Residential Addition / Remodel / Alteration Permit in Laurel, Montana

Laurel requires a residential addition / remodel / alteration permit for: Building permit required for additions, remodels, and alterations affecting structural, fire, or life-safety elements; Deck construction is permitted separately by square footage (Deck Permit line item) rather than under the general valuation table; For remodel projects, total valuation is based on the documented project cost (not ICC valuation data, which applies to new construction/additions); Application must include job address, owner/contractor information with current city business license, subdivision/lot/block/tract, zoning, valuation, and description of work; Permit becomes null and void if work is not commenced within 180 days of issuance absent a written, approved extension request. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Laurel Building Department — city-certified for Building (B) and Swimming Pool (SP) only; Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, and Fuel/Gas permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau at (406) 628-4796 ext. 5304 before starting work.

The Deck Permit fee is $25.00 per square foot, per Resolution No. R25-18's Building Permit Fees and Charges table — a separate line item from the general valuation-based Building Permit Fee.

Laurel's published plan-review target for a residential addition / remodel / alteration permit is 1–10 business days.

You'll need: Construction Permit and Application; Construction Drawings. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Laurel requires 3 inspection(s) for a residential addition / remodel / alteration permit, in order: Footings/Foundation, Framing, Building Final. Schedule each through City of Laurel Building Department — city-certified for Building (B) and Swimming Pool (SP) only; Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, and Fuel/Gas permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau ((406) 628-4796 ext. 5304).

Apply through City of Laurel Building Department — city-certified for Building (B) and Swimming Pool (SP) only; Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, and Fuel/Gas permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau at 115 W 1st St, Laurel, MT 59044. Phone: (406) 628-4796 ext. 5304, email: jgonzales@laurel.mt.gov. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (fax (406) 628-2241). Official information: https://cityoflaurelmontana.com/1295/City-Building-Code-Enforcement.

Laurel, 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, WUI, etc.); non-certified trades within a certified jurisdiction, and all trades in 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).; Laurel is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B) and Swimming Pool (SP) ONLY within Laurel city limits — Jason Gonzales is the certified building official of record, (406) 628-4796. Laurel is NOT certified for Electrical (E), Plumbing (P), or Mechanical (M); those permits are issued directly by the state DLI Building Codes Bureau for all addresses within Laurel city limits. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, 'CITY CODES BUILDING OFFICIAL PHONE JURISDICTION' certified-jurisdictions PDF (bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf), updated 04/22/2026 — Laurel row reads 'B, SP / Jason Gonzales / 628-4796 / City Limits'. Legend on that PDF: B = Building, P = Plumbing, M/G = Medical Gas, E = Electrical, M = Mechanical, SP = Pool, W = WUI (Wildland-Urban Interface).; Unincorporated Yellowstone County (outside Laurel and Billings city limits) does not appear on the DLI certified-jurisdictions list at all — every permit type there (Building, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical) is issued directly by the state Building Codes Bureau, the same routing documented for unincorporated Yellowstone County in the Billings jurisdiction file. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Certified City, County and Town Programs list.; The City of Laurel's own Building Department webpage confirms this split directly: 'Electrical, Fuel/Gas, Mechanical and Plumbing permits must be obtained through the State of Montana' at bsd.dli.mt.gov/Building-Codes-Permits/permit-applications. Source: City of Laurel Building/Building Code Enforcement page, cityoflaurelmontana.com/building.; 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — adopted by City of Laurel Ordinance No. O22-01 (Aug. 9, 2022), codified at Laurel City Code Chapter 14.12, adopted by reference pursuant to MCA 50-60-301(1)(a) as provided by ARM 24.301.131(1)-(3) with Appendix C (Group U — Agricultural Buildings) and modified through ARM 24.301.146(1)-(44); statewide effective June 11, 2022. Section 101.1 amended to read 'Building Code of City of Laurel'; Section 1612.3 amended to reference the Flood Insurance Study for Yellowstone County, Montana and Incorporated Area dated November 6, 2013 (Ord. No. O21-02, 4-13-2021). Source: Laurel, MT Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14.12 (International Building Code, 2021 Edition), library.municode.com/mt/laurel.; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — adopted by City of Laurel Ordinance No. O22-03 (Sept. 13, 2022), codified at Laurel City Code Chapter 14.16, adopted by reference pursuant to MCA 50-60-301(1)(a) as modified by ARM 24.301.154(1)-(24) with Appendix Q (Tiny Houses) as permitted by ARM 24.301.154(2)(a); statewide effective June 11, 2022. Section R101.1 amended to read 'Residential Code for One- and Two-family Dwellings of City of Laurel' (Ord. No. O21-02, 4-13-2021). Source: Laurel, MT Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14.16 (International Residential Building Code, 2021 Edition), library.municode.com/mt/laurel.; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — adopted by City of Laurel, codified at Laurel City Code Chapter 14.18, adopted by reference pursuant to MCA 50-60-301(1)(a) as provided by ARM 24.301.171(1)-(4); statewide effective June 11, 2022. Section 101.1 amended to read 'Existing Building Code of the City of Laurel' (Ord. No. O21-02, 4-13-2021). Source: Laurel, MT Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14.18 (International Existing Building Code, 2021 Edition), library.municode.com/mt/laurel.; 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — adopted by City of Laurel, codified at Laurel City Code Chapter 14.22, declared the energy conservation code of the city for design of new buildings/additions, exterior envelopes, and HVAC/service-water-heating/electrical-distribution/illuminating systems; statewide effective June 11, 2022. Sections C101.1 and R101.1 amended to read 'Energy Conservation Code of the City of Laurel' (Ord. No. O21-02, 4-13-2021). Source: Laurel, MT Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14.22 (International Energy Conservation Code, 2021 Edition), library.municode.com/mt/laurel.; 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — adopted by City of Laurel Ordinance No. O22-01 (Aug. 9, 2022), codified at Laurel City Code Chapter 14.23, adopted by reference pursuant to MCA 50-60-301(1)(a) and ARM 24.301.175(2), as modified by ARM 24.301.175(1)-(6); statewide effective June 11, 2022. Section 101.1 amended to read 'Swimming Pool and Spa Code of the City of Laurel'; Section 105.6.2 amended so fees are set by the city council fee-schedule resolution rather than the model-code fee table (Ord. No. O21-02, 4-13-2021). Laurel is DLI-certified for Swimming Pool (SP) permitting. Source: Laurel, MT Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14.23 (International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, 2021 Edition), library.municode.com/mt/laurel.; Laurel's Code of Ordinances Title 14 (Buildings and Construction) contains adoption chapters ONLY for the codes Laurel is DLI-certified to enforce (IBC, IRC, IEBC, IECC, ISPSC) — there is no locally-adopted Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, or Fuel Gas chapter in Title 14, corroborating the DLI certified-jurisdictions list: those trades are enforced directly by the state, not the city. Source: Laurel, MT Code of Ordinances, Title 14, library.municode.com/mt/laurel/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT14BUCO.; 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC), 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), and 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) all apply within Laurel city limits as the statewide-adopted editions (effective June 11, 2022) but are administered directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau (Helena), not the City of Laurel, because Laurel holds no local certification for those trades. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Current Codes page, bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/current-codes.. Local amendments apply — see the Laurel overview page for the full list.