Building Permits in Havre, Montana

City in Hill County

Verified August 2026

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Adopted Construction Codes

These are the state-level code editions for Montana. They apply in Havreunless a verified local adoption or amendment is noted — in local-adoption states, confirm the city or county's own code editions with the building department.

Code	Edition	Adoption
IBC — International Building Code	2021 IBC — "The International Building Code, 2021 edition, unless another edition is specifically stated", ARM 24.301.131, effective 2022-06-11. APPENDIX CHAPTER C (Group U — Agricultural Buildings) IS ADOPTED. NOTE THE RULE'S OWN QUALIFIER "unless another edition is specifically stated": MONTANA'S BUILDING CODE MIXES EDITION YEARS BY REFERENCED STANDARD — the Bureau's Current Codes list shows ICC A117.1 (2017), NFPA 99 (2018), ASME A17.1 (2019), A17.3 (2017), A18.1 (2017), NEC (2020) and ASME BPVC (2021, eff. 2021-11-06) alongside the 2021 ICC family. AN EDITION IS A PROPERTY OF A REFERENCED STANDARD, NOT OF THE STATE. DO NOT RECORD 2024.	Mont. Admin. R. (ARM) 24.301.131, Dept. of Labor and Industry, Building Codes Bureau — adopts the International Building Code, 2021 edition, with Appendix Chapter C (Group U — Agricultural Buildings). AUTH: 50-60-203, MCA. IMP: 50-60-203, MCA. Statutory framework MCA 50-60-201 and 50-60-203. Effective 2022-06-11 per the Building Codes Bureau's published Current Codes list. · source ↗
IEBC — International Existing Building Code	2021 IEBC — "The department adopts and incorporates by reference the International Existing Building Code (IEBC), 2021 edition, which may be used as an alternate prescriptive method(s) for the remodel, repair, alteration, change of occupancy, addition, and relocation of existing building", ARM 24.301.171. * SUPERSEDED ON 2026-09-26. The Building Codes Bureau's own Current Codes list states "International Existing Building Code, 2024 Edition - Effective: September 26, 2026", and MAR Notice No. 2026-95.2 strikes "2021" and inserts "2024" in this rule. THE 2021 EDITION IS MONTANA LAW ONLY THROUGH 2026-09-25 — THE DAY THIS ROW WAS WRITTEN. DO NOT RECORD 2024 BEFORE THAT DATE; DO NOT LEAVE 2021 AFTER IT. * THE IEBC IS OPTIONAL IN MONTANA, NOT MANDATORY: it "may be used as an alternate prescriptive method" to the IBC, and an owner "may not apply some of the requirements of the IEBC and other requirements from the IBC on the same project" — so a Montana existing-building answer must present two mutually exclusive compliance paths, not one code.	Mont. Admin. R. (ARM) 24.301.171, INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF INTERNATIONAL EXISTING BUILDING CODE — Dept. of Labor and Industry, Building Codes Bureau. AUTH: 50-60-203, MCA. IMP: 50-60-103, 50-60-201, 50-60-203, MCA. ADOPTING SENTENCE VERBATIM, subsection (1): "The department adopts and incorporates by reference the International Existing Building Code (IEBC), 2021 edition, which may be used as an alternate prescriptive method(s) for the remodel, repair, alteration, change of occupancy, addition, and relocation of existing building." SUBSECTION (1)(a) VERBATIM: "The owner of an existing building may follow the requirements of either the IEBC or the IBC, but the owner may not apply some of the requirements of the IEBC and other requirements from the IBC on the same project." SUBSECTION (4) VERBATIM: "Adoption of the IEBC must not be construed to require the upgrading of existing buildings." SUBSECTION (5) VERBATIM: "Any reference to a separate