Building in Richland County

With all of the new development in Richland County it seems hard to keep track of everything that is going on. While subdivisions are appearing everywhere, buildings are being built as fast as possible throughout the county. With all of the new development it is important that a person follows all of the right procedures.

Building permits are an important part of this process and they like everything else have been updated. Some of the changes you can expect are, the costs of permits have increased, new application forms for your permit will need to be filled out,and the new webpage for the Building Department can be found at http://www.richland.org.

It is understood that people may have some questions on the process of receiving a building permit and when one is needed. Here are a few questions and answers that some people may have:

Do I need construction permits in Richland County?

Richland County does require permits. The County provides building permits. Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits are received from the State of Montana.

Who should obtain the permit?

Contractors, architects, engineers, or your agent can obtain permits. The home owners can also obtain the permits.

Where do I get a permit?

Building permits are issued by Building Inspector, Alton Hillesland, at 115 2nd Street SE. The Building Office is open from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Or you can find the permit application online at http://www.richland.org. This application will still need to be taken to the Building Inspector for approval. For electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits please contact the State of Montana at buildingcodes.mt.gov or call (406) 841-2056.

How is the cost of a permit calculated?

Fees are based on the valuation assigned to each individual project. Commercial and single family structures are assigned a value based on square footage. Remodels are determined by contract price or the estimated value of material and labor. The fee schedule per valuation can be found on http://www.richland.org and is following.

This is the first of a series of building articles to provide information that relates to building requirements and regulations. More information can be found at http://www.richland.orgor for assistance contact the Building Inspection Office at 115 2nd ST SE, Sidney, MT 59270 or call (406) 433-2809.