Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration / Repair) in Libby, Montana

Libby requires a residential building permit (new construction / addition / alteration / repair) for: Complete the Libby Building Permit Application: project location, owner/contractor/designer/electrician/plumber contact information, type of project (Residential, New/Addition/Alteration/Repair/Move/Demolition), description of the nature of the project, and estimated total cost (labor and materials); Submit one set of drawings/plans and specifications defining the scope, intent, and method of construction, typically including: (A) a site plan showing property lines, location of structures, existing/proposed utilities, parking areas, and adjacent streets/alleys; (B) floor plans showing use and relationship of spaces, sizes, doorways, windows, fixtures, stairways, and handicapped-accessible features if needed; (C) a section view through the building detailing size/type of materials and assembly method; (D) additional information may be required for commercial and multi-family structures or unusual/hazardous structures; Since January 23, 2012, all new building permits must also be reviewed and signed off by the Lincoln County Floodplain Manager; if the property lies in a FEMA-regulated floodplain, a separate floodplain permit must be obtained from the County and a detailed floodplain map must accompany the application; Construction may not begin until fees are paid and the permit is issued; separate electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits issued by the State of Montana are required for all such work; A Certificate of Occupancy must be issued before the building can be used. If your project isn't listed, confirm with 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 before starting work.

In Libby, the published Total Valuation $1 to $500 is: $24. Additional published fees: Total Valuation $501 to $2,000 — $24 for the first $500, plus $3 for each additional $100 or fraction thereof, to and including $2,000; Total Valuation $2,001 to $40,000 — $69 for the first $2,000, plus $11 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $40,000; Total Valuation $40,001 to $100,000 — $487 for the first $40,000, plus $9 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $100,000; Total Valuation $100,001 to $500,000 — $1,027 for the first $100,000, plus $7 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $500,000; Total Valuation $500,001 to $1,000,000 — $3,827 for the first $500,000, plus $5 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $1,000,000; Investigation fee for work commenced without a permit — 50% of the combined plan review and building permit fee; minimum $250, maximum $1,000. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

The City of Libby has not published a specific review-timeline day-count for its building permits. Its own Building Permit Requirements packet states only that the building official will review the application and issue the permit, without stating a turnaround time. Contact the Building Inspector at (406) 291-9629 for a current estimate.

You'll need: Libby Building Permit Application; Site Plan / Floor Plan / Section View Drawings. Depending on your project, Libby may also ask for: Floodplain Zone-Details Request Form (if applicable). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Libby requires 6 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction / addition / alteration / repair), in order: Foundation Inspection, Concrete Slab or Underfloor Inspection, Frame Inspection, Energy Conservation Inspection, Gypsum Board Inspection, Final Inspection. 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.

The City of Libby issues its own residential Building permits under a Montana DLI 'Building (B), residential only' certification, using Building Inspector Walter Snyder. Commercial building permits, and electrical/plumbing/mechanical permits for any project, are issued directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau instead. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau Certified Local Government Program roster, updated 04/22/2026.