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Change of Use / Change of Occupancy Permit in Belgrade, Montana

Belgrade has no standalone 'change of use' or 'certificate of occupancy' permit product. Under Belgrade City Code 10-6-14, no land use may be established or changed within city limits without a permit issued by the Community Development Department; occupancy and use changes are processed as a standard Building Permit through the Cityworks Portal, reviewed against the 2021 IBC and (for existing buildings) the 2021 IEBC. A Certificate of Occupancy is issued by the Building Department once construction, inspections, and Public Works' Site Improvements Verification are complete.

Verified 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Belgrade City Code 10-6-14.A: 'No buildings or other structures shall be erected, moved, added to, or structurally altered, and no land use shall be established or changed in use, within city limits... without a permit therefore, issued by the Community Development Department'
  • Occupancy/use changes are submitted as a standard Building Permit application through the Cityworks Portal (cityworks.belgrademt.gov/publicaccess/login) — there is no separate change-of-use or certificate-of-occupancy application form published by the City
  • The City's Commercial/Multi-Family Document Submittal Checklist explicitly lists 'Interior alteration with an occupancy change' among the project types that require plans prepared, signed, and stamped by a Montana-licensed architect or engineer
  • Reviewed against the 2021 International Building Code and, for existing buildings changing occupancy classification, the 2021 International Existing Building Code, as adopted by City of Belgrade
  • Public Works' Site Improvements Verification must be completed prior to Certificate of Occupancy issuance, per the City's Master Fee Schedule
  • Belgrade City Code 10-6-14.B: the Building Official must approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove a complete building-permit application within ninety (90) days of receipt; construction work must commence within 180 days of permit issuance

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit (if construction/alteration accompanies the occupancy change)City of Belgrade Master Fee Schedule, BUILDING CODE table
Valuation x 0.0076
Plan Review (if construction/alteration accompanies the occupancy change)City of Belgrade Master Fee Schedule, BUILDING CODE table
Valuation x 0.0024
Site Improvements Verification — Single-Family Residential and Multi-Family (fewer than 6 units)City of Belgrade Master Fee Schedule, Public Works/Engineering Inspection table; completed prior to Certificate of Occupancy issuance
$120
Site Improvements Verification — Multi-Family (6-20 units)City of Belgrade Master Fee Schedule, Public Works/Engineering Inspection table
$175
Site Improvements Verification — Multi-Family (21-50 units)City of Belgrade Master Fee Schedule, Public Works/Engineering Inspection table
$295
Site Improvements Verification — Multi-Family (51+ units)City of Belgrade Master Fee Schedule, Public Works/Engineering Inspection table
$350
Site Improvements Verification — Commercial Site (1 acre or less)City of Belgrade Master Fee Schedule, Public Works/Engineering Inspection table
$175
Site Improvements Verification — Commercial Site (1-5 acres)City of Belgrade Master Fee Schedule, Public Works/Engineering Inspection table
$235
Site Improvements Verification — Commercial Site (per acre beyond 5 acres)City of Belgrade Master Fee Schedule, Public Works/Engineering Inspection table
$175

Review timeline

Plan reviewBelgrade’s published plan-review target
90–90 business days

How long did your Change of Use / Change of Occupancy Permit permit actually take in Belgrade?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Final Occupancy Inspection

    Building Department verification that life-safety, egress, and use-specific code requirements for the new occupancy classification are met before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued

  2. 2

    Site Improvements Verification (Public Works)

    Public Works confirms required site improvements (utilities, drainage, parking, ADA access, etc.) are complete; required before the City issues a Certificate of Occupancy, per the City's Master Fee Schedule

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

Tips

  • Belgrade does not have a distinct 'change of use' or 'certificate of occupancy' permit application — apply through the standard Building Permit process on the Cityworks Portal.
  • If your occupancy change involves an interior alteration, the City's Commercial/Multi-Family Checklist requires plans stamped by a Montana-licensed architect or engineer, even if the footprint isn't changing.
  • No published flat fee was found for a pure occupancy reclassification with no accompanying construction — the valuation-based Building Permit and Plan Review fees clearly apply when construction is involved, but confirm the applicable fee for a construction-free occupancy change directly with the Building Department at (406) 388-3560.

Frequently asked questions

Belgrade requires a change of use / change of occupancy permit for: Belgrade City Code 10-6-14.A: 'No buildings or other structures shall be erected, moved, added to, or structurally altered, and no land use shall be established or changed in use, within city limits... without a permit therefore, issued by the Community Development Department'; Occupancy/use changes are submitted as a standard Building Permit application through the Cityworks Portal (cityworks.belgrademt.gov/publicaccess/login) — there is no separate change-of-use or certificate-of-occupancy application form published by the City; The City's Commercial/Multi-Family Document Submittal Checklist explicitly lists 'Interior alteration with an occupancy change' among the project types that require plans prepared, signed, and stamped by a Montana-licensed architect or engineer; Reviewed against the 2021 International Building Code and, for existing buildings changing occupancy classification, the 2021 International Existing Building Code, as adopted by City of Belgrade; Public Works' Site Improvements Verification must be completed prior to Certificate of Occupancy issuance, per the City's Master Fee Schedule; Belgrade City Code 10-6-14.B: the Building Official must approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove a complete building-permit application within ninety (90) days of receipt; construction work must commence within 180 days of permit issuance. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Belgrade Building Department at (406) 388-3564 before starting work.

