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Change of Use Permit in Choteau, Montana

Choteau does not issue a separate Change of Use Permit or Certificate of Occupancy document. Change of use is a Yes/No checkbox field ('Change of Use Yes ___ No ___') directly on the City's combined Zoning/Building Permit Application -- confirmed by direct review of the application form on 2026-07-22 -- meaning a change-of-use project is processed through the exact same City Building/Zoning review as new construction, additions, or alterations, rather than through a distinct product or application. Per the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's own Building Permit FAQ, a state building permit (including for a change of occupancy) is required only 'except for projects located within the jurisdictional limits of a local government program' -- since Choteau holds its own DLI Building certification, change-of-occupancy review for property within city limits stays with the City (Building Official Kyle Harlan) rather than routing to the state.

Verified 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Check 'Yes' under 'Change of Use' on the combined Zoning/Building Permit Application and provide a full description of the proposed new use, per the form's 'Description of Work' field
  • Project valuation (prior value and completed value) must be provided, same as any other permit type on this form
  • For a commercial change of use, the application's 'Plan Review (Commercial Only)' fee line applies in addition to the Zoning and Building fee lines
  • Signed Zoning/Building Permit Acknowledgement Form required, same as new construction -- the City does not review or certify accessibility (ADA) compliance, floodplain location, or property lines as part of this or any other permit type

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Zoning and Building permit feesNot published as a fixed table; filled in by city staff on the 'For Office Use' block after review, same finding as every other Choteau building-permit entry in this file.
Not published — contact the department
Plan Review (Commercial Only)A distinct blank fee line exists on the application specifically for commercial-scope plan review, which would apply to a commercial change of use; confirmed by direct read of the application form on 2026-07-22, no fixed dollar amount published.
Not published — contact the department

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Change of Use Permit permit actually take in Choteau?

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

Inspection process

    Tips

    • There is no separate 'Certificate of Occupancy' document issued by the City of Choteau -- check 'Yes' under 'Change of Use' on the standard combined Zoning/Building Permit Application and describe the new use in the Description of Work field.
    • If the change of use is for a commercial space, budget for the application's 'Plan Review (Commercial Only)' fee line in addition to the standard Zoning/Building fees.
    • Because the City does not review floodplain location, property lines, or ADA/accessibility compliance for any permit type (per the Acknowledgement Form), confirm those items independently before changing a building's use.

    Frequently asked questions

    Yes -- check 'Yes' under Change of Use on the combined Zoning/Building Permit Application and describe the new use. Because Choteau holds its own DLI Building certification, this stays a City-level review rather than routing to the State Building Codes Bureau.

    Choteau does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Choteau — Building Official Kyle Harlan (contracted); city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Zoning permits are administered directly by the City Office; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Choteau city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at (406) 466-2510 for current turnaround.

    You'll need: Zoning/Building Permit Application ('Change of Use: Yes' checked). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through City of Choteau — Building Official Kyle Harlan (contracted); city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Zoning permits are administered directly by the City Office; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Choteau city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at 38 First Avenue N.W., PO Box 619, Choteau, MT 59422-0619. Phone: (406) 466-2510. Office hours: City Office: Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Building Inspector Kyle Harlan (contracted, also serves Toole County and Pondera County as certified building official) should be called directly at (406) 788-3398 prior to construction and during the project to schedule required inspections, per the City's Zoning/Building Permit Acknowledgement Form.. Official information: https://www.choteaumt.org/services.

    Choteau, 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 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 list (bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits).; Choteau is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B) ONLY within city limits; certified building official on file with DLI: Kyle Harlan, (406) 466-2510 (city office) / (406) 788-3398 (direct, per City's own permit packet). Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, 'Montana Certified Local Government Program' roster, updated 04/22/2026, https://bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf; Per Choteau Acantha reporting (April 2012 City Council coverage), the City of Choteau adopted the State Building Code as its own by ordinance (effective May 17, 2012) and contracted with Kyle Harlan of Cascade, MT as the city's certified building code inspector, so that building permit fees collected stay with the city rather than the state, and so contractors have a local point of contact. Source: choteauacantha.com, 'City adopts revised zoning codes'; The City of Choteau's own Zoning/Building Permit Acknowledgement Form lists the codes applicable to construction in the city as: the International Building Code, Energy Conservation Code (IECC), International Mechanical Code (IMC), International Fuel Gas Piping Code (IFGC), ICC A117.1 Accessibility Standards, the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), the National Electrical Code (NEC), the City of Choteau Zoning Code, and other Choteau Municipal Codes. Source: City of Choteau, Choteau-Zoning-and-Building-Permit-packet.pdf (choteaumt.org/s/Choteau-Zoning-and-Building-Permit-packet.pdf); 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. Choteau's own permit packet references these same code families (IBC, IECC, IMC, IFGC, ICC A117.1, UPC, NEC) without naming a locally-amended edition, consistent with a small B-only-certified jurisdiction enforcing the state-adopted editions rather than authoring independent code text. Source: bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/current-codes. Local amendments apply — see the Choteau overview page for the full list.

    No standalone Certificate of Occupancy or Change of Use Permit document is issued. Change of use is a Yes/No field on the City's combined Zoning/Building Permit Application, reviewed the same way as new construction or an alteration.

    Other permits in Choteau

    Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration)Re-Roofing PermitDemolition / Building Move PermitZoning Permit (Fence, Sign, Accessory Structure)Electrical Permit (State-Issued)Solar Photovoltaic (PV) PermitPlumbing Permit (State-Issued, incl. Water Heater)Mechanical / HVAC Permit (State-Issued)Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger / EVSE PermitSign Permit (Zoning Permit for Signage)Fire Sprinkler / Fire Alarm System Permit (State Fire Marshal Review)

    Change of Use Permit in other cities

    Anaconda-Deer Lodge, MontanaBelgrade, MontanaCity of Deer Lodge, MontanaColstrip, MontanaColumbia Falls, MontanaConrad, MontanaCut Bank, MontanaDarby, Montana

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