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Change Of Use / Change Of Occupancy Review (case-by-case, via Commercial Building Permit -- no standalone product found) — Lewistown, Montana · Requirements sheet
Reviewed 2026-07-22 · Source: https://www.cityoflewistown.com/images/pdf/Commercial-Permit-Checklist-10.2022.pdf
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.
Change Of Use / Change Of Occupancy Review (case-by-case, via Commercial Building Permit -- no standalone product found) in Lewistown, Montana
Lewistown does not publish a standalone Change of Use, Change of Occupancy, or Certificate of Occupancy permit application, fee, or timeline. The City's Commercial Building Permit Checklist (Rev. 9/1/2022) states verbatim: "Requirements for Tenant Improvements, Change in Use or Change in Occupancy will be reviewed on a case by case basis," administered by the Building Department through the same review used for new commercial construction. Applicants should separately confirm zoning "permitted use" status using the City's Development Review Checklist before submittal, since a use not permitted outright in the existing zoning district requires a Board of Adjustment variance approved and submitted to the Building Department before any permit can issue.
Reviewed 2026-07-22 · Source
When you need this permit
- No dedicated Change of Use / Change of Occupancy / Certificate of Occupancy application form is published by the City; per the Commercial Building Permit Checklist (Rev. 9/1/2022), "Requirements for Tenant Improvements, Change in Use or Change in Occupancy will be reviewed on a case by case basis" -- applicants must contact the Building Department directly to determine what documentation is required for their specific scope
- The City's Development Review Checklist requires the applicant to confirm, prior to plan submittal, whether the "Proposed Use" is a Permitted Use under the property's Existing Zoning Classification
- If the proposed use is not a permitted use (or otherwise varies from City Code on setbacks, height, density, or lot coverage), a variance must be approved by the Board of Adjustment and a copy submitted to the Building Department prior to issuance of any building permit (Development Review Checklist)
- Where the change of use/occupancy involves construction or a life-safety reclassification, the applicant is directed through the applicable portions of the Commercial Building Permit process (stamped plans, contractor licensing, fire protection plans, etc.), scaled to the scope determined case-by-case by the Building Department
- Applications route through the City's standard multi-department internal review (Building, Planning/Zoning, Public Works, 911 Coordinator, Fire Department); commercial applications may also be sent for external review at the building official's discretion, with added review costs added to the permit fee
Required documents
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Fee schedule
Change of Use / Change of Occupancy review fee
No published fee exists for a change-of-use or change-of-occupancy review. Show full citationHide
No published fee exists for a change-of-use or change-of-occupancy review. The Commercial Building Permit Checklist (Rev. 9/1/2022) states this is reviewed "on a case by case basis" but lists no dollar figure; the Building Department page, Forms & Applications, Plans & Documents, and Development Review Checklist were all checked and none publish a fee table for this specific review. Left null rather than estimated; contact the Building Department at (406) 535-1776 for a current quote scaled to your project.Not published — contact the department
Review timeline
Plan review
Not published — contact the department
Inspection process
See the full Lewistown inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →
Tips
- Before submitting anything, confirm with the Building Department or City Planner whether your proposed new use is a Permitted Use in your property's current zoning district (use the Development Review Checklist) -- if it is not, you will need a Board of Adjustment variance approved BEFORE any permit can be issued.
- This review is explicitly case-by-case, with no published fee or timeline. Call the Building Department at (406) 535-1776 early to scope what documentation and which review track — a full Commercial Building Permit or a lighter tenant-improvement review — will apply to your specific change.
- No standalone Certificate of Occupancy document or fee separate from the underlying Building Permit process was found published by the City as of the last verification.
Frequently asked questions
Lewistown requires a change of use / change of occupancy review (case-by-case, via commercial building permit -- no standalone product found) for: No dedicated Change of Use / Change of Occupancy / Certificate of Occupancy application form is published by the City; per the Commercial Building Permit Checklist (Rev. 9/1/2022), "Requirements for Tenant Improvements, Change in Use or Change in Occupancy will be reviewed on a case by case basis" -- applicants must contact the Building Department directly to determine what documentation is required for their specific scope; The City's Development Review Checklist requires the applicant to confirm, prior to plan submittal, whether the "Proposed Use" is a Permitted Use under the property's Existing Zoning Classification; If the proposed use is not a permitted use (or otherwise varies from City Code on setbacks, height, density, or lot coverage), a variance must be approved by the Board of Adjustment and a copy submitted to the Building Department prior to issuance of any building permit (Development Review Checklist); Where the change of use/occupancy involves construction or a life-safety reclassification, the applicant is directed through the applicable portions of the Commercial Building Permit process (stamped plans, contractor licensing, fire protection plans, etc.), scaled to the scope determined case-by-case by the Building Department; Applications route through the City's standard multi-department internal review (Building, Planning/Zoning, Public Works, 911 Coordinator, Fire Department); commercial applications may also be sent for external review at the building official's discretion, with added review costs added to the permit fee. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Lewistown Building Department — Building Inspector Joe Ward; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Lewistown city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at (406) 535-1776 before starting work.