In Belgrade, the published Building Permit (if construction/alteration accompanies the occupancy change) is: Valuation x 0.0076. Additional published fees: Plan Review (if construction/alteration accompanies the occupancy change) — Valuation x 0.0024; Site Improvements Verification — Single-Family Residential and Multi-Family (fewer than 6 units) — $120; Site Improvements Verification — Multi-Family (6-20 units) — $175; Site Improvements Verification — Multi-Family (21-50 units) — $295; Site Improvements Verification — Multi-Family (51+ units) — $350; Site Improvements Verification — Commercial Site (1 acre or less) — $175; Site Improvements Verification — Commercial Site (1-5 acres) — $235; Site Improvements Verification — Commercial Site (per acre beyond 5 acres) — $175. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Belgrade City Code 10-6-14.B requires the Building Official to approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove a complete application within ninety (90) days of receipt. (A separate, shorter 10-working-day statutory rule under MCA 50-60-106(2)(c) applies specifically to single-family-dwelling permits submitted with the department's SFD checklist.)

You'll need: Building Permit Application; Site Improvements Verification Sign-Off. Depending on your project, Belgrade may also ask for: Commercial/Multi-Family Checklist Submittal. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Belgrade requires 2 inspection(s) for a change of use / change of occupancy permit, in order: Final Occupancy Inspection, Site Improvements Verification (Public Works). Schedule each through City of Belgrade Building Department ((406) 388-3564).

Apply through City of Belgrade Building Department at 91 East Central Avenue, Belgrade, MT 59714. Phone: (406) 388-3564, email: mjohnson@belgrademt.gov. Office hours: Community & Economic Development public counter, 91 E. Central Ave., Monday-Friday 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM (Permits and Licensing Division: 406-388-3560). Building Department general line: 406-388-3760. Chief Building Official Lucas Sobeck: 406-388-3564.. Official information: https://www.belgrademt.gov/166/Building.

Belgrade, 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, etc.); non-certified areas/trades fall under direct state administration by the DLI Building Codes Bureau. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Certified Local Government Program list (bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf) and Current Codes page (bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/current-codes).; Belgrade is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B), Plumbing (P), Electrical (E), Mechanical (M), and Swimming Pool (SP) within Belgrade city limits — the full certification set (matching Billings), not a partial split. Certified building official on file with DLI: Lucas Sobeck, (406) 388-3560/388-3564. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Montana Certified Local Government Program list (PDF, updated 04/22/2026), bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf; City of Belgrade has adopted (as of 8/8/2022, per the City's Building FAQ) the 2021 editions of the International Residential Code (IRC), International Building Code (IBC), International Mechanical Code (IMC), International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), International Existing Building Code (IEBC), Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), and International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC); the 2017 ICC A117.1 Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities; and the 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC). Source: City of Belgrade Building FAQ, 'What building code year has the City of Belgrade most recently adopted?' (belgrademt.gov/Faq.aspx?QID=135); 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — applies to single-family, two-family, and townhouse dwellings; effective statewide per ARM 24.301.154. Source: City of Belgrade Adopted Codes (PDF), belgrademt.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1228/Adopted-Codes; 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — commercial; per ARM 24.301.146; 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — residential and commercial; per ARM 24.301.172; 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — residential and commercial; per ARM 24.301.173; 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — residential and commercial; per ARM 24.301.161. Appendix RB (Solar Ready Provisions) adopted for commercial; 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) — per ARM 24.301.401; 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) (IAPMO) — per ARM 24.301.301 (Montana uses the Uniform Plumbing Code, not the International Plumbing Code); 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — commercial; per ARM 24.301.171; 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — commercial; per ARM 24.301.175; Belgrade is DLI-certified for swimming pool (SP) permitting; ICC A117.1-2017 Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities — commercial; per ARM Subchapter 24.301.9; 2012 International Fire Code — per ARM Rule 23.12.601 (state fire code edition; City of Belgrade Building Department coordinates with the Belgrade Fire Department, and per the City's Inspections page, fire inspections within Belgrade city limits are now handled directly through the City's Building Department due to a recent state rule change); IRC Appendix Q (Tiny Houses) — adopted statewide per ARM; Design Live Loading, Snow Load, Frost Depth, Wind Speed, Weathering, and Seismic Design Category are set out in the City of Belgrade Design Criteria document (see localAmendments) — these are notably more stringent than nearby Billings, reflecting Belgrade's local site conditions; Source: City of Belgrade Adopted Codes (PDF), https://www.belgrademt.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1228/Adopted-Codes; City of Belgrade Design Criteria (PDF), https://www.belgrademt.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1016/Design-Criteria. Local amendments apply — see the Belgrade overview page for the full list.

No. Occupancy and use changes are processed through the standard City of Belgrade Building Permit (Cityworks Portal), reviewed against the 2021 IBC and IEBC. A Certificate of Occupancy is issued by the Building Department once construction, required inspections, and Public Works' Site Improvements Verification are complete. Source: Belgrade City Code 10-6-14; City of Belgrade Master Fee Schedule.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-22.

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

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