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Fence Zoning Permit in Shelby, Montana

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.

Verified 2026-07-03 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Any fence construction is classified as a structural change under Shelby Municipal Code 10-1-9.B and requires a zoning permit
  • Zoning permit fee payment required; fee amount is referenced to the City's non-codified 'schedule of fees and permits' on file at City Hall or the Department of Public Works (Shelby Municipal Code 1-12-15) rather than published as a fixed dollar figure in the code itself
  • Zoning requirements generally governed by Shelby Municipal Code Title 13 (Zoning Regulations)

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Zoning Permit Fee (fence)
Shelby Municipal Code 1-12-15 (Zoning) states only: 'Refer to the current "schedule of fees and permits" on file at the City Hall or Department of Public Works.' No fixed dollar figure is published… Show full citationShelby Municipal Code 1-12-15 (Zoning) states only: 'Refer to the current "schedule of fees and permits" on file at the City Hall or Department of Public Works.' No fixed dollar figure is published in the codified ordinances themselves — confirmed via direct review of section 1-12-15 and its cross-reference to Title 13. This is an honest publication gap, not an inferred or invented number. Applicants must contact City Hall at (406) 434-5222 for the current fee.
Not published — contact the department

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Fence Zoning Permit 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

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

    Tips

    • Unlike Billings (which has a Planning-permit-only tier for 3-6 foot fences) or Conrad (no documented general fence-permit threshold), Shelby's code makes NO height distinction — the building of 'any fence' is classified as a structural change requiring a zoning permit, per the plain text of 10-1-9.B.
    • Contact City Hall at (406) 434-5222 for the current zoning permit fee amount, since it is not published as a fixed table in the code.

    Frequently asked questions

    Yes. Shelby Municipal Code 10-1-9.B explicitly states that building any fence is considered a structural change requiring a zoning permit and payment of the appropriate fee. Contact City Hall at (406) 434-5222 for the current fee amount.

    Shelby does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact 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 for current turnaround.

    You'll need: Zoning 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.

    Shelby, 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 (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. 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): 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 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. Local amendments apply — see the Shelby overview page for the full list.

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