Conrad building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Conrad, Montana.
Last verified 2026-07-03 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 413 South Main Street, Conrad, MT 59425-2337
- Phone
- (406) 271-5821
- Office hours
- City Hall: Monday-Friday, 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM. Building Inspector Keith Thaut should be called directly at (406) 271-5821 before construction begins so inspections can be scheduled; approval times from the Building Inspector may vary. Building & Zoning general line (406) 271-3623, fax (406) 271-5602.
- Website
- Official site
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Conrad — sequence, scheduling & re-inspection fees.
Codes adopted
Montana adopts a single statewide building code by rule and, by default, enforces it directly — local governments only gain enforcement authority once the state certifies them. Under the Montana Building Codes Act (Mont. Code Ann. Title 50, Chapter 60), the Department of Labor & Industry's Building Codes Bureau adopts one state building code applicable everywhere (§ 50-60-203, codified further at Administrative Rules of Montana Title 24, Chapter 301) — currently the 2021 editions of the IBC, IRC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, IEBC, ISPSC, and UPC, with the 2020 NEC for electrical (effective statewide since 6/11/2022 per the Bureau's own Current Codes page). A city, county, or town may adopt and enforce its own building-code program under § 50-60-301, but its adopted code "may include only codes adopted by the Building Codes Bureau" — a local edition can never diverge from or be less stringent than the state's. Critically, under § 50-60-302, a local government cannot enforce ANY building code — even one it has formally adopted — until the Bureau certifies its program (requiring an approved code, a published fee schedule, an enforcement plan, and properly licensed or nationally certified inspectors); certification is granted per TRADE, not as one blanket designation. The Bureau's own "Certified City, County and Town Programs" list uses the key B=Building, P=Plumbing, E=Electrical, M=Mechanical, SP=Pool, W=Wildland-Urban-Interface — a jurisdiction can be certified for Building only while Electrical/Plumbing/Mechanical remain directly state-enforced within the same city limits (e.g., Havre, Anaconda-Deer Lodge), or certified across all trades (e.g., Billings, Missoula, Great Falls, Bozeman, Helena, Kalispell). Non-certified jurisdictions — most of Montana's unincorporated county land, since very few counties appear on the certified list — fall under direct enforcement by the state Building Codes Bureau (§ 50-60-304). Montana also exempts private homes and buildings of four or fewer dwelling units not serving transient guests from the state building-permit requirement entirely, though electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits remain separately required regardless. Always confirm with the specific jurisdiction which trades it is certified for versus which remain directly state-enforced.
- 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 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).
- Conrad is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B) ONLY within city limits; certified building official on file with DLI: Keith Thaut, (406) 271-5821. Verified directly against the DLI Building Codes Bureau's 'Montana Certified Local Government Program' roster PDF, updated 04/22/2026: 'Conrad | B | Keith Thaut | 271-5821 | City Limits'. Source: https://bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf
- City of Conrad Municipal Code Title 4, Chapter 1 (Building Codes and Regulations), Section 4-1-1 (Adoption of Codes), last amended by Ordinance 425 (8-9-2022): adopts 'the state building code' referenced in Mont. Code Ann. Section 50-60-203 (2021), consisting of: (1) International Building Code (IBC), 2021 Edition, as described in and amended by ARM 24.301.131; (2) International Residential Code (IRC), 2021 Edition, as described in and amended by ARM 24.301.154; (3) International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), 2021 Edition, as amended by ARM 24.301.161; (4) International Existing Building Code (IEBC), 2021 Edition, as described in and amended by ARM 24.301.171. Source: City of Conrad Municipal Code 4-1-1, https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/conradmt/latest/conrad_mt/0-0-0-728 (also verified via the City's own Building Permit Packet PDF)
- The City's Building Permit Packet 'Validity of Permit/Disclaimer' form (signed by every applicant) additionally names the International Mechanical Code, International Fuel Gas Piping Code, ICC A117.1 Accessibility Standards, the Uniform Plumbing Code, and the National Electrical Code as codes/standards referenced for construction in Conrad — consistent with the statewide code set enforced by the DLI even though Conrad itself is not separately certified in the Mechanical/Plumbing/Electrical trades. Source: City of Conrad Building Permit Packet PDF (Validity of Permit/Disclaimer page), https://www.cityofconrad.com/_files/ugd/984806_971dc8cb30b84475b0f2cd026eed99df.pdf
- Per the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's Current Codes page (statewide effective date June 11, 2022): 2021 IBC, 2021 IRC, 2021 IEBC, 2021 IMC, 2021 IFGC, 2021 IECC, 2021 ISPSC, 2021 UPC, 2020 NEC, 2017 ICC A117.1 Accessibility. Conrad's own municipal code (Title 4-1-1) names the same 2021 IBC/IRC/IECC/IEBC editions without authoring independently amended code text, consistent with a small B-only-certified jurisdiction enforcing the state-adopted editions. Source: bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/current-codes
Permit types & fees
Zoning and Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration / Repair)
Required for new single-family home construction, additions, alterations, and repairs within Conrad city limits. Issued by the City of Conrad under its DLI-certified local Building (B) program, using a single combined Zoning and Building Permit Application reviewed by Building Inspector Keith Thaut against the City's adopted 2021 IBC/IRC/IECC/IEBC (Municipal Code Title 4, Chapter 1).