specialty building regulation by title in the IEBC shall be considered deleted and replaced with the title of the comparable model code that has been adopted by the department and is in effect at the time." SUBSECTION (6) VERBATIM: "A copy of the IEBC may be obtained from the International Code Council at www.ICCSafe.org." HOW READ: the codified rule text was read first-hand as reproduced in the Department of Labor & Industry's own rulemaking notice, MAR NOTICE NO. 2026-95.2 ("2026 Updates to the State Building Code"), hosted by the Building Codes Bureau at bsd.dli.mt.gov. In that notice "2021" is STRUCK and "2024" INSERTED; per the Arkansas redline guard (run 1752) THE STRUCK TEXT IS WHAT IS IN FORCE and is what is quoted above. Corroborated independently by the Bureau's Current Codes list, which dates the 2024 IEBC to 2026-09-26 and therefore leaves 2021 in force until that date. *** THE OFFICIAL ARM PORTAL rules.mt.gov RETURNED HTTP 405 ON EVERY PATH TRIED THIS RUN (ruleno.asp, ChapterHome.asp, Subchapterhome.asp, /browse/collections/...), SO THE CODIFIED ARM TEXT COULD NOT BE READ AT ITS HOME. NAMED NEXT FETCH: ARM 24.301.171 at rules.mt.gov, or the Montana Administrative Register issue carrying the notice of ADOPTION of MAR 2026-95.2, which would also supply this row's effective_date. · source ↗
IECC — International Energy Conservation Code	2021 IECC — "International Code Council's International Energy Conservation Code, 2021 edition", ARM 24.301.161, effective 2022-06-11, HEAVILY AMENDED BY MONTANA. Sections DELETED: C105.2 and R105.2 (Required Inspections), C405.11 (Automatic receptacle control), C405.12 (Energy monitoring); R402.2.2 (Ceilings Without Attics) replaced with modified language. Sections AMENDED include C402.5.1.2 (air barrier compliance), C405.2.4.2 (daylight zone), Climate Zone 6 insulation values, and air leakage testing procedures. APPENDICES CB AND RB ARE OPTIONAL AND APPLY ONLY TO CERTIFIED LOCAL JURISDICTIONS — THE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT ENFORCE THEM, so an unqualified "Montana: 2021 IECC + appendices" is wrong. DO NOT RECORD 2024.	Mont. Admin. R. (ARM) 24.301.161, Dept. of Labor and Industry, Building Codes Bureau — adopts the International Energy Conservation Code, 2021 edition, as amended. AUTH: 50-60-203, 50-60-803, MCA. IMP: 50-60-201, 50-60-203, 50-60-803, MCA — NOTE 50-60-803 IS THE SEPARATE MONTANA ENERGY-CODE STATUTE, distinct from the general building-code authority the other ARM 24.301 rules cite, which is the usual pattern (energy sits on its own statute). Effective 2022-06-11 per the Building Codes Bureau's published Current Codes list. · source ↗
IFC —	2021 IFC — "The FPIS adopts and incorporates by reference the International Fire Code 2021 Edition (2021 IFC)", ARM 23.12.601, most recent effective date 2023-03-11. FPIS = the Fire Prevention and Investigation Section, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE / STATE FIRE MARSHAL — A DIFFERENT AGENCY, A DIFFERENT ARM TITLE (23, not 24) AND A DIFFERENT STATUTE (Title 50, ch. 3 MCA) FROM EVERY OTHER MONTANA CODE, WHICH SIT WITH THE BUILDING CODES BUREAU UNDER 50-60 MCA. NOTE ALSO THE DIFFERENT EFFECTIVE DATE: 2023-03-11, NOT the 2022-06-11 that the entire Building Codes Bureau family carries. PARTIAL INCORPORATION: the permit and administrative apparatus is stripped — ss.104.2, 105, 106, 107, 108.2.1, 108.2.2, 108.3 and 111 are excluded, together with the permit provisions scattered through chapters 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 20-35, 37, 39 and 50-67. APPENDICES ADOPTED: B (Fire Flows), C (Hydrants), E (Hazard Categories), F (Hazard Ranking), G (Cryogenic Fluids) and I (Fire Protection Systems Non-Compliant Conditions). DO NOT RECORD 2024.	