Gallatin County Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

Gallatin County Planning and Community Development is the land-use and zoning authority for applicable unincorporated areas of Gallatin County. It is not a universal county building-permit office: the county’s FAQ directs projects outside Belgrade and Bozeman to the State of Montana Building Department for building permits, while the County requires its own land-use permits in county zoning districts.

Gallatin County land-use permits and building routing

Before building or placing most structures in a county zoning district, identify the parcel’s zoning and apply for the required Land Use Permit through the County’s online MyGov workflow. Gallatin County says permanent site work, including concrete, should not begin before land-use approval. A complete application can require a site plan, project information, septic or sanitary-facility documentation, access information, and other agency approvals.

For a project outside Belgrade and Bozeman, contact the Montana Building Codes Bureau at (406) 841-2040 for the applicable state building permit, trade permits, inspection process, and certificate-of-occupancy questions. A Gallatin County Land Use Permit does not replace a state building permit or approvals from a city, fire district, health department, or other agency.

Site inspections and code compliance

Gallatin County’s Land Use Permit instructions state that a complete application gives Planning staff permission to access the property for a site inspection. The applicant must post the address, stake the proposed work, and provide safe access. The County Planning Department and its zoning-enforcement function may investigate violations, enforce conditions, and require compliance with county zoning regulations.

The state building inspector handles construction-code inspections for areas where the state is the building authority. Coordinate both inspection tracks: county land-use approval and state building-code approval may each be required before final use or occupancy.

Gallatin County zoning and jurisdiction boundaries

Use the County’s interactive mapper and zoning regulations to check district, subdistrict, setbacks, height, density, permitted uses, conditional uses, floodplain, and other development standards. City of Bozeman, Belgrade, Manhattan, Three Forks, and West Yellowstone have separate local processes; the correct authority depends on the parcel and current planning-jurisdiction boundary.

Official Gallatin County contact information

Gallatin County Planning lists 311 W Main Street, Room 108, Bozeman, Montana 59715, and (406) 582-3130. General email is planning@gallatin.mt.gov. Use the County’s official Planning page for MyGov instructions and zoning resources, and contact the Montana Building Codes Bureau for state building permits and inspections outside incorporated municipal authorities.