Columbia Falls building permits

Building department

Address

130 6th St West, Columbia Falls, MT 59912

Phone

(406) 892-4391

Email

sobczakc@cityofcolumbiafalls.com

Office hours

City Hall, 130 6th St West, Columbia Falls, MT 59912. Building/Planning/Public Works Clerk: Caleb Sobczak, (406) 892-4432, sobczakc@cityofcolumbiafalls.com. All building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permit applications begin at City Hall by contacting the Building Clerk; actual building inspections are scheduled directly with the City of Whitefish Building Department, (406) 863-2410, buildingdept@cityofwhitefish.gov, under a contractual inspection-services agreement between the two cities. Source: City of Columbia Falls Building Inspection & Code Enforcement page, cityofcolumbiafalls.org/1204/Building-Inspection-Code-Enforcement

Website

Official site

Inspection guide

See how inspections work in Columbia Falls — sequence, scheduling & re-inspection fees.

Codes adopted

Montana adopts a single statewide building code by rule and, by default, enforces it directly — local governments only gain enforcement authority once the state certifies them. Under the Montana Building Codes Act (Mont. Code Ann. Title 50, Chapter 60), the Department of Labor & Industry's Building Codes Bureau adopts one state building code applicable everywhere (§ 50-60-203, codified further at Administrative Rules of Montana Title 24, Chapter 301) — currently the 2021 editions of the IBC, IRC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, IEBC, ISPSC, and UPC, with the 2020 NEC for electrical (effective statewide since 6/11/2022 per the Bureau's own Current Codes page). A city, county, or town may adopt and enforce its own building-code program under § 50-60-301, but its adopted code "may include only codes adopted by the Building Codes Bureau" — a local edition can never diverge from or be less stringent than the state's. Critically, under § 50-60-302, a local government cannot enforce ANY building code — even one it has formally adopted — until the Bureau certifies its program (requiring an approved code, a published fee schedule, an enforcement plan, and properly licensed or nationally certified inspectors); certification is granted per TRADE, not as one blanket designation. The Bureau's own "Certified City, County and Town Programs" list uses the key B=Building, P=Plumbing, E=Electrical, M=Mechanical, SP=Pool, W=Wildland-Urban-Interface — a jurisdiction can be certified for Building only while Electrical/Plumbing/Mechanical remain directly state-enforced within the same city limits (e.g., Havre, Anaconda-Deer Lodge), or certified across all trades (e.g., Billings, Missoula, Great Falls, Bozeman, Helena, Kalispell). Non-certified jurisdictions — most of Montana's unincorporated county land, since very few counties appear on the certified list — fall under direct enforcement by the state Building Codes Bureau (§ 50-60-304). Montana also exempts private homes and buildings of four or fewer dwelling units not serving transient guests from the state building-permit requirement entirely, though electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits remain separately required regardless. Always confirm with the specific jurisdiction which trades it is certified for versus which remain directly state-enforced.

• 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 (building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, swimming pool, wildland-urban interface, etc.); a certified local program's adopted code 'may include only codes adopted by the Building Codes Bureau' (ARM 24.301.202). Non-certified trades/areas fall under direct state administration by the DLI Building Codes Bureau. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Certified City, County and Town Programs and Current Codes pages (bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits).
• Columbia Falls is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B), Plumbing (P), Electrical (E), Mechanical (M), Swimming Pool (SP), AND Wildland-Urban Interface (W) within Columbia Falls city limits — the fullest certification tier on the statewide DLI list (matched only by Whitefish and Bozeman). Certified Building Official of record: Tad Lisowski, per the DLI 'CITY CODES BUILDING OFFICIAL PHONE JURISDICTION' certified-jurisdictions PDF (bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf), updated 04/22/2026. Legend on that PDF: B = Building, P = Plumbing, M/G = Medical Gas, E = Electrical, M = Mechanical, SP = Pool, W = WUI (Wildland-Urban Interface). Tad Lisowski is also the certified building official of record for Whitefish, consistent with the two cities' shared building-inspection arrangement.
• The City of Columbia Falls has adopted all 2021 building-related codes (2021 IBC, IRC, IEBC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, ISPSC editions as adopted statewide, effective June 11, 2022) per 'Administrative Order 2022 Building Code Adoption,' referenced on the City's Permits & Applications page. Source: City of Columbia Falls Permits & Applications page, cityofcolumbiafalls.org/1240/Permits-Applications.
• 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; adopted by City of Columbia Falls per Administrative Order 2022 Building Code Adoption
• 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; adopted by City of Columbia Falls per Administrative Order 2022 Building Code Adoption
• 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; state-adopted edition applicable within Columbia Falls' certified Building program
• 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; adopted by City of Columbia Falls per Administrative Order 2022 Building Code Adoption
• 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; state-adopted edition applicable within Columbia Falls' certified Mechanical program
• 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; adopted by City of Columbia Falls per Administrative Order 2022 Building Code Adoption; the City's Building Permit Application requires ResCheck or the Prescriptive Method for energy-code compliance
• 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; state-adopted edition applicable within Columbia Falls' certified Plumbing program (Montana uses the Uniform Plumbing Code, not the International Plumbing Code)
• 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; applicable within Columbia Falls' certified Electrical program per the City's Electrical Permit Application, which cites Title 50, Chapter 60, MCA and ARM 24.301.421/24.301.203
• 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; Columbia Falls is DLI-certified for swimming pool (SP) permitting
• 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) — state-adopted edition; the City's Building Permit Application references a 'Fire Prevention Program Fee' as a distinct line item collected with building permit fees
• Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) code provisions — Columbia Falls holds DLI 'W' certification, meaning the City (not the state) enforces WUI code requirements within city limits. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau certified-jurisdictions PDF.

