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Residential Building Permit (New Construction) — Great Falls, Montana · Requirements sheet
Verified 2026-07-02 · Source: https://greatfallsmt.gov/969/Residential-Building-Permits
PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency. Requirements change and vary by project — confirm current details with the building department before you submit.
Residential Building Permit (New Construction) in Great Falls, Montana
Required for new single-family and duplex/tri-plex residential construction in Great Falls. Reviewed against the 2021 IRC and 2021 IECC as locally adopted. Plans are reviewed by the Planning & Community Development Department, Building Division, in the order received.
Verified 2026-07-02 · Source
When you need this permit
- Building permit and plan review required prior to starting construction (OCCGF Title 15)
- Complete application with main point of contact; total project cost (labor, material, subcontractor costs, including homeowner's own labor at actual cost) must be disclosed
- A completed Utility Locate Form (completed no more than 30 days prior to permit issuance)
- Address must be assigned by Mapping & Addressing (406-455-8437) prior to application submittal
- Geotechnical soils report required for new construction — two complete, signed reports stamped by a Montana-licensed design professional, coordinated with foundation design
- Two complete sets of plans: site plan, building elevations (all 4 sides), foundation plan, floor plan (each floor), wall detail, stair detail, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC plans
- Energy code compliance via Option A (IRC prescriptive insulation values) or Option B (REScheck submitted with the application)
- Blower door test required prior to Certificate of Occupancy issuance (new construction), performed by an approved third party
- Structural plans/calculations required for wood glu-lam beams, steel beams, and retaining walls over 4 feet (measured from bottom of footing to top of wall)
- Minimum plan paper size 11" x 17"; plans marked "Not for Construction" will not be accepted
Required documents
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Fee schedule
Building Permit Fee — valuation $1 to $50,000Resolution No. 10374 (adopted Nov. 17, 2020, amending Title 15 OCCGF), Exhibit A, Building Permit Fees — Effective August 7, 2018; verified directly from the resolution PDF, page 2, rendered and read visually
Ranges from $62.61 (value $1-$1,000) up to $710.45 (value $49,001-$50,000), per the $1,000-increment table in Exhibit A
Building Permit Fee — valuation $50,001 to $100,000Resolution No. 10374, Exhibit A
Ranges from $718.07 (value $50,001-$51,000) up to $1,091.02 (value $99,001-$100,000), per the $1,000-increment table in Exhibit A
Building Permit Fee — valuation $100,001 to $500,000Resolution No. 10374, Exhibit A
$1,091.02 for the first $100,000 plus $6.39 for each additional $1,000 or portion thereof
Building Permit Fee — valuation $500,001 to $1,000,000Resolution No. 10374, Exhibit A
$3,646.14 for the first $500,000 plus $5.04 for each additional $1,000 or portion thereof
Building Permit Fee — valuation $1,000,000 and upResolution No. 10374, Exhibit A
$6,161.34 for the first $1,000,000 plus $3.81 for each additional $1,000 or portion thereof
Residential Plan Review FeeResolution No. 10374, Exhibit A
50% of the Building Permit Fee
Investigation Fee (work commenced before permit issuance)Resolution No. 10374, Exhibit A
Equal to the building permit fee (charged in addition to the permit fee)
Re-inspection FeeCity of Great Falls Homeowner's Electrical/Plumbing/Mechanical Permit Application forms (Updated 3/2026) — this is the current re-inspection rate and supersedes the $62.62/hr figure in the 2018/2020 fee resolution, which has not been reissued as of this verification
$67.63 per hour, minimum 1-hour charge
Review timeline
Plan reviewGreat Falls’s published plan-review target
5–10 business days
Inspection process
- 1
Foundation / Footings
Before concrete pour, per geotechnical report and structural plans
- 2
Framing
After framing complete, before insulation or wall cover
- 3
MEP Rough-In
Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical rough-in before walls closed; separate trade permits required
- 4
Blower Door Test
Required for new construction prior to Certificate of Occupancy; must be performed by an approved third party
- 5
Final
All work complete, boulevard landscaping and driveways/sidewalks complete, Certificate of Occupancy issued
See the full Great Falls inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →
Tips
- Residential plan review typically takes 5-10 working days after a complete application is submitted; commercial review takes about 30 business days. Plans are reviewed first-come, first-served (City of Great Falls Building Division FAQs).