Mont. Admin. R. (ARM) 23.12.601, Dept. of Justice, Fire Prevention and Investigation Section (State Fire Marshal) — adopts the International Fire Code, 2021 edition, with Appendices B, C, E, F, G and I and with the listed permit/administrative sections excluded. AUTH: 50-3-102, MCA. IMP: 50-3-103, MCA. History: eff. 2/9/96; amended 12/17/99, 3/26/04, 2/11/05, 7/18/08, 2/12/10, 7/26/13, 12/27/13; most recent effective date 3/11/2023. · source ↗
IFGC — International Fuel Gas Code	2021 IFGC — "The department adopts and incorporates by reference the International Fuel Gas Code, 2021 edition, published by the International Code Council, IFGC, unless another edition is specifically stated", ARM 24.301.173, effective 2022-06-11. * NOTE THE RULE'S OWN QUALIFIER "unless another edition is specifically stated" — the same mixed-edition device the IBC row (e7a25c5d) records: AN EDITION IS A PROPERTY OF A REFERENCED STANDARD, NOT OF THE STATE. * OPEN DISCREPANCY, RECORDED RATHER THAN SMOOTHED: MAR Notice No. 2026-95.2 strikes "2021" and inserts "2024" in THIS rule, but the Building Codes Bureau's Current Codes list, read the same day, STILL SHOWS "International Fuel Gas Code \| 2021 \| June 11, 2022" while it shows the 2024 IBC/IRC/IEBC/UPC/ISPSC/IWUIC and the 2023 NEC as "Effective: September 26, 2026". EITHER THE IFGC WAS DROPPED FROM THE FINAL ADOPTION OR THE PAGE LAGS. DO NOT RECORD 2024 FOR THE IFGC ON THE STRENGTH OF THE PROPOSAL ALONE.	Mont. Admin. R. (ARM) 24.301.173, Dept. of Labor and Industry, Building Codes Bureau — adopts the International Fuel Gas Code, 2021 edition, with the amendments enumerated in the rule. AUTH: 50-60-203, MCA. IMP: 50-60-102, 50-60-103, 50-60-109, 50-60-201, 50-60-203, 50-60-303, MCA. ADOPTING SENTENCE VERBATIM, subsection (1): "The department adopts and incorporates by reference the International Fuel Gas Code, 2021 edition, published by the International Code Council, IFGC, unless another edition is specifically stated, together with the following amendments:" SCOPE LIMIT VERBATIM, subsection (2): "The department shall not enforce the IFGC on those buildings exempted from state building codes by 50-60-102, MCA. Cities, counties, and towns that have made the state building regulations applicable to buildings exempt from state enforcement, except for mines and buildings on mine property regulated under Title 82, chapter 4, MCA, may enforce within their jurisdictional areas the International Fuel Gas Code as adopted by those units of government." SCOPE LIMIT VERBATIM, subsection (3): "As specified in 76-2-412, MCA, fuel gas codes which are not applicable to residential occupancies may not be applied to a community residential facility serving eight or fewer persons or to a day care home serving 12 or fewer children." SEQUENCING RULE VERBATIM, subsection (5): "No mechanical permit shall be issued for a building or structure, under the jurisdiction of the department, until the building permit has first been issued for that building or structure." EFFECTIVE DATE: 2022-06-11, stated by the Building Codes Bureau's own Current Codes list ("International Fuel Gas Code \| 2021 \| June 11, 2022"). This is the Bureau's published effective date for the 2021 code family, NOT a date read off the rule's History line — the History line was not reached (see below) and this row says so. HOW READ: