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Commercial Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) in Whitefish, Montana

Required for new commercial, industrial, office, and multi-family construction, additions, and remodels within Whitefish city limits. Requires a licensed architect's stamp on digital plans. Reviewed against the 2021 IBC and 2021 IECC (via COMcheck or prescriptive path) as adopted by the City of Whitefish.

Verified 2026-07-03 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Building permit required for new commercial construction, commercial storage buildings/garages of any size, commercial sheds over 120 sq ft, additions, and remodels
  • One (1) set of digital plans with a licensed architect's stamp required (detailed construction drawings at 1/4-inch scale)
  • Plans must comply with 2021 IBC, 2021 IRC, 2021 IECC, 2021 IEBC, 2021 IMC, 2021 IFGC, 2021 UPC, 2020 NEC, 2021 ISPSC, and 2021 IWUIC as adopted by the City of Whitefish
  • Energy code compliance demonstrated via Prescriptive path or COMcheck
  • Architectural Review Committee (ARC) approval required prior to building permit submittal for commercial/industrial/public buildings, triplex/fourplex/multi-family buildings, and two-unit townhouses
  • Completed Plumbing Fixture Form required if there is any change in plumbing fixtures
  • $500 plan review fee (deducted from building permit fees) required with application
  • Applications submitted electronically via the Citizen Portal or by email to buildingdept@cityofwhitefish.gov

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit FeeCity of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page, 'Fees' section
Based on a percentage of the estimated project cost (valuation-based); a deposit is required at time of permit submittal
Plan Review Fee (Commercial)City of Whitefish Commercial Building Permit Application (rev. 03-02-26), Required Documentation checklist
$500.00 (deducted from building permit fees at issuance)

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Commercial Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) permit actually take in Whitefish?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Footings / Foundation

    String line or letter of survey required before concrete pour

  2. 2

    Rough Framing / Rough Electrical / Rough Mechanical / Rough Plumbing

    Trade rough-ins verified before walls closed

  3. 3

    Fire Inspections

    Underslab flush test (bag test), sprinkler visual, dry system air test, hydrostatic test, alarm and flow test, emergency/exit light test, hood test — as applicable to commercial fire protection systems

  4. 4

    Final Building Inspection

    All prior inspections must have passed, including Final Electrical (over 400 amp or commercial), Final Fire (after all necessary fire tests are completed), Final Planning, and Final Public Works

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

Tips

  • Commercial, industrial, or public building projects (and triplex/fourplex/multi-family/two-unit townhouse projects) must obtain Architectural Review Committee approval before submitting the building permit application.
  • A minimum of 24 hours notice is required to schedule any inspection.
  • Fire inspections (sprinkler, alarm, hood test, etc.) are tracked separately on the Required Inspections List and must all pass before Final Building Inspection.
  • reviewTimelineDays is null (hard-unpublished): the City of Whitefish publishes no plan-review turnaround for commercial building permits on its Building Permits / Inspections page, Planning & Building page, FAQ, Current Fee Schedule PDF, or Citizen Portal, and City Code 10-1-4/10-1-1 sets no review-day period. The Montana DLI 'three weeks' plan-review figure applies only to STATE-administered permits and excludes certified local programs; Whitefish reviews its own commercial plans as a fully DLI-certified jurisdiction, so the state figure does not govern. No governing figure exists after exhausting the city site, city code, and MT DLI — note that ARC (Architectural Review Committee) approval is a separate prerequisite step that must precede submittal. Contact Planning & Building at (406) 863-2410 for current review timelines.

