Livingston building permits

Requirements

• Building Permit Application (City of Livingston Building Department form) must be completed and signed; application will not be accepted without a signature
• Two complete sets of plans required: site plan, cross-section(s), elevation(s), foundation plan, and floor plan, sufficient to determine code compliance
• Plans are reviewed by the Building Department; any deficiencies are noted and must be corrected by the applicant before permit issuance
• Reviewed against the 2021 IBC and 2021 IRC as adopted locally (effective September 23, 2022)
• Residential projects are charged both a plan review fee and a permit fee (valuation-based); a plan review fee equal to 65% of the building permit fee applies to any project valued over $15,000
• Impact fees (Police, Fire, Transportation, Parks, and Water/Sewer where new service is initiated) apply to new residential construction per the City's Impact Fee Schedule

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding Permit ApplicationCity of Livingston Building Department Permit Application (covers Residential/Commercial/Sign/Well/Demolition); requires project cost, zoning, site address, legal description, applicant/owner/contractor/architect/engineer/plumber/electrician contact information, and project description
• RequiredConstruction DrawingsTwo complete sets: site plan, cross-section(s), elevation(s), foundation plan, and floor plan

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Building permit required per City of Livingston FAQs for: any structural work, changing door or window openings, moving or adding walls, and building exterior decks
• Two complete sets of plans (site plan, cross-section(s), elevation(s), foundation/floor plan as applicable to scope) submitted with the Building Permit Application
• Detached, one-story residential storage buildings 120 sq. ft. or smaller are exempt from the building permit requirement
• Commercial alterations, even minor, will almost always require a permit to verify life-safety code compliance for the occupancy

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding Permit ApplicationCity of Livingston Building Department Permit Application (Residential category)
• RequiredConstruction DrawingsSite plan and structural/framing details showing scope of work and connection to the existing structure

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Application must be signed and dated by the licensed electrical contractor's person in charge; a separate Application for Homeowner Electrical Permit is available for owner-performed work
• Payment must accompany the application; incomplete applications are returned unprocessed
• Property address, GEOCODE/parcel/lot/block, owner information, and power company must be provided
• Alternative Energy Source (solar/wind/hydro) projects require an additional $65 fee on top of the base fee and must specify system type
• Apply in accordance with Title 50, Chapter 60, Section 604, MCA and ARM 24.301.431

Required documents

• RequiredApplication for Residential Electrical PermitMontana Building Codes Bureau statewide form (Rev. 12/22); mailed with payment to Building Codes Program, PO Box 200517, Helena, MT 59620-0517, or filed online via ebiz.mt.gov

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Application must be signed by the Master Plumber and include the Master Plumber License Number
• Accurate location and owner information required; property address, county, and whether the job is inside city limits must be indicated
• Type of Building (Single Family, Multiple Family, Commercial/Public, Accessory Building) and Type of Work (New, Alteration/Addition) must be indicated
• Sewer Service Type (Public Sewer or Septic) and Potable Water Source must be indicated
• Apply in accordance with Title 50, Chapter 60, Section 505, MCA and ARM 24.301.301 and ARM 24.301.361

Required documents

• RequiredApplication for Plumbing PermitMontana Building Codes Bureau statewide form (BCP-1, Rev. 10/2019); mailed with payment to Building Codes Bureau, PO Box 200517, Helena, MT 59620-0517, or filed online via ebiz.mt.gov

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Accurate location and owner information required for permitting
• Type of Building and Type of Work (New, Addition/remodel, Alteration) must be indicated
• Project Value must be provided; fee is calculated from the state's valuation-based fee schedule
• Covers air handling units, furnaces with ducts, repair/alteration of heating or cooling systems, ventilation systems, appliance venting, and gas piping
• Boiler work requires a separate Boiler Permit form, not the Mechanical Permit
• Apply in accordance with Title 50, Chapter 60, Section 104, MCA and ARM 24.301.172

Required documents

• RequiredApplication for Mechanical PermitMontana Building Codes Bureau statewide form (BCP-1, Rev. 06/2022); mailed with payment to Department of Labor and Industry / BCB / PO Box 200517, Helena, MT 59620-0517, or filed online via ebiz.mt.gov