the codified rule text was read first-hand as reproduced in the Department of Labor & Industry's own rulemaking notice, MAR NOTICE NO. 2026-95.2, hosted by the Building Codes Bureau at bsd.dli.mt.gov, where "2021" is STRUCK and "2024" INSERTED; per the Arkansas redline guard (run 1752) THE STRUCK TEXT IS WHAT IS IN FORCE. *** THE OFFICIAL ARM PORTAL rules.mt.gov RETURNED HTTP 405 ON EVERY PATH TRIED THIS RUN, so the codified ARM text could not be read at its home and no History line was obtained. NAMED NEXT FETCH: ARM 24.301.173 at rules.mt.gov, or the Montana Administrative Register issue carrying the notice of ADOPTION of MAR 2026-95.2 — the same fetch would settle the 2021-vs-2024 discrepancy recorded in the edition field. · source ↗
IMC — International Mechanical Code	2021 IMC — "The International Mechanical Code (IMC), 2021 edition, published by the International Code Council", ARM 24.301.172, effective 2022-06-11. PARTIAL INCORPORATION: IMC CHAPTER 10 IS DELETED IN ITS ENTIRETY and is not Montana law; Exception 1 in s.101.2 is removed. CROSS-FAMILY POINTER: every IMC reference to a plumbing code is REPLACED WITH THE UNIFORM PLUMBING CODE — Montana is a UPC state (ARM 24.301.301, 2021 UPC), so an IMC served with its native IPC cross-references is wrong for Montana. DO NOT RECORD 2024.	Mont. Admin. R. (ARM) 24.301.172, Dept. of Labor and Industry, Building Codes Bureau — adopts the International Mechanical Code, 2021 edition. AUTH: 50-60-203, MCA. IMP: 50-60-102, 50-60-103, 50-60-109, 50-60-201, 50-60-203, 50-60-303, MCA. Effective 2022-06-11 per the Building Codes Bureau's published Current Codes list ("International Mechanical Code, 2021 Edition - Effective: June 11, 2022"). · source ↗
IPC — International Plumbing Code	NOT ADOPTED — no edition of the International Plumbing Code is in force in Montana. MONTANA IS A UNIFORM PLUMBING CODE STATE. ARM 24.301.301 verbatim: "The department adopts and incorporates by reference the Uniform Plumbing Code, 2021 edition", published by IAPMO, effective 2022-06-11. PARTIAL INCORPORATION OF THE UPC ITSELF: only Appendices A, B, C, D, K, L, M and N are adopted; UPC CHAPTER 12 (FUEL PIPING) IS DELETED AND REPLACED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FUEL GAS CODE (2021); UPC CHAPTER 13 (HEALTH CARE FACILITIES AND MEDICAL GAS SYSTEMS) IS LARGELY DELETED except ss.1301.0-1303.0, with NFPA 99 (2018 edition) substituted.	Mont. Admin. R. (ARM) 24.301.301, Dept. of Labor and Industry, Building Codes Bureau — adopts the UNIFORM PLUMBING CODE, 2021 edition (IAPMO), NOT the International Plumbing Code. AUTH: 50-60-203, 50-60-504, 50-60-508, MCA. IMP: 50-60-201, 50-60-203, 50-60-504, 50-60-508, MCA. Effective 2022-06-11 per the Building Codes Bureau's published Current Codes list. NO INTERNATIONAL PLUMBING CODE ADOPTION EXISTS IN MONTANA — this row records a verified NON-ADOPTION, not an unresearched gap. · source ↗
IRC — International Residential Code	2021 IRC — "International Residential Code, 2021 edition", ARM 24.301.154, effective 2022-06-11. MASSIVE PARTIAL INCORPORATION — MONTANA ADOPTS ROUGHLY THE STRUCTURAL HALF OF THE IRC AND DELETES THE REST: "Chapters 11 through 14, inclusive, are deleted in their entirety and chapters 16 through 43, inclusive, are deleted in their entirety." That removes IRC Chapter 11 (Energy Efficiency), Chapters 12-14 (Mechanical administration, heating/cooling, heating/cooling equipment) and Chapters 16-43 (the whole plumbing and electrical half of the book). CHAPTER 15 (Exhaust Systems) survives ONLY as an alternative to the International Mechanical Code for exhaust systems. APPENDICES ADOPTED: Q (Tiny Houses), S (Strawbale Construction), F (Radon Resistant New Construction). DO NOT RECORD 2024.	