Hill County is not on Montana’s list of certified building-code jurisdictions, so the County issues no building permit. Its Planning Office does require a $75 zoning permit for any work on land outside Havre’s city limits but inside the City-County planning area. Inside Havre, the City’s Public Works Department issues building permits; its March 2026 fee schedule puts a $40,000 job at $543.25 plus $190.14 for plan review. Elsewhere, outside the Rocky Boy’s Reservation, the State permits commercial buildings, and a house with fewer than 5 units needs no building permit.
What needs a permit in Hill County?
Four different rules cover the county, depending on where the land is.
- Inside Havre: the City issues building, demolition, roofing, sign and miscellaneous building permits. Every permit has to be reviewed and signed by Public Works and paid for at City Hall before it is issued.
- Outside Havre but inside the City-County planning area: the County Planning Office says anyone doing any kind of work needs a County zoning permit.
- Inside Hingham: the Town Code requires a written permit from the Town Clerk before anyone erects, enlarges or extends a building or structure, or places a steel tank above or below ground. The Town’s zoning ordinance adds that no building or structure may be built, altered, added to or moved until the Town Council or Board of Adjustment has approved the zoning change.
- Outside Havre and outside the Rocky Boy’s Reservation: the State requires a building permit for commercial buildings and for residential buildings of 5 or more units. Smaller houses, farm and ranch buildings and private garages or storage buildings for the owner’s use need none.
A new, modified or updated septic system needs a County sewage permit. The County’s sewage regulations leave out only systems on farms or ranches of more than 20 acres that are used solely for agriculture and house 3 or fewer families. The Planning Office also administers the County’s subdivision and floodplain regulations.
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Get a free quote →Who issues permits in Hill County?
| Office | What it handles | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Hill County Planning Office | Zoning permits, subdivision and floodplain regulations | Contract planner, 406-740-7250; office days are posted on the Planning page |
| Hill County Environmental Health (Sanitarian) | Individual sewage permits | 406-400-2366 (voicemail); environmentalhealth@hillcounty.us |
| Hill County Road & Bridge Department | County roads | 1405 2nd Street West, Havre; 406-265-8507; Monday to Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. |
| City of Havre Public Works Department | Building, demolition, roofing and sign permits; zoning in the city | 520 4th Street, Havre, MT 59501; 406-265-4941; pwinfo@ci.havre.mt.us |
| Montana Building Codes Program | State building permits for commercial buildings outside Havre; state electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, in Havre as well | 406-841-2056 |
The 2 incorporated places:
- Havre (population 9,264): certified by the State for the building code inside city limits. Trevor Mork, the Public Works Director, is the Building Official. Building is one division of Public Works, alongside Zoning and Development Plan Review.
- Hingham (population 127): not certified, so the state building code rules apply, but the town’s own permit ordinance still requires the Town Clerk’s written permit to build, and its zoning ordinance (Title 14, Ordinance 83 of 1977) requires zoning approval from the Town Council or Board of Adjustment before building, with a $25 fee. The Town Clerk may act as zoning officer. The Clerk/Treasurer is on 406-579-6859.
Applications and where to file them
Havre: applications are downloaded from the Public Works page, where fillable versions are also posted, and submitted in person at City Hall.
- Building Permit Application: the general form for new work, additions, remodels, repairs and alterations.
- Commercial Building Permit Application (2026 version): every block is required, and an incomplete form delays review. It names one point of contact for plan review comments.
- Misc. Building Permit Application: a shorter form with a site plan and checklist.
- Demolition Permit Packet (2026), Roofing Permit, Sign Permit and Temporary Sign Application.
- Business Registration: since May 1, 2024, new businesses operating in the city register with the City and obtain a certificate of occupancy.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Hill County: the zoning permit is handled by the Planning Office and the sewage permit by Environmental Health, and each office supplies its own form. Hingham: the Town Code says applications are made on forms kept at the Town Clerk’s office.
Permit fees in Havre and Hill County
The County zoning permit is $75. Havre’s building fees come from the Public Works fee schedule dated March 25, 2026, which is based on total valuation and adds a plan review fee.