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Building permit required for re-roofing per City of Livingston FAQs page ('When is a building permit needed?' explicitly lists 're-roofing')
• Reviewed against 2021 IRC roofing provisions (Chapter 9) as locally adopted, effective September 23, 2022
• Two sets of plans/specifications sufficient to show compliance with the effective code must be submitted with the Building Permit Application

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding Permit ApplicationCity of Livingston Building Department Permit Application (Residential or Commercial category)

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Structural/roof-mounting or ground-mounting component requires a City of Livingston Building Permit Application, per the general building-permit process (plans/specifications sufficient to show code compliance)
• Electrical interconnection requires a state Residential Electrical Permit (issued by the Montana Building Codes Bureau) with the Alternative Energy Source box checked
• Must specify alternative energy type (Solar, Wind, or Hydro) and, if solar, system type (Micro Inverter/AC Module System or PV String System)

Required documents

• RequiredCity of Livingston Building Permit ApplicationRequired for the structural/mounting component of the solar installation
• RequiredApplication for Residential Electrical Permit (with Alternative Energy Source section completed)Montana Building Codes Bureau statewide form; required for the electrical interconnection

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Building Permit Application must be completed with the 'Demolition' box checked, including project cost, site address, legal description, and property owner information
• Application must be signed; unsigned applications are not accepted
• Reviewed and approved by the appropriate City departments prior to permit issuance, per the standard Building Permit Application process
• No separate, dedicated demolition-specific checklist, bond requirement, or fee line distinct from the standard valuation-based Building Permit Fee was found published by the City of Livingston (unlike Billings, which publishes a distinct Demolition Permit Requirements/Checklist with an explicit $10,000 site bond)

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding Permit Application (Demolition)City of Livingston Building Department Permit Application, with the Demolition work-type box checked

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Municipalities must allow a minimum of one ADU by right on any lot containing a single-family dwelling, without public hearings or discretionary review, per MCA 76-2-345
• ADU size capped at 75% of the gross floor area of the primary single-family dwelling, or 1,000 sq. ft., whichever is less (detached or attached units; internal units have no statutory size cap)
• City may NOT require additional off-street parking, or a fee in lieu of parking, for an ADU
• City may NOT impose stricter building height, setback, lot size, lot coverage, or frontage requirements on an ADU than apply to the primary single-family dwelling
• City may NOT mandate matching exterior design/roof pitch/materials with the primary dwelling, require owner-occupancy of either unit, or require a familial/employment relationship between occupants
• Standard City of Livingston Building Permit Application and 2021 IBC/IRC review process applies to the structural scope, same as any residential addition or new accessory structure

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding Permit ApplicationCity of Livingston Building Department Permit Application (Residential category); no separate ADU-specific form was found published

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Electrical work must be performed and the permit pulled by a Montana-licensed electrical contractor (LCO/UCO), per the Application for Residential Contractor Electrical Permit (Rev 6/24)
• If the EV charger is added as a new dedicated circuit to an existing panel with no service/panel change, this is billed under the form's 'Single Family Interior/Exterior Wire or Rewire' section, line H ('1 additional circuit or piece of equipment') or line G ('2-3 additional circuits or pieces of equipment') depending on scope
• If the installation requires a panel upgrade or new/upsized electrical service to support the charger's amperage draw, it is billed instead under the amperage-based 'Single Family Dwelling or Cabin' service tiers (A-D)
• The state application form has no Alternative-Energy-style checkbox or dedicated question set for EV chargers (unlike its Solar/Wind/Hydro section) -- EVSE is treated as ordinary residential branch-circuit wiring
• A City of Livingston Building Permit is required in addition only if the EVSE is mounted on, or paired with, new structural construction (e.g., a new carport or accessory structure); not required for a simple wall/pedestal-mounted charger on an existing structure

Required documents

• RequiredApplication for Residential (or Commercial) Contractor Electrical PermitMontana Building Codes Bureau statewide form (Rev 6/24); mailed with payment to Building Codes Program, PO Box 200517, Helena, MT 59620-0517, or filed online via ebiz.mt.gov/bcb