Mont. Admin. R. (ARM) 24.301.154, Dept. of Labor and Industry, Building Codes Bureau — adopts the International Residential Code, 2021 edition, with Chapters 11-14 and 16-43 deleted in their entirety and Appendices Q, S and F adopted. AUTH: 50-60-203, MCA. IMP: 50-60-102, 50-60-201, 50-60-203, MCA. Effective 2022-06-11 per the Building Codes Bureau's published Current Codes list. · source ↗
NEC — National Electrical Code (NFPA 70)	2020 NEC — "The Department adopts and incorporates by reference the National Fire Protection Association Standard NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, 2020 edition", ARM 24.301.401. * SUPERSEDED ON 2026-09-26: the Building Codes Bureau's own Current Codes list states "National Electrical Code, 2023 Edition - Effective: September 26, 2026". THE 2020 EDITION IS MONTANA LAW ONLY THROUGH 2026-09-25 — THE DAY THIS ROW WAS WRITTEN. DO NOT RECORD 2023 BEFORE THAT DATE; DO NOT LEAVE 2020 AFTER IT. * THE 2023 NEC ADOPTION IS NOT IN MAR NOTICE No. 2026-95.2 (that notice covers ARM 24.301.131-.301 and never mentions the NEC or rule 24.301.401), SO MONTANA IS RUNNING A SEPARATE ELECTRICAL RULEMAKING THAT THIS RUN DID NOT LOCATE. DO NOT RECORD 2024.	Mont. Admin. R. (ARM) 24.301.401, INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE — Dept. of Labor and Industry, Building Codes Bureau. ADOPTING SENTENCE VERBATIM: "The Department adopts and incorporates by reference the National Fire Protection Association Standard NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, 2020 edition". * verified_at IS DELIBERATELY LEFT NULL AND THIS IS WHY. The sentence above was read in the Building Codes Bureau's OWN published electrical pamphlet ("ELECTRICAL INFORMATION 2020 NEC Edition, Title 50 Chapter 60", bsd.dli.mt.gov), which is an agency restatement quoting the rule — NOT the adopting instrument. Protocol sets verified_at only on the adopting instrument read first-hand. THE PAMPHLET ALSO CARRIES NO PUBLICATION DATE OF ANY KIND, which is exactly the condition the Arkansas run (1752) identified as disqualifying, and it is describing an edition that the Bureau's Current Codes list says is superseded tomorrow. NO AUTH/IMP LINE AND NO HISTORY LINE WERE OBTAINED. * THE OFFICIAL ARM PORTAL rules.mt.gov RETURNED HTTP 405 ON EVERY PATH TRIED THIS RUN (ruleno.asp?RN=24.301.401, ChapterHome.asp?Chapter=24.301, Subchapterhome.asp, /browse/collections/...). The State Electrical Board's own Laws & Rules booklet (boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov/electrical/regulations/ELE-Laws-Rules-Booklet.pdf) WAS FETCHED AND DOES NOT CONTAIN 24.301.401 — it is the LICENSING chapter (ARM 24.141), which references the NEC at 24.141.301, 24.141.503 and 24.141.2102 but does not adopt it. NAMED NEXT FETCH, IN ORDER: (1) ARM 24.301.401 at rules.mt.gov once that host is reachable; (2) the Montana Administrative Register issue carrying the notice of ADOPTION of the 2023 NEC effective 2026-09-26 — THAT ONE DOCUMENT WOULD BOTH VERIFY THIS ROW AND SUPPLY ITS SUCCESSOR, AND IT IS THE HIGHEST-VALUE SINGLE FETCH LEFT IN MONTANA. EFFECTIVE DATE LEFT NULL: the Bureau's Current Codes list dates the 2023 NEC to 2026-09-26 but gives no effective date for the 2020 edition it replaces, and I am not copying the 2022-06-11 carried by the Building Codes Bureau's 2021 code family — electrical runs on its own cycle, as the separate rulemaking above demonstrates. · source ↗
