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Commercial Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration / Tenant Improvement) in Shelby, Montana

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.

Verified 2026-08-26 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Applies to commercial and industrial structures located inside the incorporated city limits of Shelby; a commercial project in unincorporated Toole County is not covered by this permit and instead requires a separate Toole County building permit issued under the County's own Building (commercial only) certification, Kyle Harlan, (406) 424-8310
  • Application for a building permit submitted to the City Building Official; plans reviewed against the state-adopted 2021 International Building Code (IBC) as administratively adopted by Shelby Municipal Code 10-1-1 (Ord. 803, 9-20-2010)
  • Building plan review completed by the building official within 30 working days of submittal of a complete application (Shelby Municipal Code 10-1-2.C), the same clock documented for residential work above; the building official may lengthen this if the aid of the Montana Building Codes Bureau, other state agencies, or professional consultants is requested (10-1-2.D)
  • Building official may submit plans to other affected city departments for review and approval before permit issuance (10-1-2.B)
  • This permit covers the Building trade only -- electrical, plumbing, and mechanical/HVAC permits for the same commercial project are issued directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena, since Shelby's local certification does not extend to those trades
  • Fire-protection systems (sprinklers, alarms) are reviewed for code compliance as part of this Building Permit rather than through a separate fire-authority permit, because no distinct sprinkler/alarm permit product exists locally or at the state level for a Building-only-certified city

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — valuation $1.00 to $500.00
Shelby Municipal Code 1-12-13, Plan Review And Building Permit Fees (Ord. Show full citationShelby Municipal Code 1-12-13, Plan Review And Building Permit Fees (Ord. 780, 5-21-2007) -- one citywide valuation table with no residential/commercial split; the same table documented under the Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Structural Alteration) permit type above
$23.50
Building Permit Fee — valuation $2,001.00 to $25,000.00Shelby Municipal Code 1-12-13
$69.25 for the first $2,000.00, plus $14.00 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof, to and including $25,000.00
Building Permit Fee — valuation $100,001.00 to $500,000.00Shelby Municipal Code 1-12-13 -- covers the valuation range typical of small commercial construction; see the Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Structural Alteration) permit type above for the full 8-tier table from $1 through $1,000,001-and-up
$993.75 for the first $100,000.00, plus $5.60 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof, to and including $500,000.00
Plan Review FeeShelby Municipal Code 1-12-13 is itself titled "Plan Review And Building Permit Fees" and lists a single valuation-based fee column covering both, unlike jurisdictions that publish a distinct plan-review percentage on top of the permit fee
Bundled into the Building Permit Fee above; no separate plan-review percentage or line item is published
Additional Plan Review (changes, additions, or revisions to submitted plans)Shelby Municipal Code 1-12-13, "Additional plan review required by changes, additions, or revisions to plans" line item
$47.00 per hour, or the City's total hourly cost, whichever is greater
Fire Department Plan Review
Shelby Municipal Code Title 8 (Fire Regulations) publishes no sprinkler/alarm permit process or fee, and the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's certified-jurisdictions roster has no separate Fire… Show full citationShelby Municipal Code Title 8 (Fire Regulations) publishes no sprinkler/alarm permit process or fee, and the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's certified-jurisdictions roster has no separate Fire trade code in its key statewide -- the same finding documented under the fire-sprinkler-alarm-permit type
No separate fire-department plan-review fee is published; fire-protection-system compliance is reviewed by the City Building Official as part of the Building Permit fee above
Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical/HVAC Permits (commercial)Montana Building Codes Bureau statewide Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical Permit application fee schedules, already documented under the electrical-permit-state, plumbing-permit-state, and mechanical-permit-state permit types
Set by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau under its own statewide fee schedules, not the City of Shelby

Review timeline

Plan reviewShelby’s published plan-review target
Up to 30 business days

How long did your Commercial Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration / Tenant Improvement) permit actually take in Shelby?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Department Coordination Review

    Building official submits plans to any other affected city department for review and approval before permit issuance, per Shelby Municipal Code 10-1-2.B

  2. 2

    Construction Inspections

    Conducted by the building official or other appropriately qualified and authorized personnel per Shelby Municipal Code 10-1-3, including fire-protection-system compliance since no separate fire-authority inspection track exists locally