Re-Roof / Re-Side Permit
Required for roof or siding replacement within Conrad city limits, using the same combined Zoning and Building Permit Application with 'Repair' or 'Alteration' checked under Class of Work. City Code 4-1-4.I specifically names a Reroof/re-side inspection sequence (tear off, in-progress, and final).
Demolition / Building Move Permit
Required for demolishing or moving a structure within Conrad city limits, using the combined Zoning and Building Permit Application with 'Move' or 'Demolition' checked under Class of Work.
Accessory Structure Permit (Deck, Storage Shed, Garage)
Required for decks, storage sheds, and garages within Conrad city limits, per the City's Building Permits page which explicitly lists these among the project types requiring a permit, using the same combined Zoning and Building Permit Application.
Electrical Permit (State-Issued)
Because Conrad is DLI-certified for Building only, electrical work anywhere within Conrad city limits requires a Residential (or Commercial) Electrical Permit issued directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena, not by the City of Conrad, under the 2020 NEC.
Plumbing Permit (State-Issued, incl. Water Heater)
Because Conrad is DLI-certified for Building only, plumbing work anywhere within Conrad city limits — including water heater installation/replacement — requires a Plumbing Permit issued directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena, not by the City of Conrad, under the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code.
Mechanical / HVAC Permit (State-Issued)
Because Conrad is DLI-certified for Building only, mechanical/HVAC work anywhere within Conrad city limits requires a Mechanical Permit issued directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena, not by the City of Conrad, under the 2021 International Mechanical Code and International Fuel Gas Code.
Solar PV / Alternative Energy Permit (State-Issued)
Required for installation of grid-tied residential or commercial rooftop/ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems in Conrad. Because Conrad is DLI-certified for Building only (no Electrical certification), the electrical/interconnection portion of any solar PV installation is issued directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena as an Application for Alternative Energy Permit — the same statewide form used for solar, wind, and hydro systems — not by the City of Conrad. Roof-mounted racking/structural attachment (residential or commercial) may separately require the City of Conrad's own Building Permit, since Conrad holds full Building certification for both project types.
Electric Vehicle Charging Station Permit (State-Issued Electrical Permit)
Installing an EV charger/EVSE in Conrad is electrical work, and because Conrad is DLI-certified for Building only (no Electrical certification), it requires a permit issued directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena via the same Application for Residential Electrical Permit (or Commercial Electrical Permit) used for any other electrical work — not a separate, EV-specific permit. No dedicated EV charger/EVSE line item was found on the state's Residential Electrical Permit fee schedule (directly text-extracted from the Bureau's own fillable PDF form); a charger installation is billed under the form's general 'additional circuit or piece of equipment' or 'change of service' line items depending on scope.
