Manhattan building permits

Requirements

• Building permit required for construction of any building or enclosed structure greater than 200 square feet (Town Code 12-1-2.A); bundles plumbing, electrical, and zoning permits into one application
• Application made at the Town Office on a Town-provided form; construction may not start until plans are approved by the Building Official and Zoning Administrator (Town Code 12-1-2.A)
• Two sets of plans required; plans must be stamped by a Montana-licensed design professional if project valuation exceeds $100,000 (Plan Review Check List)
• Plans reviewed and inspections conducted per the rules and procedures of the Bozeman City Building Code Enforcement Division (Town Code 12-1-2.C)
• Applicant pays an administrative processing fee plus the cost of plan review and building inspection per a schedule maintained by the building code inspector and available at the Town Office (Town Code 12-1-2.B) — no fixed dollar amounts are published in the ordinance text or on the Town website
• Permit expires if work is not started within 180 days, or if work ceases for 180 days; one-time 180-day extension available by written request; expired permits renewable for 50% of original fee

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding/Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing Permit ApplicationTown of Manhattan combined permit application form, submitted at the Town Office
• RequiredPlan Review Check ListTown of Manhattan residential plan review checklist covering plan sets, truss/beam calculations, soils report, setbacks, foundation reinforcement, anchor bolting, egress, smoke/CO detectors, insulation, and ice barrier requirements
• RequiredConstruction DrawingsTwo sets of scaled plans: plot/site plan, floor plan, foundation plan, wall sections, elevations, roof framing plan/truss layout
• OptionalStamped Structural PlansRequired if project valuation exceeds $100,000; must be stamped by a Montana-licensed design professional

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Electrical permit required for installation, change, or repair of hard-wired electrical systems; bundled with the building permit application per Town Code 12-1-2.A ('shall include a plumbing permit, electrical permit, and zoning permit')
• Governed by the current NEC edition as adopted by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau and incorporated by reference per Town Code 12-1-1
• Application submitted at the Town Office on the combined Building/Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing Permit Application form
• Manhattan is DLI-certified for Electrical (E) permitting within town limits — permits issued locally, not by the state

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding/Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing Permit ApplicationCombined Town of Manhattan permit application form covering electrical work

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Plumbing permit required for installation, alteration, or repair of plumbing systems, fixtures, water heaters, gas piping, or sewer/water service lines; bundled with the building permit application per Town Code 12-1-2.A
• Governed by the current Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) edition as adopted by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau and incorporated by reference per Town Code 12-1-1 (Montana uses the UPC, not the International Plumbing Code)
• Application submitted at the Town Office on the combined Building/Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing Permit Application form
• Manhattan is DLI-certified for Plumbing (P) permitting within town limits — permits issued locally, not by the state

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding/Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing Permit ApplicationCombined Town of Manhattan permit application form covering plumbing work

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Mechanical permit required for installation of heating systems and gas piping, per the Town's list of work requiring a permit ('Heating systems/gas piping (mechanical)')
• Governed by the current Uniform Mechanical Code / IMC and IFGC editions as adopted by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau and incorporated by reference per Town Code 12-1-1; deals with minimum requirements for heating, cooling, ventilation equipment, and gas piping/pipe types
• Separate permits are required for mechanical systems and for fire suppression systems in addition to the base building permit (per the Town's 'How To Obtain A Building Permit' guide)
• Manhattan is DLI-certified for Mechanical (M) permitting within town limits — permits issued locally, not by the state

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding/Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing Permit ApplicationCombined Town of Manhattan permit application form covering mechanical work