Permit types & fees

• Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel / Repair)

  Required for new single-family residential construction, additions, remodels, repairs, and demolition within Columbia Falls city limits. Issued by the City of Columbia Falls Building Department under its DLI-certified local Building program (2021 IBC/IRC editions, Administrative Order 2022 Building Code Adoption). Application process begins at City Hall with the Building Clerk; inspections are performed under contract by the City of Whitefish Building Department.

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• Residential Addition / Remodel / Repair Permit

  Required for additions, remodels, and repairs to existing residential structures within Columbia Falls city limits, processed through the same general Building Permit Application used for new construction (Class of Work: Addition, Remodel, or Repair). Reviewed against the 2021 IRC as adopted per Administrative Order 2022 Building Code Adoption.

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• Electrical Permit

  Required for electrical installation, alteration, or repair work within Columbia Falls city limits, governed by the 2020 NEC. Columbia Falls is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for electrical permitting, so this permit is issued and inspected locally (unlike non-certified Montana jurisdictions such as Havre, where it is issued by the state).

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• Plumbing Permit

  Required for plumbing installation, alteration, or repair work within Columbia Falls city limits, governed by the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC). Columbia Falls is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for plumbing permitting, so this permit is issued and inspected locally.

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• Mechanical / HVAC Permit

  Required for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and related mechanical installations within Columbia Falls city limits, governed by the 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC). Columbia Falls is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for mechanical permitting, so this permit is issued and inspected locally.

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• Re-Roofing Permit

  Re-roofing within Columbia Falls city limits is processed through the standard Building Permit Application (Class of Work: Repair), since no separate roofing-specific application, checklist, or fee schedule is published by the City. Governed by the 2021 IRC/IBC roofing provisions as adopted per Administrative Order 2022 Building Code Adoption.

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• Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit

  Solar PV installations within Columbia Falls city limits require both a standard Building Permit (for the structural/roof- or ground-mounting component) and a standard Electrical Permit (for the electrical interconnection); no dedicated solar-specific application, checklist, or fee line is published by the City.

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• Demolition Permit

  Demolition of a structure within Columbia Falls city limits is processed through the standard Building Permit Application, which explicitly lists Demolition as a Class of Work option. No separate demolition-specific application, checklist, or bond requirement is published by the City.

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• Fence and Retaining Wall Permit

  Fences in Columbia Falls are regulated by zoning-district height limits under Title 18 (Zoning Regulations) rather than a dedicated fence-permit application; retaining walls over 36 inches in height are regulated as an accessory structure and require a building permit under Title 18, Chapter 18.436.

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• Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger / EVSE Permit

  Columbia Falls has no dedicated EV charger/EVSE-specific application, checklist, or fee line published -- confirmed against the City's Permits & Applications page (Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing Permit Applications) and its Electrical Permit Application form itself, mirroring the same gap already documented for the solar-pv-permit entry in this file. Columbia Falls is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Electrical, so this permit is issued and inspected locally by the City (unlike non-certified Montana jurisdictions such as Choteau and Colstrip elsewhere in this dataset, where it is issued by the state). An EVSE circuit installation is billed under the City's own itemized Electrical Permit fee schedule, governed by the 2020 NEC.

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• Sign Permit

  Required to display, erect, relocate, or alter any sign within Columbia Falls city limits and its extraterritorial zone, except signs specifically exempted by Municipal Code Title 18, Chapter 18.438 (Signs). Issued by the City of Columbia Falls Building Inspector/Zoning Administrator upon review of an application and scaled sign drawings against the district-specific standards in Chapter 18.438.

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• Fire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm System Permit

  Columbia Falls publishes no standalone fire-sprinkler or fire-alarm permit application separate from the general Building Permit process. Fire-suppression and fire-alarm system work associated with new construction or a remodel is submitted with the general Building Permit Application (which itemizes a 'Fire Prevention Program Fee') and is verified at a 'Final Fire (fire suppression & alarm tests)' inspection performed by the City of Whitefish Building Department under the same inter-city inspection-services contract used for all other trades. Columbia Falls' Montana DLI local-government certification (documented elsewhere in this record) covers Building, Plumbing, Electrical, Mechanical, Swimming Pool, and Wildland-Urban Interface — it does not include a distinct 'Fire' trade category — so the authority responsible for reviewing fire-protection-system plans under the state-adopted 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) is not clearly established by any City-published source.

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• Change of Use / Certificate of Occupancy

  Columbia Falls publishes no standalone change-of-use or certificate-of-occupancy application, checklist, or fee. The City's Building Permit Application's 'Class of Work' field is limited to New, Addition, Remodel, Repair, and Demolition and contains no Change of Use or Change of Occupancy option. Montana law (MCA 50-60-107) establishes the certificate-of-occupancy concept for buildings built under a certified local building code, and Columbia Falls has adopted the 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), which contains the governing change-of-occupancy provisions, but no City-specific implementing process, fee, or timeline was found published.

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