Administrative overview · FIPS 30027
Fergus County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
State Fallback
This profile identifies a handoff outside the county’s ordinary structural permitting lane.
Required jurisdiction check
Confirm the controlling local or state authority before filing.
The record is marked State Fallback. That means the county profile should be treated as a routing brief: incorporated municipalities, a state building department, or a state fire marshal may control plan review, permits, and inspections. Contact the named agency below and verify the parcel’s jurisdiction before paying a fee or scheduling field work.
Responsible agency
Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Building Codes Bureau for county-area building-code permits; the Lewistown/Fergus County Planning Board handles local planning, zoning, and floodplain matters
For a project in or near Fergus County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
(406) 535-1776 (Lewistown Building Inspector for city limits); (406) 841-2056 (State Building Codes Bureau)
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Montana Building Codes Bureau, 301 South Park Avenue, Helena, MT 59620; City of Lewistown Building Department, 305 West Watson Street, Lewistown, MT 59457
Operating hours
N/A for Fergus County/state building-permit service; the Lewistown Building Department page publishes its address and contacts but not office hours.
Review expectation
The Montana Building Codes Bureau states that plan review averages three weeks. Lewistown’s city page states permits issue after plan approval but does not publish a standard timeline.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Fergus County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
This record is marked State Fallback. Confirm whether a city, state agency, or other local authority controls the parcel before filing.
How should I begin an application?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact (406) 535-1776 (Lewistown Building Inspector for city limits); (406) 841-2056 (State Building Codes Bureau).
How long might review take?
The Montana Building Codes Bureau states that plan review averages three weeks. Lewistown’s city page states permits issue after plan approval but does not publish a standard timeline.
How are inspections scheduled?
For covered work outside Lewistown’s certified city limits, apply through the Montana Building Codes Bureau and call (406) 841-2056 for inspection instructions. For work inside Lewistown, contact the city Building Department at (406) 535-1776. Fergus County planning/floodplain coordination is handled through the Lewistown/Fergus County Planning Board.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Montana’s current 2026 code set: 2021 International Building Code, 2021 International Residential Code, 2021 International Existing Building Code, 2021 International Mechanical Code, 2021 International Fuel Gas Code, 2021 International Energy Conservation Code, 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code, 2020 National Electrical Code, 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, and 2021 Wildland-Urban Interface Code, as amended by ARM Title 24, Chapter 301. Lewistown separately enforces the 2021 building-code edition within city jurisdiction. State exemptions generally include farm or ranch buildings, mine buildings on mining property, petroleum refineries and pulp/paper mills except office/shop buildings, residential buildings with fewer than five dwelling units unless serving transient guests, and owner-used private garages/storage buildings. Fergus County and the Lewistown/Fergus Planning Board may still require zoning, floodplain, site-plan, subdivision, or sanitary approvals.