Lewistown does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Lewistown Building Department — Building Inspector Joe Ward; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Lewistown city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at (406) 535-1776 for current turnaround.
You'll need: Change of Use / Change of Occupancy Documentation (determined case-by-case by the Building Department). Depending on your project, Lewistown may also ask for: Development Review Checklist. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.
Apply through City of Lewistown Building Department — Building Inspector Joe Ward; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Lewistown city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at 305 W Watson St, Lewistown, MT 59457 (Building Department office also cited at 308 4th Avenue South, Lewistown, MT). Phone: (406) 535-1776, email: building@ci.lewistown.mt.us. Office hours: Not published on the City's Building Department page as of the last verification. Building Inspector: Joe Ward, (406) 535-1776, building@ci.lewistown.mt.us; general Building Department line/fax (406) 535-1760 / (406) 535-3323 per city directory listings.. Official information: https://www.cityoflewistown.com/services/building-department.
Lewistown, Montana has adopted: Montana has a mandatory statewide building code administered by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry (DLI) Building Codes Bureau, amended by the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) Title 24, Chapter 301. Cities, counties, and towns may become 'certified' to locally administer permitting and inspection for all or part of the code; non-certified trades in a partially-certified jurisdiction fall under direct state administration by the DLI Building Codes Bureau. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Certified Local Government Program roster (bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits).; Lewistown is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B) ONLY within city limits; certified building official on file with DLI: Holy Phelps, (406) 535-1776. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, 'Montana Certified Local Government Program' roster, updated 04/22/2026, https://bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf — row: 'Lewistown | B | Holy Phelps | 535-1776 | City Limits'.; Per the City of Lewistown's own Public Notice 'Adoption of Building Codes' (Lewistown Public Works Administrative Order, dated August 12, 2022, issued pursuant to Lewistown Ordinance Section 4-4-1 adopted by the City Commission May 6, 2002, signed by Public Works Director Tim Majerus), the following codes are adopted and effective within the City of Lewistown as of September 1, 2022: International Building Code 2021 Edition (as amended by ARM 24.301.131), International Residential Code 2021 Edition (as amended by ARM 24.301.154), International Energy Conservation Code 2021 Edition (as amended by ARM 24.301.161), and International Existing Building Code 2021 Edition (as amended by ARM 24.301.171). Source: City of Lewistown, images/pdf/2021-Code-adoption.pdf; The City's Commercial Building Permit Checklist (Revised 9/1/2022) additionally references the International Fire Code, 2012 Edition, as amended by ARM 23.12.601, and the City of Lewistown's Ordinance #1749 and #1750 as part of the adopted codes and ordinances applicants must show compliance with. Source: City of Lewistown, images/pdf/Commercial-Permit-Checklist-10.2022.pdf; The City's Residential Building Permit Application Procedure (Admin approved 1/30/2015) states plans must comply with the '2012 International Residential Code (IRC), 2012 International Energy Conservation Code as amended by ARM 24.301.161' — this is a stale reference predating the City's own September 2022 code-adoption notice; the governing current codes are the 2021 editions per the City's 2022 Public Works Administrative Order above. Source: City of Lewistown, images/pdf/Respremit012015.pdf (dated 2015, superseded in substance by the 2022 adoption notice but still the only published residential application-procedure document found); Per the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's Current Codes reference (statewide effective date June 11, 2022): 2021 IBC, 2021 IRC, 2021 IEBC, 2021 IMC, 2021 IFGC, 2021 IECC, 2021 ISPSC, 2021 UPC, 2020 NEC, 2017 ICC A117.1 Accessibility — consistent with the codes the City of Lewistown's own 2022 adoption notice cites for its Building-certified scope.. Local amendments apply — see the Lewistown overview page for the full list.
No standalone Change of Use, Change of Occupancy, or Certificate of Occupancy permit product is published by the City. Per the Commercial Building Permit Checklist (Rev. 9/1/2022), "Requirements for Tenant Improvements, Change in Use or Change in Occupancy will be reviewed on a case by case basis" by the Building Department, using the same multi-department review as new commercial construction.
The City's Development Review Checklist requires confirming Permitted Use status before submittal. If the proposed use is not permitted outright, a variance must be approved by the Board of Adjustment and a copy submitted to the Building Department before any permit will be issued.
Sources & verification
Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-22.
Checklists & handouts
Department & other records
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 Lewistown building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.
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