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Re-Roofing Permit in Billings, Montana

Required for residential and commercial re-roofing in Billings. Governed by the 2018 IRC roofing provisions per the City's published Roofing Guidelines, plus the Design Criteria wind and snow load requirements. May be submitted via email in addition to the CityView Portal.

Verified 2026-07-02 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Building permit required for re-roofing (falls under 'Roofing' in the City's list of work requiring a permit)
  • Roofs less than 2/12 pitch cannot use standard asphalt shingles; low-slope roofing products required
  • Roofs 2/12 to 4/12 pitch: standard asphalt shingles allowed but require two layers of underlayment felt
  • Roofs 4/12 and over: one layer of underlayment required
  • Ice barrier (self-adhering polymer-modified bitumen per ASTM D1970) required from the lowest roof edge to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line
  • Drip edge required at eaves and gables, fastened at a maximum of 12 inches on center
  • Solid roof sheathing required (minimum 7/16 inch, or 3/8 inch with blocked edges); deteriorated sheathing must be replaced
  • Minimum net free ventilation area of 1/150 of vented space (or 1/300 with a Class I/II vapor retarder and 40-50% of ventilation in the upper attic)
  • Residential and commercial roofing, siding, windows, and doors may be submitted via email to permits@billingsmt.gov in addition to the CityView Portal

Required documents

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This checker covers one permit. A full project usually triggers several — our checklist will assemble all of them, free →

Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — valuation-based (same schedule as new construction)City of Billings Building Permit Fees schedule
$30.00 minimum ($1-$1,000 valuation), scaling per the Residential and Commercial Building Permit Fees table
Other Inspections and FeesCity of Billings Building Permit Fees schedule
$45.00 minimum, or total hourly City cost if greater

Review timeline

Plan reviewTypical estimate — confirm current times with the Billings building department
~4–7 business days

How long did your Re-Roofing Permit permit actually take in Billings?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Mid-Roof

    Requested after ice barrier, underlayment, flashing, counter-flashing, and drip edge are installed but before being entirely covered by shingles (a few rows of shingles may be installed while leaving other components exposed). Must be requested the day before by emailing inspections@billingsmt.gov

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

Tips

  • A Mid-Roof inspection is required and must be requested the day before by emailing inspections@billingsmt.gov to ensure scheduling.
  • Under 2/12 pitch, standard asphalt shingles are not allowed at all — low-slope products are required.
  • One layer of existing asphalt shingles may be overlaid if the existing roof is not water-soaked or deteriorated; otherwise the roof must be fully stripped.
  • Roofing, siding, window, and door permits may be submitted by email to permits@billingsmt.gov as an alternative to the CityView Portal.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, roofing is explicitly listed by the City of Billings Building Division as requiring a building permit. Ice barrier, underlayment layers (one or two depending on pitch), and drip edge are all required per the City's Roofing Guidelines, and a Mid-Roof inspection must be scheduled before shingles fully cover the underlayment.

In Billings, the published Building Permit Fee — valuation-based (same schedule as new construction) is: $30.00 minimum ($1-$1,000 valuation), scaling per the Residential and Commercial Building Permit Fees table. Additional published fees: Other Inspections and Fees — $45.00 minimum, 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.

Plan review for a re-roofing permit in Billings typically runs 4–7 business days. This is an estimate, not a published figure — confirm current review times with City of Billings Building Division at (406) 657-8270.

You'll need: Building Permit Application (Roofing). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Billings requires 1 inspection(s) for a re-roofing permit, in order: Mid-Roof. 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.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-02.

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Billings building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.