Shelby building permits

Building department

Address

112 1st Street South, Shelby, MT 59474

Phone

(406) 434-5222

Office hours

Shelby City Hall: contact (406) 434-5222 for all building inspection and ordinance enforcement matters, per the City's current Building & Zoning page (the former 'City Building Inspector' page at /city-building-inspector/ is a 404 as of 2026-07-16 — the City's site re-platformed from a custom/WordPress-style CMS to Wix, and this content now lives at /building). Building Official Keith Thaut is named on that live page; the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's certified-jurisdictions roster lists the same position as 'Ken Thaut' (see department name note).

Website

Official site

Inspection guide

See how inspections work in Shelby — 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. Show full textShow less

  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).

• Shelby is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B) ONLY within city limits; certified building official on file with DLI: Ken Thaut, (406) 434-5222. Show full textShow less

  Shelby is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B) ONLY within city limits; certified building official on file with DLI: Ken Thaut, (406) 434-5222. Per the DLI Building Codes Bureau's 'Montana Certified Local Government Program' roster PDF (updated 04/22/2026): 'Shelby | B | Ken Thaut | 434-5222 | City Limits'. Source: https://bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf. NOTE: the DLI roster reads 'Ken Thaut,' but the City of Shelby's own live website (shelbymt.com/building) spells the position holder's name 'Keith Thaut.' This is a genuine discrepancy between two current primary sources that cannot be independently resolved — both spellings are recorded rather than one being silently chosen as correct.

• Shelby Municipal Code Title 10 (Building Regulations), Chapter 1 (Building Codes), Section 10-1-1 (Adoption Of Model Building And Technical Codes By Administrative Action), last amended by Ordinance 803 (9-20-2010):… Show full textShow less

  Shelby Municipal Code Title 10 (Building Regulations), Chapter 1 (Building Codes), Section 10-1-1 (Adoption Of Model Building And Technical Codes By Administrative Action), last amended by Ordinance 803 (9-20-2010): adopts by reference, through administrative action of the building inspector as authorized by Mont. Code Ann. Section 50-60-301(1)(b), 'the current editions of the building, mechanical and related codes and all accompanying appendices, amendments and modifications adopted by the bureau of building and measurement standards, Montana department of labor and industry (or its successor), as set out in the administrative rules of Montana.' Source: City of Shelby Code of Ordinances, https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/shelbymt/latest/shelby_mt/0-0-0-2417 (section 10-1-1)

• 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… Show full textShow less

  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. Shelby's own municipal code (Title 10, Chapter 1) adopts the state-published editions by administrative reference rather than 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

• Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Structural Alteration)

  Required for new single-family home construction, additions, and structural alterations within Shelby city limits. Issued by the City of Shelby under its DLI-certified local Building (B) program, reviewed by the City's Building Official (named 'Keith Thaut' on the City's live Building & Zoning page as of 2026-07-16; the Montana DLI certified-jurisdictions roster spells the same position 'Ken Thaut' — see department record for this unresolved discrepancy) against the state-adopted building and technical codes referenced in Shelby Municipal Code Title 10, Chapter 1.

  From$23.50→

• Commercial Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration / Tenant Improvement)

  Required for new construction, additions, and structural alterations of commercial and industrial structures within Shelby city limits. Shelby's Montana DLI certification for Building (B) carries no residential-only or commercial-only qualifier, so the same City Building Official, the same Building Permit Application, and the same valuation-based fee table at Shelby Municipal Code 1-12-13 that govern the Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Structural Alteration) permit type above apply to commercial work as well -- Shelby publishes no separate commercial application or commercial-specific fee line. Outside Shelby's incorporated city limits, in unincorporated Toole County, commercial building permits are instead issued by Toole County under its own, narrower Montana DLI certification for Building, commercial only (certified official Kyle Harlan, 424-8310) -- a county-level certification scoped to commercial work only, which is unusual: most Montana counties and cities holding a Building certification carry it without an occupancy qualifier, or not at all. Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical/HVAC work on a commercial project inside Shelby city limits is not covered by this permit and remains with the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, the same split documented for residential work.

  From$23.50→

• Non-Structural Remodel (Permit-Exempt) / Structural Alteration Permit

  Shelby Municipal Code 10-1-9 creates a specific no-fee/no-permit exception for defined non-structural 'remodeling' of single-family dwellings, while any structural change requires the standard Building Permit and fee.

  From$0→

• Fence Zoning Permit

  Construction of a fence within Shelby city limits is explicitly classified as a 'structural change' under Shelby Municipal Code 10-1-9.B and requires a zoning permit (administered under Title 13, Zoning Regulations) and payment of the appropriate fee.

  See fee schedule→

• Moving Building Permit

  Required to move, remove, or relocate any building or structure within or into Shelby city limits, per Shelby Municipal Code Title 10, Chapter 4 (Moving Buildings).

