Fence and Retaining Wall Permit in Whitefish, Montana

Whitefish requires a fence and retaining wall permit for: Fence Permit required prior to constructing a fence; fee is $5.00; Fences at or under 6 feet 6 inches along rear and side yards, and at or under 48 inches within the required front yard setback, use the Fence Permit application; Corner lots must meet Clear Vision Triangle requirements under City Code S11-3-8, WCC; If the property line where the fence is located has been surveyed, a copy of the survey with clearly marked property pins should be attached; Site plan showing the property, structures, and location of the proposed fence must be drawn on the application; Retaining walls over 4 feet high, or subject to a surcharge load, require a building permit (not the Fence Permit) per the Building Permits / Inspections page's list of activities requiring a permit; No fence, hedge, or freestanding wall (not supporting a building) within or bounding the front yard shall exceed 48 inches; no fence or wall within or bounding a rear/side yard from the point of the front setback line shall exceed 6.5 feet, per City Code fence height standards printed on the Fence Permit application; Security fences enclosing commercial/industrial storage yards are allowed up to 8 feet in side/rear yards; barbed wire fences are allowed only in the WA, WCR, and WSR zones (or abutting them). If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Whitefish Planning & Building Department at (406) 863-2410 before starting work.

The Fence Permit fee is $5.00. It covers fences at or under 6 feet 6 inches in rear/side yards and at or under 48 inches within the front yard setback. Source: City of Whitefish Fence Permit application (rev. 04-01-2026).

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: Fence Permit Application. Depending on your project, Whitefish may also ask for: 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 fence and retaining wall permit, in order: Final (Fence). 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.

Retaining walls over 4 feet high, or any wall subject to a surcharge load, require a building permit — this is listed explicitly among activities requiring a permit on the City's Building Permits / Inspections page.