See the full Shelby inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Shelby's Building (B) certification carries no residential-only or commercial-only qualifier -- the same Building Official, application, fee table (Shelby Municipal Code 1-12-13), and 30-working-day review clock (10-1-2.C) documented for the Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Structural Alteration) permit type above apply equally to commercial construction inside city limits.
  • Toole County's own Montana DLI certification is scoped to Building, commercial only -- a narrower certification than Shelby's plain Building certification, and worth noting because most Montana jurisdictions with a Building certification hold it without any occupancy qualifier at all. Confirm which authority applies by checking whether the project address is inside or outside Shelby's incorporated city limits.
  • Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical/HVAC permits for a commercial project inside Shelby are not part of this permit -- they route directly to the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena, the same as for residential work, since Shelby's local certification does not cover those trades.
  • There is no separate fire department plan-review authority in Shelby -- fire-protection-system compliance (sprinklers, alarms) for a commercial project is reviewed by the City Building Official as part of the standard Building Permit process.

Frequently asked questions

Shelby requires a commercial building permit (new construction / addition / alteration / tenant improvement) for: Applies to commercial and industrial structures located inside the incorporated city limits of Shelby; a commercial project in unincorporated Toole County is not covered by this permit and instead requires a separate Toole County building permit issued under the County's own Building (commercial only) certification, Kyle Harlan, (406) 424-8310; Application for a building permit submitted to the City Building Official; plans reviewed against the state-adopted 2021 International Building Code (IBC) as administratively adopted by Shelby Municipal Code 10-1-1 (Ord. 803, 9-20-2010); Building plan review completed by the building official within 30 working days of submittal of a complete application (Shelby Municipal Code 10-1-2.C), the same clock documented for residential work above; the building official may lengthen this if the aid of the Montana Building Codes Bureau, other state agencies, or professional consultants is requested (10-1-2.D); Building official may submit plans to other affected city departments for review and approval before permit issuance (10-1-2.B); This permit covers the Building trade only -- electrical, plumbing, and mechanical/HVAC permits for the same commercial project are issued directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena, since Shelby's local certification does not extend to those trades; Fire-protection systems (sprinklers, alarms) are reviewed for code compliance as part of this Building Permit rather than through a separate fire-authority permit, because no distinct sprinkler/alarm permit product exists locally or at the state level for a Building-only-certified city. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Shelby Building Department — Building Official Keith Thaut (per the City's live Building & Zoning page, https://www.shelbymt.com/building, fetched 2026-07-16: 'Keith Thaut Building Inspector'); city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical/HVAC permits within Shelby city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. NOTE: the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's own certified-jurisdictions roster PDF (updated 04/22/2026) spells the same position 'Ken Thaut' — a name-spelling discrepancy between two current primary sources (city website vs. state roster) that could not be independently resolved as of 2026-07-16; both are cited so nothing is silently reconciled. at (406) 434-5222 before starting work.

Fees run on the same valuation-based table as residential construction, per Shelby Municipal Code 1-12-13, starting at $23.50 for $1-$500 valuation. The section is titled "Plan Review And Building Permit Fees" and lists one combined fee -- there is no separate plan-review percentage charged on top, though additional plan review required by later changes or revisions is billed at $47.00 per hour.

Up to 30 working days from a complete submittal, per Shelby Municipal Code 10-1-2.C. The ordinance sets one review clock for all building plan review and does not publish a separate, longer figure for commercial projects the way some other Montana and Idaho cities do.

You'll need: Building Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Apply through City of Shelby Building Department — Building Official Keith Thaut (per the City's live Building & Zoning page, https://www.shelbymt.com/building, fetched 2026-07-16: 'Keith Thaut Building Inspector'); city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical/HVAC permits within Shelby city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. NOTE: the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's own certified-jurisdictions roster PDF (updated 04/22/2026) spells the same position 'Ken Thaut' — a name-spelling discrepancy between two current primary sources (city website vs. state roster) that could not be independently resolved as of 2026-07-16; both are cited so nothing is silently reconciled. at 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).. Official information: https://www.shelbymt.com/building.

The 2021 International Building Code, adopted statewide by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau effective June 11, 2022, and administratively adopted by Shelby Municipal Code 10-1-1 (Ord. 803, 9-20-2010).

It depends on the project address. Inside Shelby's incorporated city limits, the City of Shelby issues the commercial building permit under its Montana DLI Building (B) certification, which carries no residential/commercial qualifier. Outside city limits, in unincorporated Toole County, the County issues it under its own, separate Montana DLI certification for Building, commercial only (Kyle Harlan, 406-424-8310).

No. Shelby is Montana DLI-certified for Building only. Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical/HVAC permits for the same commercial project are issued directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena, under its own statewide fee schedules.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-26.

Fee schedules

Codes & ordinances

Department & other records

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Shelby building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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