Fence Permit in Manhattan, Montana

Manhattan requires a fence permit for: 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. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Manhattan Building Division at (406) 284-3235 before starting work.

Manhattan does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Town of Manhattan Building Division at (406) 284-3235 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Fence Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Manhattan requires 2 inspection(s) for a fence permit, in order: Property Pin Location, Final. Schedule each through Town of Manhattan Building Division ((406) 284-3235).

Apply through Town of Manhattan Building Division at 207 South Sixth Street (P.O. Box 96), Manhattan, MT 59741. Phone: (406) 284-3235, email: townofmanhattan@gmail.com. Office hours: Town Office, 207 S. 6th St., Manhattan, MT 59741, Monday-Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM (Town Office/Zoning: 406-284-3235; Building Official Brandon Yung: 406-595-9300, byung.town@gmail.com). Official information: https://www.townofmanhattan.com/building-zoning.

Manhattan, 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 City, County and Town Programs 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).; Manhattan is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B), Mechanical (M), Plumbing (P), Electrical (E), AND Swimming Pool (SP) within Manhattan town limits — full certification across all five trade categories, matching Billings and Belgrade. Certified building official on file with DLI: Brandon Yung. Verified directly against the DLI's official 'Certified City, County and Town Programs' roster (PDF, updated 2026-04-22): the Manhattan row reads 'Manhattan | B, M, P, E, SP | Brandon Yung | | City Limits'. Source: https://bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf; Manhattan Town Code section 12-1-1 (Adoption Of The Model Technical Codes And Administrative Rules): 'The current editions of the model uniform technical codes, to include, but not be limited to, building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical, and all accompanying appendices, amendments and modifications adopted or required to be adopted by the building codes bureau, Montana department of labor and industry (or its successor) as set out in the administrative rules of Montana, as amended from time to time by the building codes bureau, are adopted by reference.' This incorporates the same statewide code editions used by other DLI-certified Montana jurisdictions (2021 IBC, 2021 IRC, 2021 IMC, 2021 IFGC, 2021 IEBC, 2021 UPC, 2021 IECC, 2021 ISPSC, 2020 NEC, ICC A117.1-2017), automatically updated as the Building Codes Bureau amends ARM Title 24, Chapter 301 (effective 60 days after a signed mayoral administrative order per 12-1-1.C). Source: Manhattan Town Code 12-1-1, https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/manhattanmt/latest/manhattan_mt/0-0-0-6397 (Ord. 287, 2-10-2004; amd. Ord. 299, 11-9-2004; Ord. 06-007, 6-13-2006; Ord. 24-005, 5-9-2024); Manhattan Town Code section 12-1-2.C: 'Plans shall be reviewed and inspections made in accordance with the rules and procedures of the Bozeman city building code enforcement division.' This is a notable local arrangement — Manhattan's own Building Official (Brandon Yung) issues permits locally under Manhattan's DLI certification, but plan review and inspection procedure follows the City of Bozeman Building Division's rules and procedures. Source: Manhattan Town Code 12-1-2, https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/manhattanmt/latest/manhattan_mt/0-0-0-6411 (Ord. 297, 8-9-2004; amd. Ord. 24-005, 5-9-2024); Manhattan Town Code Title 12, Chapter 1 (Building Codes) is available at https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/manhattanmt/latest/manhattan_mt/0-0-0-6392; Manhattan Town Code Title 10, Chapter 2 (Administration and Enforcement / Zoning Permit) at https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/manhattanmt/latest/manhattan_mt/0-0-0-3289. Local amendments apply — see the Manhattan overview page for the full list.

Fences may not exceed 6 feet in height on interior or corner lots. No fence exceeding 4 feet may be built within 15 feet of the front property line. Source: Town of Manhattan Fence Permit application.