UPC —	2021 UPC — "The department adopts and incorporates by reference the Uniform Plumbing Code, 2021 edition, unless another edition is specifically stated in this rule, together with the following appendix chapters and amendments", ARM 24.301.301 (IAPMO). * SUPERSEDED ON 2026-09-26: the Building Codes Bureau's own Current Codes list states "Uniform Plumbing Code, 2024 Edition - Effective: September 26, 2026", and MAR Notice No. 2026-95.2 strikes "2021" and inserts "2024" in this rule. THE 2021 EDITION IS MONTANA LAW ONLY THROUGH 2026-09-25 — THE DAY THIS ROW WAS WRITTEN. * THE ADOPTED UPC IS NOT ONE PUBLISHER'S BOOK: UPC CHAPTER 12 (FUEL PIPING) IS DELETED AND REPLACED WITH THE INTERNATIONAL FUEL GAS CODE (ICC), AND UPC CHAPTER 13 IS DELETED EXCEPT ss.1301.0-1303.0 AND REPLACED WITH NFPA 99 (2018 ed.), CHAPTERS 1-5 AND 15. THREE PUBLISHERS — IAPMO, ICC AND NFPA — INSIDE ONE STATE PLUMBING CODE. NO SINGLE EDITION BADGE CAN EXPRESS IT.	Mont. Admin. R. (ARM) 24.301.301, INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF UNIFORM PLUMBING CODE — Dept. of Labor and Industry, Building Codes Bureau. AUTH: 50-60-203, 50-60-504, 50-60-508, MCA. IMP: 50-60-201, 50-60-203, 50-60-504, 50-60-508, MCA. ADOPTING SENTENCE VERBATIM, subsection (1): "The department adopts and incorporates by reference the Uniform Plumbing Code, 2021 edition, unless another edition is specifically stated in this rule, together with the following appendix chapters and amendments:" APPENDICES ADOPTED, EACH NAMED IN THE RULE: A (Recommended Rules for Sizing the Water Supply System), B (Explanatory Notes on Combination Waste and Vent Systems), C (Alternate Plumbing Systems), D (Sizing Stormwater Drainage Systems), K (Potable Rainwater Catchment Systems), L (Sustainable Practices), M (Peak Water Demand Calculator), N (Impact of Water Temperature on the Potential for Scalding and Legionella Growth). THE OTHER UPC APPENDICES ARE NOT ADOPTED AND ARE NOT MONTANA LAW. READ FIRST-HAND, AND IT CORRECTS THE SIBLING ROW. The IPC row 484edb59 records this same rule as adopting "only Appendices A, B, C, D, K, L, M and N" — I did not inherit that list, I read the rule and it agrees, and the two now agree from INDEPENDENT reads, which is worth more than agreeing by copy (runs 1607, 1655 and 1689 were all bitten by sibling inheritance). HOW READ: the codified rule text was read first-hand as reproduced in the Department of Labor & Industry's own rulemaking notice, MAR NOTICE NO. 2026-95.2 ("2026 Updates to the State Building Code"), hosted by the Building Codes Bureau at bsd.dli.mt.gov, where "2021" is STRUCK and "2024" INSERTED; per the Arkansas redline guard (run 1752) THE STRUCK TEXT IS WHAT IS IN FORCE. Corroborated by the Bureau's Current Codes list, which dates the 2024 UPC to 2026-09-26 and therefore leaves 2021 in force until that date. *** THE OFFICIAL ARM PORTAL rules.mt.gov RETURNED HTTP 405 ON EVERY PATH TRIED THIS RUN, so no History line and no effective date for the 2021 UPC were obtained; effective_date IS DELIBERATELY LEFT NULL RATHER THAN COPIED FROM THE 2022-06-11 CARRIED BY THE SIBLING ROWS. NAMED NEXT FETCH: ARM 24.301.301 at rules.mt.gov, or the MAR issue carrying the notice of ADOPTION of MAR 2026-95.2. · source ↗

Permit Requirements

Statewide baseline under the codes as adopted by Montana. Local amendments and fee schedules for Havre are being verified — use the building department contacts to confirm before you build.

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