Sign / Billboard Permit
Conrad has no freestanding, dedicated 'Sign Permit' application or fee schedule. Instead, signage is regulated through two documented mechanisms: (1) City Code 4-1-9 (Billboards), which requires City Council permission before erecting any billboard or other structure for advertising purposes, plus one week's written notice to owners/occupants of property within 200 feet; and (2) Zoning Code (Ordinance No. 411) 10-7-4.G, which lists 'Billboard, if fire resistive' as a permitted use in the C-1 General Commercial District only -- billboards are not a listed permitted use in the C-2 Neighborhood Commercial District. The Zoning Code separately defines 'WALL SIGN' (10-1) and lists sign location, height, area, and number among the specific elements the zoning commission/board of adjustment may condition (10-2-13.B.2.x, Conditional Uses) or vary (10-2-14.A.7, Variances). The City's own Building Permit Packet 'Validity of Permit/Disclaimer' form refers to these provisions collectively as 'the City of Conrad Zoning and Sign Code,' but no separately codified, standalone Sign Code chapter, application form, or numeric size/setback threshold for ordinary on-premise signs (wall, monument, window) was found published after reviewing the full current Title 10 Zoning Code (Ord. #411, 55 pages) and the codified Title 4 Chapter 1.
Fire Sprinkler / Fire Alarm System Approval (Building Permit Special Approval)
Conrad has no separate, standalone Fire Sprinkler or Fire Alarm permit product. Fire protection systems are addressed as part of the City's own combined Zoning and Building Permit Application: the application's Office Use Only block includes a 'Fire Sprinklers Required? Yes / No' checkbox and a 'FIRE DEPT.' line in the Special Approvals table (alongside Zoning, Health Dept., Plans, Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical), each tracked as Required / Received / Not Required, directly confirmed by the City's own Building Permit Packet PDF. Because Municipal Code 4-1-1 adopts the 2021 IBC (which cross-references NFPA fire-protection-system standards in IBC Chapter 9) and Conrad holds its own DLI Building (B) certification, fire sprinkler/alarm requirements for a given project are determined and approved by Building Inspector Keith Thaut in coordination with the Conrad Volunteer Fire Department as part of the standard Building Permit plan review -- not through a separate application. Montana's DLI Building Codes Bureau permit-applications list (Boiler, Building, Electrical, Elevator, Factory Built Building, Mechanical, Plumbing) confirms there is no separate DLI fire-protection permit type. Separately and importantly: Conrad is NOT among the roughly two dozen jurisdictions on the Montana State Fire Marshal's Office's (SFMO, Dept. of Justice) official 'Fire Inspection Certified Jurisdiction' list (Belgrade, Bozeman, Great Falls, Havre, Helena, Missoula, and others are listed, updated 11/18/2025; Conrad is not) -- meaning Conrad has not been delegated independent local fire-code (IFC) inspection authority the way it has for Building. Whether SFMO retains a separate, mandatory plan-review role for Conrad projects under Title 50, Chapter 61 MCA (Fire Safety in Public Buildings) and ARM 23.7.121, in addition to the City's own Building Permit fire-sprinkler sign-off, could not be resolved from public sources despite an exhaustive search of MCA Title 50 Chapters 3 and 61, the SFMO's own Fire Prevention and Investigations page, and DLI's Building Codes Bureau permit list -- this is a genuine, documented gap rather than an inferred process.
Change of Use / Certificate of Occupancy (Building Permit Field)
Conrad has no standalone Change of Use Permit or separate Certificate of Occupancy application. A change of use is captured on the same combined Zoning and Building Permit Application (Jurisdiction of Conrad): item 8 on the form reads 'Change of use from' / 'Change of use to,' completed alongside the standard Class of Work, description-of-work, and valuation fields used for any other building project -- directly confirmed from the City's own Building Permit Packet PDF. The certificate of occupancy itself is not a separately issued document with its own application: City Code 4-1-4.H states the Final inspection is where the building inspector shall 'issue certificate of occupancy,' conducted in accordance with the International Building Code, at the conclusion of the same Building Permit process. Zoning Code (Ordinance No. 411) Chapter 3 (Non-Conforming Uses, 10-3-1) separately governs when an existing nonconforming use may continue, must conform to district regulations upon change, or lapses after one year of discontinuance -- relevant to whether a proposed change of use is allowed by right or requires zoning review, but this is a zoning-conformance rule, not a separate permit product. Documenting this honestly rather than inventing a freestanding 'Change of Use Permit' or 'CO Application' that does not exist for Conrad.
New residential construction activity
New privately-owned residential construction onlyHousing units authorized by building permits for new privately-owned residential construction — this is not total permit volume (no commercial permits or remodels).