- A geotechnical soils report is required up front for new construction — budget time for this before submitting your building permit application; plans will not be accepted until it is submitted.
- If work starts before a permit is issued, an Investigation Fee equal to the full permit fee is assessed on top of the permit fee itself.
- Every permit becomes invalid if work is not started within 180 days of issuance, or is abandoned/suspended for 180 days.
- Blower door testing is required before a Certificate of Occupancy will be issued for new construction.
Frequently asked questions
Great Falls requires a residential building permit (new construction) for: Building permit and plan review required prior to starting construction (OCCGF Title 15); Complete application with main point of contact; total project cost (labor, material, subcontractor costs, including homeowner's own labor at actual cost) must be disclosed; A completed Utility Locate Form (completed no more than 30 days prior to permit issuance); Address must be assigned by Mapping & Addressing (406-455-8437) prior to application submittal; Geotechnical soils report required for new construction — two complete, signed reports stamped by a Montana-licensed design professional, coordinated with foundation design; Two complete sets of plans: site plan, building elevations (all 4 sides), foundation plan, floor plan (each floor), wall detail, stair detail, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC plans; Energy code compliance via Option A (IRC prescriptive insulation values) or Option B (REScheck submitted with the application); Blower door test required prior to Certificate of Occupancy issuance (new construction), performed by an approved third party; Structural plans/calculations required for wood glu-lam beams, steel beams, and retaining walls over 4 feet (measured from bottom of footing to top of wall); Minimum plan paper size 11" x 17"; plans marked "Not for Construction" will not be accepted. 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.
Fees are based on the project's declared valuation (labor, materials, and subcontractor costs, including the value of homeowner labor), or the ICC Building Valuation Data table if the declared value appears too low, whichever is higher. The fee is then read off Resolution No. 10374's valuation table, plus a residential plan review fee of 50% of the permit fee.
Typically 5 to 10 working days after a complete application is submitted, per the City of Great Falls Building Division FAQs. Plans are reviewed in the order received, so submitting a complete, high-quality plan set is the best way to avoid delay.
You'll need: Residential Building Permit Application; Residential Building Permit Checklist; Utility Locate Form; Geotechnical Soils Report; REScheck or Prescriptive Energy Compliance Documentation. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.
Great Falls requires 5 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction), in order: Foundation / Footings, Framing, MEP Rough-In, Blower Door Test, Final. 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.
Great Falls, Montana has adopted: 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — adopted by the City of Great Falls September 9, 2022, effective per city adoption (state effective date June 11, 2022 under ARM Title 24, Chapter 301); city stopped accepting the prior 2018-cycle codes as of November 9, 2022; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — adopted September 9, 2022; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — adopted September 9, 2022; 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) — adopted September 9, 2022 (Montana uses the UPC, not the International Plumbing Code); 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — adopted September 9, 2022; 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — adopted September 9, 2022; 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) — adopted September 9, 2022 (Montana's statewide NEC edition is 2020, not 2021, per ARM Title 24, Chapter 301); 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — adopted September 9, 2022; 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — adopted September 9, 2022; 2021 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) — part of the certified program scope ("W"); ICC A117.1-2017 Accessibility Code — statewide standard incorporated by reference; 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) — adopted separately by the City of Great Falls effective May 25, 2023 (amending OCCGF Title 15), administered by Great Falls Fire Rescue rather than the Building Division. Local amendments apply — see the Great Falls overview page for the full list.
Sources & verification
Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-02.
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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