Residential Building Permit (New Construction) in Billings, Montana

Billings requires a residential building permit (new construction) for: Building permit required for new single-family and two-family dwelling construction; Plans must comply with the 2021 IRC and 2021 IECC as adopted by City of Billings Administrative Order #150; Plans must show compliance with City of Billings Design Criteria: 30 psf minimum roof snow load (Pf), 110 MPH residential wind design speed (Exposure C), 42-inch minimum frost/foundation depth, Seismic Design Category A for residential; Commercial plans (not one/two-family) must be stamped by a Montana-licensed architect or engineer; plumbing and electrical detail may be excluded on single-family plan sets provided mechanical equipment locations are shown; Application submitted online via the CityView Portal (cityview.billingsmt.gov/Portal/); Only one electronic set of plans is required since submittal is electronic. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Billings Building Division at (406) 657-8270 before starting work.

In Billings, the published Residential and Commercial Building Permit Fee — valuation $1 to $1,000 is: $30.00. Additional published fees: Building Permit Fee — valuation $1,001 to $2,000 — $45.00; Building Permit Fee — valuation $2,001 to $25,000 — $45.00 for the first $2,000, plus $9.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; Building Permit Fee — valuation $25,001 to $50,000 — $252.00 for the first $25,000, plus $6.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; Building Permit Fee — valuation $50,001 to $100,000 — $422.75 for the first $50,000, plus $4.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; Building Permit Fee — valuation $100,001 to $500,000 — $652.75 for the first $100,000, plus $3.25 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; Building Permit Fee — valuation $500,001 to $1,000,000 — $2,072.75 for the first $500,000, plus $2.75 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; Other Inspections and Fees (re-inspection, after-hours inspection, unlisted inspection, additional plan review) — $45.00 minimum (two-hour minimum for after-hours; half-hour minimum for extra plan review), or total hourly City cost if greater. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Once a complete plan has been submitted and any special issues addressed, initial review takes 4-7 business days for residential (single-family and duplex) projects; Commercial-Minor takes 2-4 weeks and Commercial-Major takes 3-6 weeks. Source: City of Billings Building Division FAQ.

You'll need: Building Permit Application; Residential Plan Checklist; Construction Drawings; Design Criteria Compliance Documentation. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Billings requires 4 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction), in order: Foundation/Footing, Framing, Mechanical Rough-In, Residential Final. Schedule each through City of Billings Building Division ((406) 657-8270).

Applications are submitted online via the CityView Portal at cityview.billingsmt.gov/Portal/, which the City of Billings launched March 2, 2026. The Building Division is located on the 5th floor of City Hall, 316 N. 26th Street.

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.