- Latest month (2026-05)
- No data reported
- Trailing 12 months
- No data reported
- Year to date (2026 YTD)
- No data reported
- Full year 2025
- No data reported
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-05 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Montana building activity
Tips & gotchas
- Conrad is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for BUILDING (B) permits ONLY — verified directly against the DLI Building Codes Bureau's own 'Montana Certified Local Government Program' roster PDF (updated 04/22/2026): 'Conrad | B | Keith Thaut | 271-5821 | City Limits'. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical/HVAC permits anywhere within Conrad city limits are issued DIRECTLY by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena, not the City — mail to PO Box 200517, Helena, MT 59620-0517, or apply online at ebiz.mt.gov. The City's own Building Permit Application form corroborates this: 'SEPARATE PERMITS ARE REQUIRED FOR ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING, HEATING, VENTILATING OR AIR CONDITIONING.'
- Unincorporated Pondera County (outside Conrad city limits) holds its OWN separate, narrower DLI certification: Building (B), COMMERCIAL ONLY, with the same certified official as Choteau/Toole County, Kyle Harlan, (406) 788-3398. This is distinct from and should not be confused with the City of Conrad's own city-limits Building certification (Keith Thaut). Residential building in unincorporated Pondera County, and all Electrical/Plumbing/Mechanical work countywide, route to the state DLI Building Codes Bureau. Source: DLI Certified Local Government Program roster.
- City of Conrad Municipal Code Title 4, Chapter 1 (last amended by Ordinance 425, 8-9-2022) adopts the 2021 IBC (ARM 24.301.131), 2021 IRC (ARM 24.301.154), 2021 IECC (ARM 24.301.161), and 2021 IEBC (ARM 24.301.171) as 'the state building code' referenced in Mont. Code Ann. Section 50-60-203.
- Building plan review timeline is a genuine Conrad-published figure: City Code 4-1-3.C requires completion within 60 working days of a completed application, extendable by 20 more working days (4-1-3.D) if state Building Codes Division or other design professionals are consulted. This is Conrad's own governing figure — deliberately NOT the DLI's separate state-issued-permit FAQ figure, which applies to non-certified jurisdictions' permits, a different administrative track.
- No fixed, published fee schedule was found for Conrad's Building or Zoning permits — City Code 4-1-7 states fees are set by city council resolution 'from time to time,' and no such resolution document was found published on the City's Building Permits, Building & Zoning, or Finance pages as of this review. This is an honest publication gap, not an inferred or invented number. Applicants must call City Hall, (406) 271-5821, for a current quote.
- Conrad uses ONE combined Zoning and Building Permit Application (not separate applications), plus a required Plot Plan (5-foot grid) for new construction/additions and a signed Validity of Permit/Disclaimer form. All three are bundled in the City's single downloadable Building Permit Packet PDF.
- Required inspections per City Code 4-1-4 (72 hours advance notice): Footing, Foundation wall, Concrete slab, Under floor/crawl space, Frame, Energy efficiency, Wall board, Final (certificate of occupancy), and a distinct three-stage Reroof/re-side sequence (tear off, in progress, final).
- Permit validity/refund clock (from the application form) is separate from the plan-review clock: the permit itself becomes void if work is not commenced within 60 days of issuance or is abandoned for 180 days after commencement; no refunds after 60 days of issuance or construction commencement, whichever occurs first.
- Violations of Title 4, Chapter 1 (unpermitted construction, alteration, demolition, moving, etc.) are a misdemeanor: fine up to $300.00 and/or imprisonment up to 90 days per day of violation, per City Code 4-1-11.
- For Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical work (all state-issued in Conrad since only Building is city-certified), the applicable fee tables are identical to those already verified for Choteau, MT (another Montana B-only jurisdiction in this dataset) — sourced directly from the Montana Building Codes Bureau's own statewide application PDFs.
- No general fence-permit height threshold (comparable to Billings' 3-6-foot Planning-only tier) was found published in Conrad's Title 4 or on the Building Permits page; fences are listed among project types requiring 'a permit' on the Building Permits page, but City Code 4-1-9 (Billboards) only regulates using a fence/structure for advertising purposes, which is a separate signage restriction.