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Site inspection and permit approval required before installation
• Interior lots: fences may not exceed 6 feet in height; no fence exceeding 4 feet in height within 15 feet of the front property line
• Corner lots: fences may not exceed 6 feet in height; front yard treated as adjacent to interior lot's front yard; no fence exceeding 4 feet within 15 feet of front property line; opaque fencing on an alley may not exceed 4 feet within 15 feet of the property corner; wire fencing may extend to 6 feet on an alley corner
• Same height/location rules apply to hedges and landscaping as to fences
• Electric fences and any fence constructed in whole or part of barbed wire are unlawful
• Property pins must be located/surveyed; owner is responsible for confirming the fence is within the property line and does not extend into the right-of-way
• Call 811 before digging
• All fences require at least two site inspections and an approved Fence Permit

Required documents

• RequiredFence Permit ApplicationTown of Manhattan Fence Permit form requiring owner/contractor info, fence material, height, location, a hand-drawn site plan showing property pins and proposed fence location, and owner signature

Fee schedule

Requirements

• A building permit is required to 'erect, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, convert or demolish a building or structure' (Town Code language reflected in the Town's building permit guide)
• Explicitly listed as requiring a permit: 'A building or portion of a structure' (demolition) and 'Any changes which may affect a building, structure or its exterior appearance'
• Application made at the Town Office; construction/demolition may not start until plans are approved by the Building Official and Zoning Administrator

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding/Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing Permit ApplicationTown of Manhattan combined permit application form, used for demolition permits

Fee schedule

Requirements

• A building permit is required for construction of any building or enclosed structure greater than 200 square feet (Town Code 12-1-2.A); ground-mounted PV arrays exceeding this threshold would require a building permit on that basis, and any PV installation's electrical interconnection independently requires the bundled electrical permit component regardless of footprint
• Application bundles the building, plumbing, electrical, and zoning permit into a single combined application per Town Code 12-1-2.A — there is no separate standalone Solar/Photovoltaic application form published on the Town's Forms page
• Plans reviewed and inspections conducted per the rules and procedures of the City of Bozeman Building Code Enforcement Division (Town Code 12-1-2.C)
• Governed by the current model technical codes (2021 IBC/IRC for structural/racking scope, 2020 NEC for electrical interconnection) as adopted by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau and incorporated by reference per Town Code 12-1-1
• Two sets of plans required; plans must be stamped by a Montana-licensed design professional if project valuation exceeds $100,000
• Applicant pays an administrative processing fee plus the cost of plan review and building inspection per a schedule maintained by the building code inspector and available at the Town Office (Town Code 12-1-2.B) — no fixed dollar amounts are published in the ordinance text or on the Town website for any permit type, including solar

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding/Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing Permit ApplicationTown of Manhattan combined permit application form, used for a PV installation's structural/racking and electrical interconnection scope; no dedicated Solar/Photovoltaic checkbox or form exists
• RequiredConstruction Drawings / One-Line Electrical DiagramRacking/structural detail and electrical interconnection diagram consistent with the Town's Plan Review Check List

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Electrical permit required for the EV charger circuit/panel work, bundled with the combined Building/Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing Permit Application per Town Code 12-1-2.A
• Governed by the current NEC edition (2020 NEC) as adopted by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau and incorporated by reference per Town Code 12-1-1
• If the installation is a stand-alone circuit/subpanel with no enclosed structure over 200 sq ft, no separate zoning permit applies (per the 200 sq ft threshold in Town Code 12-1-2/10-2-2.A.4); if paired with a new garage or accessory structure, the building-permit threshold and process would also apply to that structural scope
• Application submitted at the Town Office; Manhattan is DLI-certified for Electrical (E) permitting within town limits — permits issued locally by Building Official Brandon Yung, not routed to the state
• Applicant pays an administrative processing fee plus the cost of plan review and building inspection per a schedule maintained by the building code inspector and available at the Town Office (Town Code 12-1-2.B) — consistent with every other permit type in this file, no fixed dollar amounts are published in the ordinance text or on the Town website

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding/Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing Permit ApplicationCombined Town of Manhattan permit application form; no dedicated EV-charger/EVSE checkbox or form exists

