Great Falls building department

The City of Great Falls Building Division, part of Planning and Community Development, reviews plans and issues building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fire alarm and sprinkler, sign, demolition, and house-moving permits. It covers projects inside Great Falls city limits. The permit counter is in Room 112 of the Civic Center and is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Outside city limits, the State of Montana is the building authority.

What needs a permit

The city follows IRC and IBC section 105.1. You need a permit to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, or demolish a building, or to change its occupancy. You also need one to install or change any regulated electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing system. The city’s construction guide lists these exemptions from a building permit:

Work	Exempt if…
Detached one-story tool or storage shed	200 sq ft or less (IRC); 120 sq ft or less (IBC/commercial)
Fence	6 feet high or less
Retaining wall	4 feet or less, measured from the bottom of the footing
Freestanding deck	Under 30 inches above grade at every point and 200 sq ft or less
Window awning	Projects 54 inches or less
Cases, counters, partitions	5’9” high or less
Painting, papering, finish work	Always

Re-siding and residential re-roofing don’t need plans, but the FAQ notes that even small jobs can be affected by building codes. See also do I need a permit for a deck.

Homeowners, contractors, and trade permits

Homeowners who live in the house can do their own plumbing and electrical work. They pull a homeowner electrical, plumbing, or mechanical permit from the Building Division. Gas permits go only to licensed gas contractors. Electrical or plumbing work on commercial or rental property must be done by a licensed contractor, who pulls the permit.

Contractors need a valid City of Great Falls license to work inside city limits. Any contractor with employees must also register with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. Work in the right-of-way needs a licensed and bonded contractor. Before hiring someone, the city suggests asking for their state registration, city license, and insurance certificates.

Applying

Download residential or commercial applications and checklists from the Building Forms page. The forms include a homeowner trade permit form, an ADU application, a tenant-improvement application, and an uncovered decks and porches handout. Submit them at the Room 112 counter. Required plan sets:

Project	Sets required
New residential	2 building plans, 3 site plans
Residential remodel	2 building plans
New commercial	3 building plans, 3 site plans
Commercial remodel	3 building plans
Fire sprinkler or alarm	4 sets

Commercial plans must be stamped by a Montana-licensed architect or engineer. A geotechnical report is required for new residential and commercial construction, commercial additions, and foundation replacements. It may be waived if there is good soils data from adjoining sites. New homes, and homes being enlarged by at least 50%, need a landscape submittal. City ordinance also requires sidewalk, curb, and gutter at the time of development. The City Engineer may accept an SID Waiver of Protest where those improvements don’t fit.

Once a plan is complete, initial review takes 5–10 working days for single-family and duplex homes and 30 business days for commercial projects. Reviews go in the order received, and the city doesn’t expedite. You’ll get a phone call when plans are ready to pick up. Call (406) 455-8430 for status.

Fees

Building permit fees are based on the higher of your stated project value or the ICC Building Valuation Data table. From the schedule effective October 5, 2023:

Valuation	Building permit fee
Up to $1,000	$67.62
$10,000	$212.41
$50,000	$767.29
$100,000	$1,178.30
$100,001–$500,000	$1,178.30 plus $6.90 per additional $1,000
$500,001–$1,000,000	$3,937.83 plus $5.44 per additional $1,000

Plan review adds 50% of the permit fee for residential work and 65% for commercial. If you start construction before the permit is issued, the permit fee doubles. Since 2011, fees go up 2.5% automatically every July 1. The increase is skipped in years when the Building Fund balance is over $600,000 on June 30. Plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permits use a base issuance fee plus per-fixture or per-appliance charges.

Inspections and occupancy

To schedule an inspection, call (406) 455-8430 the day before you need it. For a same-day slot, you can call before 7:00 a.m. and leave a message. A permit expires if work doesn’t start within 180 days of issuance, or if work stops for 180 days.

You must have all required inspections and a certificate of occupancy or certificate of completion before water-service billing can be transferred.

Codes and design criteria

Great Falls adopted the 2021 IBC, IRC, IEBC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, ISPSC, and IWUIC on September 9, 2022, along with the 2021 UPC, 2020 NEC, and 2012 IFC, all as amended by ARM Title 24, Chapter 301. Montana’s 2024 codes take effect statewide September 26, 2026. The city’s local design criteria:

• 42-inch frost depth to the bottom of footings
• 30 psf minimum roof snow load
• Seismic zone B
• Basic wind speed of 107 mph for Risk Category II

Basement egress window wells must be at least 9 square feet and 36 inches in each direction. Wells deeper than 44 inches need a ladder or steps.