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Demolition / Building Move Permit in Libby, Montana

Required for demolition or removal of any structure within Libby city limits, and for moving a structure, using the same Libby Building Permit Application with 'Demolition' or 'Move' checked under Type of Project. A DEQ-required asbestos inspection applies before demolition given Libby's documented asbestos/vermiculite legacy.

Verified 2026-07-03 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Complete the Libby Building Permit Application with 'Demolition' or 'Move' checked under Type of Project, including a description of the nature of the project and estimated cost
  • Per the Montana Asbestos Control Act (ARM 17.74.354) and a Montana DEQ memorandum distributed within the City's own Building Permit Requirements packet: an asbestos inspection by a DEQ-accredited (licensed) asbestos inspector is REQUIRED prior to building demolition, renovation, or remodeling activities, to determine whether asbestos-containing materials (ACM) are present
  • Contact the Lincoln County Asbestos Resource Program (LCARP) hotline at (406) 291-5335, or submit a Property Evaluation Notification (PEN) form at lcarp.org/pen-form, for guidance and property status information specific to Libby's known asbestos/vermiculite contamination history
  • Owner/applicant must confirm utility disconnection and site cleanup consistent with general City building-permit practice; a written verification from utility companies is good practice though not separately codified in the City's packet the way Billings documents it
  • Violations of the Montana Asbestos Control Act carry penalties of $10,000 to $25,000 per day per the DEQ memorandum

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building/Demolition permit fee — valuation-based (same Appendix L table)City of Libby Building Permit Requirements packet, Appendix L Permit Fees table; no separate demolition-specific fee or bond amount (e.g., Billings' $10,000 demolition site bond) was found published for Libby — this is reported as a genuine small-town publication gap after direct review of the City's packet, not an invented figure
$24 minimum ($1-$500 valuation), scaling per the City of Libby Appendix L Permit Fees table

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Demolition / Building Move Permit permit actually take in Libby?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Pre-Demolition Asbestos Clearance

    DEQ-accredited asbestos inspection must be completed and any required abatement addressed before demolition/renovation activities begin, per the Montana Asbestos Control Act and ARM 17.74.354.

  2. 2

    Final

    Site verified as cleared/restored consistent with the City's general Final Inspection practice.

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

Tips

  • Libby has a well-documented history of vermiculite/asbestos contamination; the Lincoln County Asbestos Resource Program (LCARP) offers free guidance, a Property Evaluation Notification (PEN) form, and property status letters — call (406) 291-5335 or visit lcarp.org before beginning any demolition, remodeling, or excavation project.
  • No fixed demolition bond amount (unlike Billings' $10,000 site bond) was found published for Libby — confirm bonding/insurance and current fee amounts directly with the Building Inspector at (406) 291-9629.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Use the Libby Building Permit Application with 'Demolition' or 'Move' checked. Because of Libby's known asbestos/vermiculite contamination history, a DEQ-accredited asbestos inspection is also required before demolition, per the Montana Asbestos Control Act — contact the Lincoln County Asbestos Resource Program at (406) 291-5335.

In Libby, the published Building/Demolition permit fee — valuation-based (same Appendix L table) is: $24 minimum ($1-$500 valuation), scaling per the City of Libby Appendix L Permit Fees table. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Libby does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Libby Building Department — Building Inspector Walter Snyder; city-certified for Building (B), RESIDENTIAL ONLY, plus Swimming Pool (SP) permits. Commercial building permits, and Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits for ALL project types (residential and commercial), within Libby city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at (406) 293-2731 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Libby Building Permit Application (Demolition/Move); Asbestos Inspection Documentation. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Libby requires 2 inspection(s) for a demolition / building move permit, in order: Pre-Demolition Asbestos Clearance, Final. Schedule each through City of Libby Building Department — Building Inspector Walter Snyder; city-certified for Building (B), RESIDENTIAL ONLY, plus Swimming Pool (SP) permits. Commercial building permits, and Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits for ALL project types (residential and commercial), within Libby city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. ((406) 293-2731).

Apply through City of Libby Building Department — Building Inspector Walter Snyder; city-certified for Building (B), RESIDENTIAL ONLY, plus Swimming Pool (SP) permits. Commercial building permits, and Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits for ALL project types (residential and commercial), within Libby city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at 952 E. Spruce St., PO Box 1428, Libby, MT 59923. Phone: (406) 293-2731, email: building.inspector@cityoflibby.com. Office hours: City Hall, 952 E. Spruce St., Libby, MT 59923; general line (406) 293-2731, fax (406) 293-4090. Building Inspector Walter Snyder direct line (406) 291-9629, email building.inspector@cityoflibby.com.. Official information: https://cityoflibby.com/departments-services/building-inspector/.

Libby, 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; non-certified trades and non-certified project scopes 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 (bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits).; Libby is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B), RESIDENTIAL ONLY, plus Swimming Pool (SP), within city limits; certified official on file with DLI: Walter Snyder, (406) 293-2731. Verified directly against the DLI Building Codes Bureau's 'Montana Certified Local Government Program' roster PDF, updated 04/22/2026 (fetched and read directly, not taken on secondhand summary): 'Libby | B (residential only), SP | Walter Snyder | 293-2731 | City Limits'. This means COMMERCIAL building permits within Libby city limits, and Electrical/Plumbing/Mechanical permits for ALL project types (residential and commercial), are issued DIRECTLY by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, not the City. Source: https://bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf; The City of Libby's own Building Inspector Department page and Building Permit Requirements packet list the codes referenced for construction in Libby as: the 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), and 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — consistent with a small residential-and-pool-only-certified jurisdiction enforcing the state-adopted editions rather than authoring independently amended code text. Source: City of Libby Building Inspector page, https://cityoflibby.com/departments-services/building-inspector/; 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. Source: bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/current-codes; The City's own downloadable Building Permit Requirements and Application packet (cityoflibby.com) still references an older permit-fee appendix table sourced from the 2006 International Residential Code (Appendix L) and an inspection-record card citing the 2009 IBC/IRC — the City's packet has not been fully refreshed to reference 2021-edition appendix/section numbers even though the statewide code in force is now the 2021 edition; this is reported as an observed inconsistency in the City's own published document, not an invented fact.. Local amendments apply — see the Libby overview page for the full list.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-03.

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