| Total valuation | Building permit fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $500 | $23.50 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $23.50 for the first $500 plus $3.05 for each additional $100 |
| $2,001 to $25,000 | $69.25 for the first $2,000 plus $14.00 for each additional $1,000 |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | $391.75 for the first $25,000 plus $10.10 for each additional $1,000 |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $643.75 for the first $50,000 plus $7.00 for each additional $1,000 |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $993.75 for the first $100,000 plus $5.60 for each additional $1,000 |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,233.75 for the first $500,000 plus $4.75 for each additional $1,000 |
| $1,000,001 and over | $5,608.75 for the first $1,000,000 plus $3.15 for each additional $1,000 |
The schedule gives its own worked figures with plan review added: a $25,000 valuation is $391.25 for the permit plus $136.94 for plan review, $528.19 in all; $40,000 is $543.25 plus $190.14, or $733.39; and $52,000 is $657.75 plus $230.21, or $887.96. Inspections outside normal business hours are $75 per hour with a 2-hour minimum, and extra plan review caused by changes to the plans is $75 per hour. The City notes that fees can change with additional submittals, inspections and reviews.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →In Hingham the building permit fee is set by the Town Council, and the zoning ordinance lists $25 for a zoning approval and $10 for a conditional use or variance application.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits
Havre is certified for the building code only, and neither the County nor Hingham is certified for anything, so no local office issues trade permits. Electrical and plumbing permit applications go to the Montana Building Codes Program for a job in Havre, in the planning area or in Hingham alike.
What the Havre applications ask for
- Project address, lot, block, subdivision and tax ID number
- Owner, contractor and architect or engineer, with contact details
- Class of work and type of structure, with a description of the work
- Valuation of the work
- Building length, width and height, and the front, side and rear setbacks
- Number of dwelling units and bedrooms, and the building and accessory square footage
- Whether a zoning variance is involved
The miscellaneous permit form adds a site plan and a warning: the property line on the road side is set by the road right-of-way, so setbacks should be checked with Public Works before any work in a front yard, or in the front and side yards of a corner lot. For a Hingham permit, the Town Code asks for the exact site, lot and block, the kind of structure, its purpose and its estimated value.
Rather not deal with the Hill County building department?
Get a free quote →How to apply: Hill County steps
Ask whether the parcel is in Havre, in the City-County planning area, in Hingham or in the open county.
Contact the County planner on 406-740-7250 before any work and pay the $75 fee.
Complete the right application, submit it in person at City Hall, and pay there once Public Works has reviewed and signed it.
Leave a message for Environmental Health on 406-400-2366 about a sewage permit before installing or changing a system.
Outside Havre, on land under state jurisdiction, commercial buildings need a state building permit; electrical and plumbing permits are state permits in Havre too.
Call for inspections from whichever office issued each permit.
Inspections
By signing a Havre permit application, the applicant agrees to let inspectors in as the building code provides and to request the inspections the code requires. Havre charges $75 per hour, with a half-hour minimum, for an inspection that has no fee listed in its schedule.
The County does not inspect buildings. Outside Havre, the state inspector handles commercial projects under a state building permit, and state inspectors cover state electrical and plumbing permits, in Havre as well.
Local details that matter
Construction waste: the Hill County Landfill, at 7055 Road 451 SE, Havre, accepts Class IV construction and demolition waste. The County asks for a call before bringing hazardous waste or non-friable asbestos.
Havre businesses: under Title 11, Chapter 1, Section 18 of the Havre City Code, a business needs a City registration and a certificate of occupancy before it operates in the city.
County roads: the Road and Bridge Department maintains about 1,866 miles of road.
Hingham fire limits: the Town Code also makes it unlawful to build, remodel or repair a building in town without written permission from the Town Clerk, and inside the town’s fire limits it requires fireproof building materials.
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
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Official permitting resources for Hill 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)
- Hill County Health Department
- Hill County Planning Office
- Hill County Environmental Health: sewage permits
- Hill County Road Department
- City of Havre Public Works: permit applications
- City of Havre building permit fee schedule (March 25, 2026)
- Town of Hingham ordinances: Title 14 zoning and Title 15 building permits
Hill County permit FAQs
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Does Hill County issue building permits?
No. The County is not a certified building-code jurisdiction. It issues a $75 zoning permit in the City-County planning area and sewage permits through Environmental Health. Havre issues building permits inside the city.
Do I need a permit to build just outside Havre?
Yes, a County zoning permit, if the land is in the City-County planning area; the County says it applies to any kind of work there. A house with fewer than 5 units does not need a state building permit.
How much is a building permit in Havre?
It depends on valuation. The City’s schedule shows $528.19 in total on a $25,000 job and $733.39 on a $40,000 job, each figure including the added plan review fee.
Where do I apply for a Havre building permit?
In person at City Hall, after downloading the application from the Public Works page. Public Works is at 520 4th Street, 406-265-4941.
Who issues electrical and plumbing permits in Havre?
The State of Montana. Havre’s certification covers the building code only.
Do I need a permit to build in Hingham?
Yes. Hingham’s Town Code requires a written permit from the Town Clerk, with a fee set by the Town Council, and its zoning ordinance requires zoning approval before building, with a $25 fee.
Who handles septic permits in Hill County?
Hill County Environmental Health, reached by voicemail on 406-400-2366 or at environmentalhealth@hillcounty.us.
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More Montana permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Hill County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.