Frequently asked questions

Whitefish requires a commercial building permit (new construction / addition / remodel) for: Building permit required for new commercial construction, commercial storage buildings/garages of any size, commercial sheds over 120 sq ft, additions, and remodels; One (1) set of digital plans with a licensed architect's stamp required (detailed construction drawings at 1/4-inch scale); Plans must comply with 2021 IBC, 2021 IRC, 2021 IECC, 2021 IEBC, 2021 IMC, 2021 IFGC, 2021 UPC, 2020 NEC, 2021 ISPSC, and 2021 IWUIC as adopted by the City of Whitefish; Energy code compliance demonstrated via Prescriptive path or COMcheck; Architectural Review Committee (ARC) approval required prior to building permit submittal for commercial/industrial/public buildings, triplex/fourplex/multi-family buildings, and two-unit townhouses; Completed Plumbing Fixture Form required if there is any change in plumbing fixtures; $500 plan review fee (deducted from building permit fees) required with application; Applications submitted electronically via the Citizen Portal or by email to buildingdept@cityofwhitefish.gov. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Whitefish Planning & Building Department at (406) 863-2410 before starting work.

In Whitefish, the published Building Permit Fee is: Based on a percentage of the estimated project cost (valuation-based); a deposit is required at time of permit submittal. Additional published fees: Plan Review Fee (Commercial) — $500.00 (deducted from building permit fees at issuance). These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Whitefish does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Whitefish Planning & Building Department at (406) 863-2410 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Commercial Building Permit Application; Architect-Stamped Construction Drawings (1/4-inch scale); Architectural Review Committee (ARC) Approval Letter; Energy Code Compliance (COMcheck or Prescriptive). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Whitefish requires 4 inspection(s) for a commercial building permit (new construction / addition / remodel), in order: Footings / Foundation, Rough Framing / Rough Electrical / Rough Mechanical / Rough Plumbing, Fire Inspections, Final Building Inspection. Schedule each through City of Whitefish Planning & Building Department ((406) 863-2410).

Apply through City of Whitefish Planning & Building Department at 418 E 2nd Street, PO Box 158, Whitefish, MT 59937. Phone: (406) 863-2410, email: buildingdept@cityofwhitefish.gov. Office hours: Planning & Building Department, 418 E 2nd Street, Whitefish, MT 59937 (inspection requests: (406) 863-2414 or buildingdept@cityofwhitefish.gov, minimum 24 hours notice required). Official information: https://www.cityofwhitefish.gov/191/Building-Permits-Inspections.

Whitefish, 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 (building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, swimming pool, WUI, etc.); non-certified 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).; Whitefish is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B), Plumbing (P), Electrical (E), Mechanical (M), Swimming Pool (SP), AND Wildland-Urban Interface (W) within Whitefish city limits — the fullest certification tier on the DLI list, matching only Bozeman and Columbia Falls statewide. Certified Building Official of record: Tad Lisowski, (406) 863-2410. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, '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) — 'W' is NOT a water-heater designation.; 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; cited directly on the City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page as a code applicable plans must meet; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; cited on the City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page; 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; cited on the City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page; energy code compliance demonstrated via Prescriptive path, REScheck (residential), or COMcheck (commercial); 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; cited on the City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page; 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; cited on the City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page; 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; cited on the City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page; 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; cited on the City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page (Montana uses the Uniform Plumbing Code, not the International Plumbing Code); 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; cited on the City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page; 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; cited on the City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page; Whitefish is DLI-certified for swimming pool (SP) permitting; 2021 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) — statewide edition; cited on the City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page ('2021 IWUIC'); Whitefish is DLI-certified for WUI (W) and requires a Fire Risk Assessment per the 2021 WUI code on new construction and addition Residential Building Permit applications; City of Whitefish Code of Ordinances, Title 10 (Building Regulations), Chapter 1 (Building Codes): Section 10-1-1 Adoption of Technical Codes and Administrative Regulations; Section 10-1-4 Building Permits. Source: codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/whitefishmt. Local amendments apply — see the Whitefish overview page for the full list.

Yes. The Commercial Building Permit Application requires one set of digital plans with a licensed architect's stamp, in contrast to the Residential Building Permit Application which does not require an architect's stamp. Source: City of Whitefish Commercial Building Permit Application (rev. 03-02-26).

Sources & verification

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

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 Whitefish building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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