Deck / Accessory Structure Permit in Lewistown, Montana

Decks, sheds, and other detached accessory structures (garages, barns, playhouses, greenhouses) within Lewistown city limits fall under the City's standard Building Permit process for additions/structural work, subject to the City's setback requirements for accessory structures.

Verified 2026-07-03 · Source

When you need this permit

Detached tool/storage sheds, playhouses, greenhouses, and other accessory buildings must be set back 3 feet from a side property line, 3 feet from a rear property line without street/alley frontage, 0 feet from an alley property line, and 10 feet from a side street property line
Site plan showing dimensions from property lines to the proposed structure, consistent with the Residential Building Permit Application Procedure requirements for additions
Decks and accessory structures involving new structural framing follow the same plan submittal requirements as additions (floor plan, foundation/framing plan, cross sections)
Private Property Accessory Building electrical work (garage, barn, etc.) requires a separate STATE-issued electrical permit — see electrical-permit-state

Required documents

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RequiredResidential Building Permit Application (Additions)Same City of Lewistown form used for additions and new structures, applied to decks/accessory structures
RequiredSite PlanShows setback dimensions from property lines to the proposed deck or accessory structure

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Fee schedule

Building permit feeNo published fee schedule exists for Lewistown deck/accessory structure permits; the same general Residential Building Permit Application Procedure and Commercial/Residential checklists were checked with no fee table found. Left null rather than estimated.

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

Accessory structure setbacks (3 ft side, 3 ft rear without alley/street frontage, 0 ft from an alley, 10 ft from a side street) apply regardless of whether the structure requires a full building permit — confirm applicability with the Building Department for small sheds.
If the accessory structure will be wired for electricity, a separate STATE-issued (not city) electrical permit is required from the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau — Lewistown is Building-certified only.

Frequently asked questions

Structural work is reviewed under the City's standard Building Permit process; setbacks (3 ft side/rear, 0 ft alley, 10 ft side street) apply to detached accessory buildings. Contact the Building Department at (406) 535-1776 to confirm whether your specific structure size/use requires a full permit.

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: Residential Building Permit Application (Additions); Site Plan. 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.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-03.

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. — official building department

Applications & forms

Residential Building Permit Application Procedure (PDF)

Department & other records

City of Lewistown — Building Department

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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