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Change Of Occupancy / Certificate Of Occupancy (Processed Via Building Permit Application) in Cut Bank, Montana

Cut Bank has no freestanding 'change of use' or 'certificate of occupancy' application. The City's own Permitting FAQ defines the building-permit trigger to explicitly include changing a building's occupancy: 'Any authorized owner(s) who intend to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure... shall first submit an application to the building official and obtain the required permit.' A change of use/occupancy in Cut Bank is therefore submitted on the same Building Permit Application used for new construction, additions, and demolition (mirroring how this file's demolition-permit entry is processed). Upon completion of required inspections, the City issues a Certificate of Occupancy; per the FAQ, 'In lieu of a Certificate of Occupancy on remodels and small additions, a Certificate of Final Inspection may be issued as confirmation that all inspections have been completed.'

Verified 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • The City's Permitting FAQ specifies a building permit is required whenever an owner intends to '...change the occupancy of a building or structure...' — filed on the same multi-page Building Permit Application used for new construction, additions, alterations, and demolition
  • A Certificate of Occupancy is issued once required inspections have been performed and the structure is verified in compliance with the adopted building codes, per the City's own FAQ definition
  • In lieu of a full Certificate of Occupancy on remodels and small additions, the City may instead issue a Certificate of Final Inspection confirming all required inspections were completed
  • No separate change-of-use-specific application, bond, or fee schedule was found published by the City of Cut Bank — the same gap already documented for this file's demolition-permit entry, which is processed through the identical general Building Permit Application mechanism

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee (change of occupancy, valuation-based, same schedule as new construction)The City's Building Fees and Permits schedule is valuation-based and keyed to 'total project cost' — no distinct change-of-occupancy or Certificate-of-Occupancy-specific line item was found published; the $100.00 general building-permit minimum would apply at minimum, but no change-of-use-specific fee interpretation is asserted here without a published figure. Chase trail: City of Cut Bank Building Permit Application/Fee Schedule (PDF), Permitting FAQ's (PDF), and Permits/Building Department web pages all reviewed directly — none publish a change-of-occupancy-specific fee or separate Certificate of Occupancy issuance fee. Contact the Building Official at (406) 873-5526 for a project-specific quote.
Not published — contact the department

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Change Of Occupancy / Certificate Of Occupancy (Processed Via Building Permit Application) permit actually take in Cut Bank?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Final / Certificate of Occupancy Inspection

    Per the City's own FAQ, required inspections must be performed and the structure verified in compliance with adopted building codes before a Certificate of Occupancy (or, for remodels/small additions, a Certificate of Final Inspection) is issued

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

Tips

  • Cut Bank has no separate 'change of use' or 'certificate of occupancy' application — file the standard Building Permit Application and note the change-of-occupancy scope of work.
  • For remodels and small additions, the City may issue a Certificate of Final Inspection instead of a full Certificate of Occupancy, per the City's own Permitting FAQ.
  • No dedicated change-of-occupancy fee schedule (like Billings' or other cities' distinct CO-issuance fees) was found published for Cut Bank — confirm cost and any use/zoning-compatibility review directly with the Building Official at (406) 873-5526 before changing a building's occupancy.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. The City of Cut Bank's Permitting FAQ specifies that any owner intending to change the occupancy of a building or structure must first submit a Building Permit Application and obtain a permit, the same as for construction, enlargement, alteration, or demolition. No separate change-of-use-specific form or fee schedule is published; contact the Building Official at (406) 873-5526 for project-specific requirements.

Cut Bank does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Cut Bank Building Department — Building Official Kory Sandon, Certified Residential & Commercial Building Inspector; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Cut Bank city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at (406) 873-5526 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building Permit Application (Change Of Occupancy). Depending on your project, Cut Bank may also ask for: Certificate of Occupancy (or Certificate of Final Inspection). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Cut Bank requires 1 inspection(s) for a change of occupancy / certificate of occupancy (processed via building permit application), in order: Final / Certificate of Occupancy Inspection. Schedule each through City of Cut Bank Building Department — Building Official Kory Sandon, Certified Residential & Commercial Building Inspector; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Cut Bank city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. ((406) 873-5526).

Apply through City of Cut Bank Building Department — Building Official Kory Sandon, Certified Residential & Commercial Building Inspector; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Cut Bank city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at 221 West Main Street, Cut Bank, MT 59427. Phone: (406) 873-5526, email: ksandon@cityofcutbank.org. Office hours: City Hall (Winter Hours): Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Building Official Kory Sandon can be reached directly at (406) 873-5526 or ksandon@cityofcutbank.org.. Official information: https://www.cityofcutbank.org/building-department.

Cut Bank, 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 trades in a partially-certified jurisdiction 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/building-codes-permits).; Cut Bank is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B) ONLY within city limits; certified building official on file with DLI: Kory Sandon, (406) 873-5526. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, 'Montana Certified Local Government Program' roster, updated 04/22/2026, https://bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf — roster row: 'Cutbank | B | Kory Sandon | 873-5526 | City Limits' (verified directly via pdftotext extraction of the primary-source PDF, not a third-party mirror).; The City of Cut Bank's own Building Permit Fee Schedule and Permitting FAQ (published on cityofcutbank.org) confirm the City issues Building permits only, while explicitly directing applicants to the Montana DLI for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing permits: 'Where do I get my mechanical, electrical, or plumbing permit? Online from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.' Source: City of Cut Bank Permitting FAQ's (PDF), cityofcutbank.org/media/2616; Per the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's Current Codes page (statewide effective date June 11, 2022, applicable to all certified and state-enforced jurisdictions alike): 2021 IBC, 2021 IRC, 2021 IEBC, 2021 IMC, 2021 IFGC, 2021 IECC, 2021 ISPSC, 2021 UPC, 2020 NEC, 2017 ICC A117.1 Accessibility. Cut Bank's own Building Permit Application checklist references the adopted Uniform/International Residential Code framework (IRC Section R105.2 exemptions, R301.1.3 engineered design, R314/R315 smoke and CO alarms, R311.4 egress) consistent with enforcement of the state-adopted IRC edition rather than a locally-amended one. Source: bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/current-codes; City of Cut Bank Building Permit Application Checklist (PDF), cityofcutbank.org/media/2766. Local amendments apply — see the Cut Bank overview page for the full list.

Per the City's own Permitting FAQ: 'A Certificate of Occupancy is a document which notifies owners, buyers, or other interested parties that required inspections have been performed and the structure is in compliance with the adopted building codes... In lieu of a Certificate of Occupancy on remodels and small additions, a Certificate of Final Inspection may be issued as confirmation that all inspections have been completed.'

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

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