  See fee schedule→

• Electrical Permit (State-Issued)

  Because Shelby is DLI-certified for Building only, electrical work anywhere within Shelby 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 Shelby, under the 2020 NEC.

  From$200→

• Plumbing Permit (State-Issued, incl. Water Heater)

  Because Shelby is DLI-certified for Building only, plumbing work anywhere within Shelby 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 Shelby, under the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code.

  From$25→

• Mechanical / HVAC Permit (State-Issued)

  Because Shelby is DLI-certified for Building only, mechanical/HVAC work anywhere within Shelby city limits requires a Mechanical Permit issued directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena, not by the City of Shelby, under the 2021 International Mechanical Code and International Fuel Gas Code.

  From$48valuation-based→

• Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit

  Required for installing a rooftop or ground-mount photovoltaic system within Shelby city limits. Because Shelby is DLI-certified for Building only, TWO permits and TWO authorities apply: a City of Shelby Building Permit for the structural/roof-mount work (valuation-based, City Building Official) and a State of Montana Residential (or Commercial) Electrical Permit for the PV electrical installation, issued directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena, which adds a flat Alternative Energy Source fee on top of its standard electrical fee.

  From$23.50→

• EV Charger / Electric Vehicle Charging Station Permit

  Installing an EV charger in Shelby is electrical work, and because Shelby is DLI-certified for Building only (not Electrical), the permit for the charging circuit is issued directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena, not by the City of Shelby -- the same state-issuance mechanism already documented in this record for the electrical-permit-state and solar-pv-permit entries. The state's Application for Residential Electrical Permit does not carry a dedicated 'EV charger' or 'EVSE' line item (unlike its explicit $45 Alternative Energy Source option for solar, wind or hydro); a new EV charger circuit at an existing single-family dwelling is billed under the form's general 'Single Family Interior/Exterior Wire or Rewire' fee categories for adding one or more circuits or pieces of equipment. A City of Shelby Building Permit is required in addition only if the installation includes new structural work (e.g., a carport built to house the charger), billed under the City's general valuation-based fee schedule at Shelby Municipal Code 1-12-13, the same mechanism documented for solar's structural/racking scope.

  From$45→

• Sign Permit (Zoning Permit for Signs)

  Shelby Municipal Code Title 13, Chapter 9 (Signs) sets substantive placement, lighting, and duration standards for on-site, off-site, and temporary signs, while Title 13, Chapter 12 (Administration and Enforcement) establishes the actual permit mechanism: Section 13-12-2.A requires a ZONING PERMIT from the City's Zoning Administrator prior to erecting 'any sign or group of signs having permanent geographical location.' The Zoning Administrator may also serve as the City Building Inspector (13-12-1.A), so the same city office typically handles both reviews.

  See fee schedule→

• Fire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm Permit

  Shelby has no distinct local permit product for fire sprinkler or fire alarm systems. The Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's certified-jurisdictions roster (updated 04/22/2026) lists Shelby as certified for Building (B) only, and the roster's own code key (B, P, M/G, E, M, SP, W) contains no distinct 'Fire' trade designation for any Montana jurisdiction, consistent with the statewide pattern that DLI does not certify a separate Fire trade. Shelby Municipal Code Title 8 (Fire Regulations) covers only the Volunteer Fire Department's organizational structure (Chapter 1, sections 8-1-1 through 8-1-13: creation, officers, chief, membership, equipment, arson suppression, right of entry, fire-hazard abatement) and Fireworks (Chapter 3) — it sets out no sprinkler/alarm permit process or fee schedule. Fire protection system review for new construction and alterations is folded into the standard City of Shelby Building Permit (Shelby Municipal Code 10-1-2), under the state-adopted 2021 IBC/2021 IFC (Chapter 9, Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems), and is handled by the same City Building Official who handles all of Shelby's city-certified Building permits.

  See fee schedule→

• Change Of Use / Certificate Of Occupancy Permit

  Two governing layers apply to a commercial change of use or occupancy change in Shelby. First, Shelby Municipal Code 13-12-2.A requires a ZONING PERMIT from the Zoning Administrator prior to 'any change of use of any building or land,' and 13-12-2.C requires a CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE before any nonconforming structure or use is changed or extended. Second, the state-adopted 2021 IBC (Montana Building Code, administratively adopted by Shelby Municipal Code 10-1-1) Section 111 (Certificate of Occupancy) independently requires the City Building Official to issue a certificate of occupancy before a 'change of occupancy' of a building or structure is made. Because Shelby's Zoning Administrator 'may also serve as the building inspector for the city' (13-12-1.A), both reviews are typically conducted by the same city office.

  See fee schedule→

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