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Permanent signs require a Sign Permit per Manhattan Town Code 10-15-4; temporary signs are exempt from the permit but may be placed no earlier than 8 hours before an event and must be removed within 8 hours after, must be freestanding, and cannot be attached to poles or other permanent structures
• No signage is permitted on State Highways (S Broadway, N 5th, and Main Street)
• Application must identify site business name/address, property owner, business owner, sign contractor, existing signage to remain (type, copy, area, prior permit number), and the new signage requested (sign type, area, height, value, sign copy/text, whether the sign projects over the public right-of-way)
• Application must state the total sign area (including signage to remain), the applicable zone, and the building's frontage in linear feet
• Complete application requires: scaled elevation plans; a site plan (if applicable); an 8.5" x 11" color rendering of the sign; and an equivalent electronic image (JPG)
• Signed by both the applicant and the property owner

Required documents

• RequiredSign Permit ApplicationTown of Manhattan Sign Permit Application form covering site/owner/contractor info, existing and proposed signage detail, and required attachments
• RequiredScaled Elevation PlansScaled elevation drawing of the proposed sign
• OptionalSite PlanSite plan showing sign location, required if applicable to the project
• RequiredColor Rendering / Electronic Image8.5" x 11" color rendering of the sign and an equivalent electronic image (JPG)

Fee schedule

Requirements

• A separate permit — beyond the base building permit — is required for fire suppression systems, per the Town of Manhattan 'How To Obtain A Building Permit' guide: 'Separate permits are required for mechanical and fire suppression systems.'
• Fire protection system provisions (sprinkler, standpipe) are governed by NFPA 13/13R/14 as referenced in the state-adopted IBC Chapter 9, per Administrative Rules of Montana 24.301.146, which applies 'to both the department's and local government code enforcement programs' — i.e., to both DLI-direct-administered areas and DLI-certified local jurisdictions like Manhattan
• Manhattan is Montana DLI-certified for Building (B), Mechanical (M), Plumbing (P), Electrical (E), and Swimming Pool (SP) — there is no separate 'Fire' certification category on the DLI's Certified City, County and Town Programs roster, so fire-protection-system review for a B-certified jurisdiction like Manhattan falls under the Town's Building certification rather than a distinct fire-marshal certification track
• Application submitted at the Town Office; Manhattan Town Code 12-1-2.C requires plan review and inspections to be conducted per the rules and procedures of the City of Bozeman Building Code Enforcement Division, which would apply to this permit as with the base building permit

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding/Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing Permit ApplicationThe Town has no dedicated standalone fire-suppression-system application form published; fire suppression system permits are referenced in the Town's guide as a separate permit obtained through the Building Department, using the same combined application infrastructure as other trade permits
• RequiredFire Suppression System Design PlansSprinkler/standpipe system design plans (NFPA 13/13R/14) for plan review; no dedicated submittal checklist for this scope is published by the Town

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Builders must notify the Building Department for final inspection of all projects (residential and commercial) before occupancy of the structure, per the Town's 'How To Obtain A Building Permit' guide
• For commercial projects, the Building Department must be notified two weeks prior to the desired occupancy date
• Most lending institutions require a final inspection and Certificate of Occupancy from the Building Department prior to final release of construction funds
• The Building Official may, at his discretion, approve a temporary Certificate of Occupancy for a commercial building — allowing the owner to open to the public before all conditions of approval are met, generally where only landscaping improvements remain outstanding; in such cases, some improvements may need to be financially guaranteed
• Change of use / change of occupancy for an existing building without new construction is not addressed by a standalone Town application; the Town's Building Permit Zoning Review form (used for the zoning-permit component of the combined building permit) includes a 'Use: Permitted / Not Permitted / Requires Conditional Use Permit' determination made by the Zoning Administrator, which is the closest documented mechanism for a use-compliance review — but no separate 'Change of Use Permit' product, application, or fee was found published

Required documents

• RequiredFinal Inspection RequestNotification to the Building Department requesting final inspection; no dedicated standalone Certificate of Occupancy application form is published separately from the building-permit final-inspection process

Fee schedule