Missoula County amends building code

On June 18 Missoula County Commissioners voted unanimously to amend some of Missoula County's building codes. Greenhouses, hoop houses, certain deck designs and non-residential entryways or covered patios will no longer be required to have building permits.

Public feedback and a recent public survey prompted commissioners to roll back requirements. Montana Code Annotated gives the Board of County Commissioners the right to exempt certain structures from requiring a building permit.

"We did a temperature check to see what regulations we could loosen the belt on," Commissioner Dave Strohmaier said. "Loosen the belt without jeopardizing public health and safety."

Commissioners specified that spaces exempt from building permits are non-habitable spaces. Any building that people may live in requires building permits for public safety in addition to other permits for electrics, sewers, or zoning. Storage sheds under 200 square feet remain exempt from building permits. People are still able to build chicken coops and animal shelters that they rely on for food.

Some agricultural buildings also fall under the exempted building codes. Buildings must be on property classified as agricultural, and they must not be intended for human habitation or commercial use. Commercial use would include the sale of goods or factory use of the building.

"We're bringing that (agricultural buildings) back with some tighter guardrails," Kevin Heisler, Missoula County building official, said. "For someone to get the agricultural exemption, they need to get a certificate from the Department of Revenue, classifying that parcel as agricultural. State law is very specific that this is only for building permits. It doesn't exempt them from getting health approval and zoning approval."

Electrical, mechanical, health and plumbing permits will still be required where applicable.

There was some confusion shared in public comment on the wording of the amendment as one attendee sought to sell vegetables from her greenhouse. Commissioner Josh Slotnick noted that the hoop houses and greenhouses are not listed as public structures with required safety inspections, so any public sales must be done outside the structure, such as at a table by the gate.

Check https://missoulacountyvoice.com/building-permit-exemptions for exact wording and a FAQ list.