Certificate of Occupancy in Billings, Montana

Billings requires a certificate of occupancy permit for: A Certificate of Occupancy notifies owners, buyers, or other interested parties that required inspections have been performed and the structure is in compliance with the adopted building codes; Issued after the applicable building/trade permit(s) have been obtained, all required inspections completed, and any code deficiencies identified during construction corrected; Inspections and plan reviews supporting the Certificate of Occupancy are funded through the building permit fee already paid by the builder or applicant — the City does not publish an additional standalone 'change of use' or Certificate of Occupancy issuance fee; For remodels and small additions, the City may issue a Certificate of Final Inspection instead of a full Certificate of Occupancy, confirming all required inspections are complete; All required inspections and a Certificate of Occupancy must be obtained prior to transferring water service billing information for the property; Final inspection must be requested through the Building Division with a minimum 24-hour notice; where the project includes fire protection systems, additional time must be reserved for system acceptance testing and fire-protection sub-contractors must be present on site; No distinct 'change of use' or 'change of occupancy' permit type, application form, or fee schedule is published by the City of Billings Building Division; City Code Sec. 6-301(3) (legacy Uniform Building Code amendment, Section 1806) references a 'permit for change in occupancy or number of stories' only in the narrow context of certain reduced-depth slab-on-grade foundations, and does not establish a general change-of-use permit product; A use change involving construction work is instead handled through whichever building/trade permit(s) cover that scope of work (e.g., the Residential or Commercial Building Permit for remodeling/tenant improvements), with the Certificate of Occupancy issued at completion of that permit. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Billings Building Division at (406) 657-8270 before starting work.

There is no separate fee. Per the City's Certificate of Occupancy page, inspections and plan reviews supporting the Certificate of Occupancy are funded through the building permit fee already paid by the builder or applicant.

Billings does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Billings Building Division at (406) 657-8270 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Underlying Building/Trade Permit(s); Certificate of Occupancy or Certificate of Final Inspection. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Billings requires 1 inspection(s) for a certificate of occupancy permit, in order: Final Inspection (Certificate of Occupancy). Schedule each through City of Billings Building Division ((406) 657-8270).

Apply through City of Billings Building Division at 316 N 26th St, 5th Floor, Billings, MT 59101. Phone: (406) 657-8270, email: permits@billingsmt.gov. Office hours: Building Division front counter, 5th Floor, City Hall, 316 N. 26th St., Billings, MT 59101 (inspection requests: inspections@billingsmt.gov or 406-657-8270). Official information: https://www.billingsmt.gov/67/Building.

Billings, 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 (building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, swimming pool, etc.); a certified local program's adopted code 'may include only codes adopted by the Building Codes Bureau' (ARM 24.301.202). Non-certified areas fall under direct state administration by the DLI Building Codes Bureau. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Certified City, County and Town Programs and Current Codes pages (bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits).; Billings is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B), Plumbing — Mechanical/Gas (P(M/G)), Electrical (E), Mechanical (M), and Swimming Pool (SP) within Billings city limits; certified program contact on file with DLI: Jessica Fust, (406) 657-8270. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Current Codes page (list of certified jurisdictions), bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/current-codes; 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; adopted by City of Billings, last readopted September 1, 2022 per Administrative Order #150; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; adopted by City of Billings per Administrative Order #150. Note: per the City's Adopted Codes page, IRC Chapters 11-14 and 16-43 are deleted in their entirety; IRC Chapter 15 (Exhaust Systems) is adopted as an alternative to the IMC for exhaust systems only, with all other mechanical-system requirements for detached 1-2 family dwellings and townhouses (3 stories or less) found in the adopted IMC; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; adopted by City of Billings per Administrative Order #150; 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; adopted by City of Billings per Administrative Order #150; 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; adopted by City of Billings per Administrative Order #150; 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; adopted by City of Billings per Administrative Order #150 (Montana uses the Uniform Plumbing Code, not the International Plumbing Code); 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; adopted by City of Billings per Administrative Order #150; 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; Billings is DLI-certified for swimming pool (SP) permitting; 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) — per City of Billings Building Division FAQ, current adopted code list; ICC A117.1-2017 Accessibility — effective statewide June 11, 2022 (state-adopted; referenced for commercial accessibility compliance); NFPA 99c, Standard on Gas and Vacuum Systems (medical gas), 2021 Edition — per City of Billings Adopted Codes page; All codes amended by the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) Title 24, Chapter 301. City of Billings Building Codes were last (re)adopted September 1, 2022 per Administrative Order #150. Local amendments apply — see the Billings overview page for the full list.

No. The City of Billings does not publish a standalone change-of-use or change-of-occupancy permit application or fee. A use change that involves construction work is handled through whichever building/trade permit covers that work, and a Certificate of Occupancy (or Certificate of Final Inspection for smaller projects) is issued once all required inspections for that permit are complete.