Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration) in Glasgow, Montana

Glasgow requires a residential building permit (new construction / addition / alteration) for: Building Permit Application completed in full: owner, contractor, and architect/engineer contact information; class of work (new/addition/alteration/repair/mobile home); legal description (street address, lot, block, subdivision, zoning district); off-street parking spaces provided; change of occupancy if any; valuation of work and number of family units; type of construction (foundation, exterior walls, roof, interior walls); Minimum of TWO complete sets of plans required for residential remodel/garage projects; THREE complete sets required for residential new construction, per the Building Permit Application Instructions; Required drawings: plot plan/site plan (scale not less than 1/4 inch = 1 foot, showing dimensions, north point, front/rear/side yards, walks/driveways/parking, steps/terraces/porches/fences/retaining walls, easements and setbacks, grading and drainage), construction/floor plan, exterior elevations (front, rear, both sides), and typical cross sections/wall sections (multiple sections required for a typical house, more for commercial); As of Ordinance No. 966 (effective July 27, 2020): property pins must be established and clearly visible before permit issuance for any new building project or any project that modifies an existing structure's footprint; the Building Inspector must witness the pins in place, or a licensed surveyor must establish them first; Submitted roof truss diagrams must bear the seal of a Montana-licensed professional engineer; All commercial plans for public buildings must be wet-stamped (each set original-stamped) by a Montana-licensed architect or engineer; Projects within the designated 500-foot Critical Zone of the Glasgow/Cherry Creek/Milk River Levee require mandatory additional review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before the City can issue an approved permit; Offset/setback requirements are measured from the wall to the property line and are non-negotiable Zoning Code minimums; where a garage is accessed from an alley, the setback from the structure to the edge of the alley must be 20 feet. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Glasgow Public Works Department / Building Codes Department — Rod Dees, Code Compliance Officer; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Glasgow city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at (406) 228-2476 before starting work.

Per the City of Glasgow's own Building Permit Packet: a minor residential renovation or typical detached accessory building project takes 4 to 7 working days; minor commercial projects take 2-4 weeks; major commercial projects take 3-6 weeks.

You'll need: Application for Building Permit; Plot Plan / Site Plan; Construction/Floor Plan, Elevations, and Cross Sections. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Apply through City of Glasgow Public Works Department / Building Codes Department — Rod Dees, Code Compliance Officer; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Glasgow city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at 319 3rd Street South, Glasgow, MT 59230. Phone: (406) 228-2476, email: codecompliance@cityofglasgowmt.com. Office hours: City Hall: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-12:00 PM and 1:00 PM-5:00 PM, closed federal holidays. Code Compliance Officer Rod Dees: (406) 228-2476 ext. 8, cell (406) 263-3386. Public Works Department can also be reached at (406) 228-2476 ext. 4 for pre-submittal project discussions.. Official information: https://www.cityofglasgowmt.com/public-works-department.

Glasgow, 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).; Glasgow is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B) ONLY within city limits; certified building official on file with DLI: Rod Dees, (406) 228-2476. 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 — verified directly against the PDF: 'Glasgow | B | Rod Dees | 228-2476 | City Limits'.; Per the City of Glasgow's own 'General Information for Building Permit Applications' packet (Public Information Sheet GIPBA No. 4, dated 11/17/2021): all building designs and plans must adhere to the 2018 International Residential Code, 2018 International Building Code, 2018 International Mechanical Code, 2018 International Existing Building Code, 2018 International Fuel Gas Code, 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, 2012 International Energy Code, and the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code, plus applicable local zoning codes. Source: City of Glasgow Building Permit Packet, cityofglasgowmt.com/_files/ugd/2ff7f3_a263251865d842a9b7db016c72ebf448.pdf; Note on code-edition discrepancy: the City's own packet (last dated 2021) cites 2018-edition I-codes and the 2012 IECC, while the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's statewide 'Current Codes' page lists the newer 2021-edition codes (2021 IBC, IRC, IMC, IFGC, ISPSC, IEBC, UPC; 2021 IECC; 2020 NEC) as effective statewide since June 11, 2022. Because Glasgow is a certified local Building program, ARM 24.301.202 requires its adopted code to be one 'adopted by the Building Codes Bureau' — the City's own document may not have been updated to reflect the 2021-cycle codes. This discrepancy is reported as found rather than resolved by assumption; applicants should confirm current code edition in effect with the City Building Codes Department, (406) 228-2476 ext. 8. Source: bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/current-codes vs. City of Glasgow Building Permit Packet.; The City of Glasgow's own Building Permit Packet contains an internal inconsistency regarding Mechanical permits: one bullet in the 'General Information' page states 'The City of Glasgow also issues plumbing/mechanical permits,' while a later 'NOTICE' section in the same packet states plainly: 'The City of Glasgow covers Building Permits and Mechanical Permits; the State of Montana issues plumbing and electrical plans for work in the city.' The DLI's own certified-jurisdictions roster (updated 04/22/2026) lists Glasgow's certification as 'B' ONLY, with no 'M' code shown (contrast with e.g. Havre or Choteau, also 'B' only, or Belgrade/Billings which show explicit 'M' certification). Given the DLI roster is the authoritative statewide certification record, this KB treats Mechanical permits in Glasgow as STATE-ISSUED (routed to the DLI Building Codes Bureau) consistent with the official 'B'-only certification, while flagging the City's own document's contrary claim as an unresolved discrepancy applicants should verify directly with (406) 228-2476 ext. 8 before assuming which office issues a mechanical permit.. Local amendments apply — see the Glasgow overview page for the full list.

The City of Glasgow Public Works/Building Codes Department issues Building permits under a Montana DLI 'Building (B) only' certification (Rod Dees, Code Compliance Officer). Electrical and Plumbing permits are issued separately by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena, not the City.