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, which lists '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; The 2021 editions govern. The City's own permit packet (dated 11/17/2021) cites 2018-edition I-codes and the 2012 IECC, while Montana DLI's statewide Current Codes page lists 2021 editions; Glasgow's own Municipal Code settles the discrepancy — Chapter 8, Article II adopts the 2021 editions by section, each 'Pursuant to MCA 50-60-301 and ARM 24.301.202'. The City packet is simply out of date relative to the City's own codified ordinance. City of Glasgow Code of Ordinances Chapter 8 (Buildings and Building Regulations), Article II (Technical Codes) (nodeId COOR_CH8BUBURE); codification current through Ordinance No. 981, adopted 2022-08-15, online content updated 2023-12-01.; 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.; International Building Code, 2021 edition — adopted at Code of Ordinances Sec. 8-23, 'as amended by ARM 24.301.131 and all accompanying appendices, amendments, and modifications adopted by the building codes bureau, state department of labor and industry', pursuant to MCA 50-60-301 and ARM 24.301.202. City of Glasgow Code of Ordinances Chapter 8 (Buildings and Building Regulations), Article II (Technical Codes) (nodeId COOR_CH8BUBURE); codification current through Ordinance No. 981, adopted 2022-08-15, online content updated 2023-12-01.; International Residential Code, 2021 edition — adopted at Code of Ordinances Sec. 8-24, as amended by ARM 24.301.154, for detached single- or two-family dwellings and townhouses not more than three stories and their accessory structures. City of Glasgow Code of Ordinances Chapter 8 (Buildings and Building Regulations), Article II (Technical Codes) (nodeId COOR_CH8BUBURE); codification current through Ordinance No. 981, adopted 2022-08-15, online content updated 2023-12-01.; International Fuel Gas Code — adopted at Code of Ordinances Sec. 8-25 'as adopted by the state in ARM 24.301.173'. NOTE: Sec. 8-25 is the one adoption section in Article II that cites NO edition year of its own; the edition is whatever ARM 24.301.173 currently carries. Stated as the section states it rather than assumed to be 2021 by analogy with Secs. 8-23, 8-24, 8-26 and 8-27. City of Glasgow Code of Ordinances Chapter 8 (Buildings and Building Regulations), Article II (Technical Codes) (nodeId COOR_CH8BUBURE); codification current through Ordinance No. 981, adopted 2022-08-15, online content updated 2023-12-01.; International Existing Building Code, 2021 edition — adopted at Code of Ordinances Sec. 8-26, as amended by ARM 24.301.171, usable 'as an alternative prescriptive method for the remodel, repair, alteration, change of occupancy, addition, and relocation of existing buildings'. City of Glasgow Code of Ordinances Chapter 8 (Buildings and Building Regulations), Article II (Technical Codes) (nodeId COOR_CH8BUBURE); codification current through Ordinance No. 981, adopted 2022-08-15, online content updated 2023-12-01.; International Energy Conservation Code, 2021 edition — adopted at Code of Ordinances Sec. 8-27, as amended by ARM 24.301.161. This supersedes the 2012 IECC cited in the City's own 2021 permit packet. City of Glasgow Code of Ordinances Chapter 8 (Buildings and Building Regulations), Article II (Technical Codes) (nodeId COOR_CH8BUBURE); codification current through Ordinance No. 981, adopted 2022-08-15, online content updated 2023-12-01.; Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (current edition, published by the General Services Administration) — adopted by reference at Code of Ordinances Sec. 8-28(a), together with the appendices, amendments and modifications adopted by the state building codes bureau as set out in the Administrative Rules of Montana. City of Glasgow Code of Ordinances Chapter 8 (Buildings and Building Regulations), Article II (Technical Codes) (nodeId COOR_CH8BUBURE); codification current through Ordinance No. 981, adopted 2022-08-15, online content updated 2023-12-01.; Uniform Plumbing Code (current edition, published by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials) — adopted by reference at Code of Ordinances Sec. 8-88(a), with the ARM amendments. NOTE this is a UPC jurisdiction for plumbing, not an IPC one; plumbing permits themselves are issued by the Montana DLI rather than the City, per localAmendments. City of Glasgow Code of Ordinances Chapter 8 (Buildings and Building Regulations), Article II (Technical Codes) (nodeId COOR_CH8BUBURE); codification current through Ordinance No. 981, adopted 2022-08-15, online content updated 2023-12-01.; City of Glasgow Code of Ordinances Chapter 8 (Buildings and Building Regulations), Article II (Technical Codes) adopts seven codes by section.. 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.