Fee schedule

Requirements

• A Sign Permit is required for the erection or expansion of any non-exempt sign within the City of Livingston, per Zoning Ordinance Section 30.50
• Completed Sign Permit Application Form, including property owner and applicant contact information, zoning district, proposed sign type(s), freestanding sign height(s), sign setbacks from all property lines (front street, side, rear, side street if corner lot), sign square footage(s), lineal feet of building frontage, and whether the sign will be lit
• Site Plan showing the location of all proposed signs and structures on the property, with distances from the signs to all property lines clearly labeled
• Building Elevations showing the dimension and location of all proposed wall signs
• Drawings showing color, dimensions, height, design, lighting, and support structures of all proposed signs
• All submittal documents must be on 8 1/2" x 11" or 11" x 17" paper, plus digital PDF copies
• Applicant must indicate whether the property is within a Historic District or Design Overlay District; signs in those districts are also subject to Historic Preservation Commission design review (a separate Historic Design Review Application, Administrative Review, is published alongside the Sign Permit Application on the City's Forms page)
• The Sign Permit review fee must be submitted with the application

Required documents

• RequiredCity of Livingston Sign Permit ApplicationDepartment of Planning form; captures property/applicant information, zoning district, sign type(s), freestanding sign height, setbacks, square footage, building frontage, lighting, and historic/overlay-district status
• RequiredSite PlanShows locations of all proposed signs and structures on the property with distances from the signs to all property lines clearly labeled
• RequiredBuilding ElevationsShows dimension and location of all proposed wall signs
• RequiredSign DrawingsShows color, dimensions, height, design, lighting, and support structures of all proposed signs

Fee schedule

Requirements

• No standalone Livingston Fire & Rescue application form for fire sprinkler or fire alarm permits was found published (the LFR Document Center's only published standalone permit form is the Application for Liquid Petroleum Gas Tank) -- sprinkler and alarm shop drawings are submitted as part of the Commercial Building Permit plan set reviewed by the Building Division, with Livingston Fire & Rescue conducting its own separate plan review and inspections
• Livingston Fire & Rescue bills plan review of fire suppression systems at $50/hour, separate from the Building Division's valuation-based Building Permit Fee
• Fire sprinkler systems, standpipe systems, fire pumps, hood extinguishing systems, other extinguishing systems, and fire alarm/smoke detector systems are each billed as distinct 'Additional Occupancy Inspection' line items once installed
• Occupant Load Calculation, where required to determine alarm/sprinkler design occupancy, is billed at $100/floor
• Unsatisfactory re-inspections are billed at double the original inspection fee; a fourth unsatisfactory re-inspection doubles the prior re-inspection fee again and triggers referral to the City's Code Review Board
• Design and installation must be performed by a Montana-licensed fire protection contractor under the Montana DLI Fire Protection License Program (a statewide individual/contractor licensing program administered separately from the DLI Building Codes Bureau's certified-city trade program)

Required documents

• RequiredCommercial Building Permit Application (with fire suppression/alarm shop drawings)City of Livingston Building Department Permit Application, Commercial category, with fire sprinkler and/or fire alarm shop drawings included in the submitted plan set for Livingston Fire & Rescue's separate review

Fee schedule

Requirements

• No dedicated change-of-use or certificate-of-occupancy application distinct from the standard City of Livingston Building Permit Application (Commercial category) was found published
• Per Mont. Admin. R. 24.301.171, incorporating the 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) by reference, the owner of an existing building may elect to use either the 2021 IBC or the IEBC's alternative prescriptive provisions for a change of occupancy, but may not apply some requirements from the IEBC and others from the IBC on the same project
• Reviewed by the City of Livingston Building Division under its DLI-certified local Building program (certified building official Jim Woodhull, (406) 222-0083)
• Two complete sets of plans/specifications sufficient to demonstrate code compliance for the new occupancy classification must be submitted with the Building Permit Application, per the City's general building-permit submittal process
• Where the request is only to confirm that an intended use is allowed under current zoning -- with no change in IBC/IEBC occupancy classification and no new construction -- the Planning Department's Letter of Zoning Verification/Compliance is the applicable product instead of a building permit

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding Permit Application (Commercial category)City of Livingston Building Department Permit Application; used for any project involving a change in occupancy classification under the 2021 IBC/IEBC
• OptionalLetter of Zoning Verification/Compliance requestCity of Livingston Department of Planning product confirming a proposed use complies with current zoning; not a substitute for a change-of-occupancy building permit when the IBC/IEBC occupancy classification itself is changing

Fee schedule