. Great Falls does not publish a standalone change-of-use or Certificate of Occupancy application. A change in a building's occupancy classification requires a permit under 2021 IBC/IRC Section 105.1, processed through the standard Commercial Building Permit or Commercial Tenant Improvement (TI) Building Permit application, both of which capture the declared Occupancy Type. A Certificate of Occupancy is then issued by the Building Official once all plans, inspections, and approvals are complete.

The 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), Chapter 10 (Change of Occupancy), as adopted by the City of Great Falls September 9, 2022, in addition to the 2021 IBC/IRC Section 105.1 permit requirement.

Sources & verification

Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-22.

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Great Falls building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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