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Demolition / Moving Permit — Whitefish, Montana · Requirements sheet
Verified 2026-07-03 · Source: https://www.cityofwhitefish.gov/191/Building-Permits-Inspections
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.
Demolition / Moving Permit in Whitefish, Montana
Demolition or moving of a structure within Whitefish city limits is processed through the standard Building Permit Application; the City's impact-fee code (Title 10, Chapter 2) explicitly recognizes 'demolition or moving of a structure' as a distinct regulated activity, exempting it from impact fees while requiring advance notice for a pre-demolition inspection when a replacement structure is planned.
Verified 2026-07-03 · Source
When you need this permit
- Demolition or moving of a structure is processed via the standard Building Permit Application (no separate demolition-specific application form is published by the City)
- Replacement of a residential structure with a new residential structure at the same site (with less than 500 sq ft increase and no meter-size change) requires the City be given a reasonable notification period to schedule an inspection of the original structure prior to demolition, to confirm square footage and meter size
- Replacement of a nonresidential structure with a new nonresidential structure of the same size and use likewise requires advance notice for a pre-demolition inspection
- Demolition or moving of a structure is exempted from City impact fees under Code Section 10-2-3(A)(3), regardless of the impact-fee treatment of any subsequent replacement construction
- Owner must obtain utility disconnection verification before demolition work begins (standard practice referenced across Montana municipal demolition permitting; confirm specific utility-disconnect procedure with Whitefish Public Works at (406) 863-2460)
Required documents
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Fee schedule
Building Permit Fee (Demolition/Moving)City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page, 'Fees' section — demolition/moving permits are not exempted from the building permit fee itself, only from the separate utility impact fee per Code 10-2-3(A)(3)
Based on a percentage of the estimated project cost/valuation, consistent with the City's general building-permit valuation-based fee methodology; a deposit is required at time of permit submittal
Review timeline
Plan review
Not published — contact the department
Inspection process
- 1
Pre-Demolition Inspection
Required with reasonable advance notice when a replacement structure is planned at the same site, to confirm the original structure's square footage and meter size per City Code 10-2-3(A)(6)-(7)
See the full Whitefish inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →
Tips
- Whitefish does not publish a standalone demolition permit application or a dedicated demolition bond requirement (unlike Billings' $10,000 site bond) — demolition is processed through the general Building Permit Application.
- If you plan to demolish and rebuild at the same site, notify the Building Department with reasonable advance notice so the City can inspect the original structure before demolition begins — this confirms square footage and water meter size for impact-fee exemption purposes.
- Demolition and moving of a structure are explicitly impact-fee-exempt under City Code 10-2-3(A)(3), but this exemption applies to the utility impact fee, not the underlying building permit fee.
- reviewTimelineDays is null (hard-unpublished): demolition/moving is processed through the standard Building Permit, for which the City of Whitefish publishes no review turnaround (checked the Building Permits / Inspections page, Planning & Building page, FAQ, fee schedule, and Citizen Portal); City Code 10-1-4/10-1-1 and the demolition-relevant 10-2-3 set no review-day period (10-2-3 requires only 'reasonable' advance notice for the pre-demolition inspection, not a numeric review clock). The Montana DLI 'three weeks' figure applies only to state-administered permits and does not govern a fully certified local program. No real governing figure was found after exhausting the city site, city code, and MT DLI. Contact Planning & Building at (406) 863-2410 for current review timelines.
Frequently asked questions
Whitefish requires a demolition / moving permit for: Demolition or moving of a structure is processed via the standard Building Permit Application (no separate demolition-specific application form is published by the City); Replacement of a residential structure with a new residential structure at the same site (with less than 500 sq ft increase and no meter-size change) requires the City be given a reasonable notification period to schedule an inspection of the original structure prior to demolition, to confirm square footage and meter size; Replacement of a nonresidential structure with a new nonresidential structure of the same size and use likewise requires advance notice for a pre-demolition inspection; Demolition or moving of a structure is exempted from City impact fees under Code Section 10-2-3(A)(3), regardless of the impact-fee treatment of any subsequent replacement construction; Owner must obtain utility disconnection verification before demolition work begins (standard practice referenced across Montana municipal demolition permitting; confirm specific utility-disconnect procedure with Whitefish Public Works at (406) 863-2460). 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 (Demolition/Moving) is: Based on a percentage of the estimated project cost/valuation, consistent with the City's general building-permit valuation-based fee methodology; a deposit is required at time of permit submittal. 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: Building Permit Application (Residential or Commercial). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.
Whitefish requires 1 inspection(s) for a demolition / moving permit, in order: Pre-Demolition 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.
No standalone demolition permit application is published by the City of Whitefish; demolition or moving of a structure is processed through the standard Building Permit Application. Demolition is explicitly recognized and exempted from impact fees (not the permit fee itself) under City Code Section 10-2-3(A)(3). Source: City of Whitefish Code of Ordinances 10-2-3, codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/whitefishmt.
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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