Yes, projects which are exempt from the building permit process (at the state level) include:
Additional work may also be exempt from a building permit and an inquiry to the bureau may be required to determine whether a building permit is required.
It is also advisable to check with your local county and city government agencies to see if additional local requirements apply.
Private garage or storage buildings are exempt from building permits.
A private garage is a building or a portion of a building in which only motor vehicles used by the tenants of the building or buildings on the premises are stored or kept. A building in which vehicles are repaired or stored as part of commercial enterprise or business, even if on the premises of a dwelling, is not a private garage.
A private storage structure used only for the owner's own use is a building used for storage of personal effects of the owner and not used for storage of equipment, vehicles, materials, supplies or products used in a commercial enterprise or business.
The bureau is constantly informing all agencies, including local government officials, of the requirements for state permits. However, the bureau is unable to control the response to a question that a county employee may give you. In addition, the question you asked may not have provided enough information to provide you with the appropriate guidance you require.
The owner is the party responsible for the application for a building permit. The owner may rely upon the expertise of the contractor and/or the designer to complete the application process. Also, since it is a violation of state law to "build" a building without a building permit, the builder (contractor) is also responsible for assuring that a building permit has been obtained before construction is started.
The building official may also request that a professional engineer/architect be retained if there appear to be complications regarding the design of the building.
This representation is for compliance with the IBC and bureau rules only and is not intended to address when a licensed engineer or architect must be used for design services based on state licensing laws.
Design professionals, which include both architects and engineers, play an important role in the code enforcement/compliance process. The designs and analysis provided by these professionals is a valuable tool to the bureau’s plan review and inspection staff in determining whether compliance with the state adopted building code has been met. The main objective of the bureau is the building’s compliance with the code and therefore providing a level of safety to the building’s owners, employees and members of the public who work in or use the building.
Under many circumstances the state adopted building code requires the building permit applicant to submit drawings and/or analysis from a Montana licensed design professional in order to be in compliance with some provisions of the code. The building official will determine when the use of a design professional is required. Generally a Montana licensed design professional is required for:
In addition to providing crucial information in the code compliance process many other advantages are available to owners who choose to utilize a design professional for their project. Reduced permitting time, cost savings resulting from efficient space planning and/or appropriate sizing or use of materials and clear, concise presentation of the project through drawings and specifications resulting in more efficient bidding from contractors are some of the possible additional advantages of utilizing a design professional for your project.
This representation is for compliance with the state adopted building code and bureau rules only and is not intended to address when a licensed engineer or architect must be used for design services based on state licensing laws.
For additional information on design professionals you can contact the Board of Architects or the Board of Professional Land Surveyors and Professional Engineers.
Frost depth is addressed in the International Building Code Subsection 1809.5 which states footing shall extend below the frost line. Administrative Rule 24.301.142(9) further defines the requirement in section (9) below:
(9) Subsection 1809.5 of the IBC requires that footings and foundations shall extend below the frost line. In all areas of the state outside of certified local government jurisdictions, the minimum depth from finished grade to the bottom of footings shall be three feet for single story wood or metal frame buildings, and four feet for multistory or masonry buildings. Buildings located on highly expansive or unstable soils may need engineered footings and foundation walls that extend below the minimum depths indicated above. At the discretion of the building official, the above minimum depths may not be required for properly designed so-called monolithic slabs for single story storage and similar use buildings. The building official may require monolithic slabs to be designed and stamped or certified by a Montana registered engineer who practices structural design. The design and stamp of a Montana licensed architect may be accepted in lieu of an engineer's stamp when the monolithic slab design is an incidental part of an architectural building design, as allowed by 37-67-103, MCA.
Plans to be included with the application are as follows:
Plans must be drawn straight line and to scale and be submitted on substantial paper. Please indicate "north" on all drawings submitted for plan review.
The plan review process begins when the plans and application are received in the office. The plan reviewer then calculates the valuation of the building and the necessary permit fees and screens the plans to determine if the plans, as submitted, are sufficient to do a plan review. After payment of the plan review portion of the fee, the plan reviewer examines the plans in detail for compliance with the building code and will contact the owner and/or designer regarding the deficiencies and will work toward a solution of the deficiencies and/or problems. Once the plans fully comply with the building code and the permit fee has been paid in full, a building permit is issued. This process may take anywhere from a few hours to several weeks depending upon the bureau'S work load, the size of the project and the number of items that must be modified to address the deficiencies noted on the plan review.