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Commercial Building Permit (New Construction, Additions, Remodels & Tenant Improvements) in Havre, Montana

Required for new commercial construction, commercial additions, remodels, and tenant improvement/build-out work within Havre city limits. Havre's Building certification with the Montana Department of Labor & Industry (DLI) Building Codes Bureau carries no residential-only or commercial-only qualifier — unlike several other certified Montana cities on the same DLI list — so the City of Havre Public Works Department reviews and inspects commercial building work directly through its own certified building official, the same as residential work, rather than referring it to the state. Commercial projects are submitted on a dedicated Commercial Building Permit Application, distinct from the general Building Permit Application used for residential work, but both are billed on the same citywide valuation-based Building Permit Fee Schedule and the same flat Plan Review Fee.

Verified 2026-08-26 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Required for new commercial construction, additions, remodels, tenant improvement/build-out work, and repairs within Havre city limits
  • Submitted on the City's dedicated Commercial Building Permit Application, distinct from the general Building Permit Application used for residential work
  • Application requires Job Site Address, Legal Description, Assessment Code No., Project Value (cost of time and materials), Use of Building, Number of Stories, Square Footage, Description of Work, Tenant and/or Project Name and phone, Property Owner name/address/phone/email, Contractor name/address/phone/email, Architect/Engineer name/address/phone/email, and a named point of contact for plan review comments
  • Reviewed under the 2021 International Building Code as adopted by reference under Havre City Code 4-1-1, which adopts whatever code edition the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau currently has in force statewide (2021 IBC, effective June 11, 2022)
  • Building Permit Fee and Plan Review Fee are calculated from the same citywide valuation-based Total Valuation & Fee table used for residential construction; Havre does not publish a separate, higher plan-review percentage for commercial work the way some Montana cities do
  • All permits must be reviewed and signed by the Public Works Department and paid for at City Hall prior to issuance
  • Havre holds Building-only ('B') certification from the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, City Limits only, with Trevor Mork as the certified building inspector of record and no residential-only or commercial-only qualifier attached to that certification on the Bureau's own certified-jurisdiction list
  • Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical scopes of a commercial project are not covered by this permit — Havre is not certified for those trades, so they are permitted separately and directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — Valuation $1–$500City of Havre Fee Schedule (effective 3/25/2026), Building Permit Fees Schedule table — same citywide valuation table used for residential and commercial construction
$23.50
Building Permit Fee — Valuation $501–$2,000City of Havre Fee Schedule (effective 3/25/2026), Total Valuation & Fee table
$23.50 for first $500, plus $3.05 for each additional $100 or fraction thereof, to and including $2,000
Building Permit Fee — Valuation $2,001–$25,000City of Havre Fee Schedule (effective 3/25/2026), Total Valuation & Fee table
$69.25 for first $2,000, plus $14.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $25,000
Building Permit Fee — Valuation $25,001–$50,000City of Havre Fee Schedule (effective 3/25/2026), Total Valuation & Fee table
$391.75 for first $25,000, plus $10.10 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $50,000
Building Permit Fee — Valuation $50,001–$100,000City of Havre Fee Schedule (effective 3/25/2026), Total Valuation & Fee table
$643.75 for first $50,000, plus $7.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $100,000
Building Permit Fee — Valuation $100,001–$500,000City of Havre Fee Schedule (effective 3/25/2026), Total Valuation & Fee table
$993.75 for first $100,000, plus $5.60 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $500,000
Building Permit Fee — Valuation $500,001–$1,000,000City of Havre Fee Schedule (effective 3/25/2026), Total Valuation & Fee table — a tier the residential permit type in this jurisdiction's file does not itemize because it stops at $500,000, but is directly relevant at commercial project scale
$3,233.75 for first $500,000, plus $4.75 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $1,000,000
Building Permit Fee — Valuation $1,000,001 and overCity of Havre Fee Schedule (effective 3/25/2026), Total Valuation & Fee table
$5,608.75 for first $1,000,000, plus $3.15 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
Plan Review FeeCity of Havre Fee Schedule (effective 3/25/2026), Permit Fees & Plan Review Fees table — the same flat 35% rate applies to commercial and residential work; the City does not publish a separate, higher commercial plan-review percentage the way some other Montana cities do
35% of the Building Permit Fee
Inspections outside normal business hoursCity of Havre Fee Schedule (effective 3/25/2026), Other Inspections & Fees table
$75.00/hour (minimum charge two hours)
Inspections for which no fee is specifically indicatedCity of Havre Fee Schedule (effective 3/25/2026), Other Inspections & Fees table
$75.00/hour (minimum charge one half hour)
Additional Plan Review (required by changes, additions, or revisions to plans)City of Havre Fee Schedule (effective 3/25/2026), Other Inspections & Fees table
$75.00/hour (minimum charge one half hour)
Outside Consultants — plan checking and inspections, or bothCity of Havre Fee Schedule (effective 3/25/2026), Other Inspections & Fees table — most likely to apply on larger commercial projects that require review beyond the Building Department's own staff
Actual costs, including administrative and overhead costs

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Commercial Building Permit (New Construction, Additions, Remodels & Tenant Improvements) permit actually take in Havre?

