Glacier County, Montana Building Permit Guide

Glacier County has no building, zoning or planning department and issues no building permit, and it is not a certified building-code jurisdiction. The City of Cut Bank Building Department (406-873-5526) issues building permits inside city limits, with a $100 minimum fee and a review that usually takes a week or less. Outside Cut Bank and outside the Blackfeet Reservation, the Montana Building Codes Program permits commercial buildings and residential buildings of 5 or more units, and a smaller house needs no building permit.

What needs a permit in Glacier County?

Cut Bank is the only incorporated city in Glacier County, and the only place in it with a local building permit.

Roof and deck installations were added to Cut Bank’s permit program on May 1, 2024. An exterior project can also need the City’s zoning permit, and digging in a street, alley or public space needs its excavation application.

Outside the city and outside the Blackfeet Reservation, the state rules apply. The State requires a building permit for commercial buildings and for residential buildings with 5 or more dwelling units; houses below that size, farm and ranch buildings and private garages or storage buildings for the owner’s own use are exempt.

Who issues permits in Glacier County?

Kory Sandon is Cut Bank’s Building Official. The State certifies the City for the building code only, inside city limits, so the City’s own FAQ sends applicants to the State for plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits.

The County Sanitarian is the County’s environmental health contact. The County describes itself as including the Blackfeet Reservation, Glacier National Park and national forest land, and it keeps a satellite office in Browning at 503 SE Boundary Street (406-873-8560). The State’s list of local health agencies shows a separate Blackfeet Tribal Health Department in Browning (406-338-6317).

Cut Bank applications and guides

Cut Bank’s permit documents are PDFs on the City’s Permits page, and the same forms are available at City Hall. The building official fills in the shaded parts of the application.

• Building Permit application: a checklist, a 7-section application, the fee schedule, a plot plan sheet and pages for describing the work.
• Zoning Permit: filed with the building permit when the project is exterior work.
• Excavation Application: for any excavation on the project, public or private.
• Sidewalk/Driveway Application.
• Residential Plan Submittal Requirements and a Site Plan Sample.
• Project guides: additions, garages, pole barns, uncovered decks, patio covers, enclosed patios, basements, kitchens, bathrooms, egress windows, stairs, ramps, and roofing and re-roofing.

State building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are applied for with the Montana Building Codes Program, online or on paper.

Permit fees

Cut Bank’s building permit fee is read from a table in its application, based on total project cost. That cost has to include labor, and an estimate of the labor when the owner does the work.

Each step counts a fraction of the unit as a whole one. For example, a $20,000 project works out at $69.25 plus 18 x $14.00, or $321.25, and a $150,000 project at $993.75 plus 50 x $5.60, or $1,273.75. Plan review is included in the permit fee; the schedule lists it at $150 only where an application is deemed abandoned.

Other Cut Bank charges: $100 for a re-inspection after non-compliance, $100 per hour for inspections outside business hours and for extra plan review caused by changes, $75 for an extension, $20 for a zoning permit, $20 for a curb, gutter, sidewalk or driveway permit and $10 for the excavation and repairs fee. Water and sewer tapping fees follow the Public Works rate schedule.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits

Cut Bank’s permitting FAQ is direct about it: the City can provide building permits, and plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits are provided by the State of Montana. Glacier County runs no trade program either. Applications go to the Montana Building Codes Program.

What Cut Bank asks for

• All 7 sections of the Building Permit Application, signed and dated; a contractor is not required, but one who is used has to be named.
• A plot plan showing where the construction sits on the lot, with dimensions and setbacks. For a new building it also shows easements, drainage, floor and street elevations, service lines and survey pins.
• Construction plans and drawings for new buildings, or cross-sectional drawings for remodels and additions.
• The excavation, zoning and sidewalk or driveway applications where they apply.

For plan review of a house, the FAQ lists grade and footing information, foundation wall details, truss specifications from the manufacturer, electrical switches, outlets and lights marked on the plans, a detailed plot plan and photographs of the part of the yard where the work will go. The building official can require an architect or engineer where the structure goes beyond conventional construction limits.

How to apply: steps

Inspections and occupancy

In Cut Bank, the owner or the contractor calls for inspection appointments, at least 1 working day before the inspection is wanted, and provides access to the work. Nothing may be covered until the required inspection is done and the work is approved. The City says a permit usually takes a week or less, longer when an extensive review is needed.

A Certificate of Occupancy records that the required inspections were performed and the structure complies with the adopted codes. On remodels and small additions the City may issue a Certificate of Final Inspection instead.

State inspectors check state-permitted work, and the State asks for a call at least 24 hours ahead of each inspection.

Local details that matter

Frost depth: Cut Bank requires footings at least 48 inches below finish grade.

Contractors: every contractor working in Cut Bank needs a City business licence and current insurance; the licence is issued at City Hall.

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: new construction and any dwelling with permitted interior alterations, repairs or additions must have alarms, with exceptions for roofing, siding, windows, decks, plumbing and mechanical permits.

County roads: the County Roads Department looks after about 900 miles of roadway.

Montana building code

Montana adopts one building code, based on the 2024 International Codes from 26 September 2026; a certified local program or the state Building Codes Program enforces it, and the state code does not reach houses of fewer than five units, farm and ranch buildings or private garages unless a local government has made it apply to them. How Montana’s statewide code works

Official permitting resources for Glacier County

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Montana effective construction code editions
• Montana certified local building programs
• Montana DLI state building permit application
• Montana county and tribal health department contacts (State list)
• Glacier County department directory
• City of Cut Bank Building Department
• City of Cut Bank permits: applications, FAQ and project guides
• Glacier County Roads Department

Glacier County permit FAQs

Does Glacier County issue building permits?

No. The County has no building department. Cut Bank issues building permits inside its city limits, and outside the Blackfeet Reservation the state Building Codes Program permits commercial buildings elsewhere.

Do I need a building permit for a house outside Cut Bank?

No, on land under state jurisdiction, if it has fewer than 5 dwelling units. State electrical and plumbing permits can still apply.

How much is a building permit in Cut Bank?

The minimum is $100. Above that the fee follows the City’s project-cost table: $321.25 on a $20,000 project and $1,273.75 on a $150,000 one, with plan review included.

Do I need a permit for a shed, deck or roof in Cut Bank?

A detached one-story shed of 200 square feet or less is exempt, and so is a low, detached deck of 200 square feet or less. Other decks and all roofing or re-roofing need a permit.

How long does a Cut Bank permit take?

Usually a week or less; the application asks you to allow at least 5 business days for review.

Who issues electrical and plumbing permits in Cut Bank?

The State of Montana, through the Building Codes Program.

Who do I call about a septic system in Glacier County?

The County Sanitarian, on 406-868-4957 (a cell phone). The County lists the Sanitarian under its courthouse address, 512 East Main Street, Cut Bank.

Simplify Glacier County permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Montana. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Glacier County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.