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Inspection process

    Tips

    • Havre's Commercial Building Permit Application is a distinct one-page form from the general Building Permit Application used for residential work, but both draw fees from the same citywide valuation-based Fee Schedule — there is no separate, higher commercial plan-review percentage the way some neighboring Montana cities publish.
    • Havre's Building certification on the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's own certified-jurisdiction list carries no residential-only or commercial-only qualifier — unlike, for example, Hardin's 'B (residential only)' listing on the same document — so the City reviews and inspects commercial building work directly through its own certified building official rather than referring it to the state.
    • Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work on a commercial project is not covered by this permit — Havre is not certified for those trades, so they remain separately permitted, directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena, the same as for residential work.
    • Large commercial projects that need outside plan-check or inspection help are billed Actual Costs (including administrative and overhead costs) for that outside consultant work, rather than a flat or percentage fee.

    Frequently asked questions

    Havre requires a commercial building permit (new construction, additions, remodels & tenant improvements) for: Required for new commercial construction, additions, remodels, tenant improvement/build-out work, and repairs within Havre city limits; Submitted on the City's dedicated Commercial Building Permit Application, distinct from the general Building Permit Application used for residential work; Application requires Job Site Address, Legal Description, Assessment Code No., Project Value (cost of time and materials), Use of Building, Number of Stories, Square Footage, Description of Work, Tenant and/or Project Name and phone, Property Owner name/address/phone/email, Contractor name/address/phone/email, Architect/Engineer name/address/phone/email, and a named point of contact for plan review comments; Reviewed under the 2021 International Building Code as adopted by reference under Havre City Code 4-1-1, which adopts whatever code edition the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau currently has in force statewide (2021 IBC, effective June 11, 2022); Building Permit Fee and Plan Review Fee are calculated from the same citywide valuation-based Total Valuation & Fee table used for residential construction; Havre does not publish a separate, higher plan-review percentage for commercial work the way some Montana cities do; All permits must be reviewed and signed by the Public Works Department and paid for at City Hall prior to issuance; Havre holds Building-only ('B') certification from the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, City Limits only, with Trevor Mork as the certified building inspector of record and no residential-only or commercial-only qualifier attached to that certification on the Bureau's own certified-jurisdiction list; Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical scopes of a commercial project are not covered by this permit — Havre is not certified for those trades, so they are permitted separately and directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Havre Public Works Department (Building Division) — city-certified for Building permits only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau at (406) 265-4941 before starting work.

    Commercial construction is billed on the same citywide valuation-based fee table used for residential building permits, from $23.50 for work valued at $500 or less up to $5,608.75 for the first $1,000,000 plus $3.15 per additional $1,000 on larger projects, plus a Plan Review Fee equal to 35% of the Building Permit Fee — per the City of Havre Fee Schedule effective March 25, 2026.

    No. The City of Havre does not publish a commercial-specific review-timeline figure on its Public Works page, its Fee Schedule, or either building permit application. Contact the Public Works Department at (406) 265-4941 for a current estimate.

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

    Apply through City of Havre Public Works Department (Building Division) — city-certified for Building permits only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau at 520 4th Street, PO Box 231, Havre, MT 59501. Phone: (406) 265-4941, email: PWinfo@ci.havre.mt.us. Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Official information: https://www.ci.havre.mt.us/public-works.

    Havre, Montana has adopted: 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — adopted by the City of Havre by reference of the code adopted by the Building Codes Bureau, Montana Department of Labor & Industry (Havre City Code 4-1-1; Ord. 852, 2-21-2006; Ord. 846, 2-18-2003); statewide effective date June 11, 2022; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — statewide edition referenced by Havre's Roofing Permit checklist (citing 2021 IRC Sections 905.2.1, 905.1.2, R806); statewide effective June 11, 2022; 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — statewide edition referenced by Havre's Roofing Permit checklist (citing 2021 IECC Section C504); statewide effective June 11, 2022; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — statewide edition per Montana Building Codes Bureau Current Codes page; statewide effective June 11, 2022; 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — statewide edition, state-administered permit (Havre is not Mechanical-certified); effective June 11, 2022; 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — statewide edition; effective June 11, 2022; 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) — statewide edition, state-administered permit (Havre is not Plumbing-certified); effective June 11, 2022; 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) — statewide edition per Montana Building Codes Bureau Current Codes page, state-administered permit (Havre is not Electrical-certified); effective June 11, 2022; 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — statewide edition; effective June 11, 2022; 2017 ICC A117.1 Accessibility Standard — statewide edition per Montana Building Codes Bureau Current Codes page. Local amendments apply — see the Havre overview page for the full list.

    The City of Havre issues commercial building permits directly. Havre holds Building-only certification from the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, and unlike several other certified Montana cities, that certification is not limited to residential or commercial work, so the City's own certified building official reviews and inspects commercial construction alongside residential. Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work is separate: Havre is not certified for those trades, so they remain state-issued by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau.

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