Bolthole Index

Dawson County, Montana

Building permits, zoning and land rules in Glendive, Montana

Glendive, Montana, in Dawson County, offers a no-cost residential zoning permit through city Public Works, while commercial building permits are handled by the Montana Building Codes Bureau.1 Glendive applies its own zoning districts inside city limits.2 Septic drainfield permits come from the local health department; contact Dawson County Environmental Health, and ask city Public Works about sewer service before planning a septic system.345

At a glance

Residential zoning permit
No-cost application through Glendive Public Works1
Commercial building permits
Montana Building Codes Bureau; city zoning review remains1
Zoning
City district rules apply inside Glendive2
Septic
Local health department drainfield permit; contact Dawson County Sanitarian346
RV and tiny-home living
We could not confirm; ask Public Works about the proposed use7
Accessory dwelling
State law requires an ADU by right, subject to size and safety requirements8
Owner-builder
State contractor-license exemption does not waive project approvals9

Who to call

Building permits

Glendive Public Works — Building/Construction

Residential zoning permit applications and zoning conformity; directs commercial building permits to the Montana Building Codes Bureau.

(406) 377-3318

300 S Merrill Ave Glendive, Montana 59330

Zoning

Glendive Public Works — Planning & Zoning

City zoning map and zoning questions; starting contact for city floodplain questions.

(406)377-3318

300 S Merrill Ave Glendive, Montana 59330

Septic permits

Dawson County Environmental Health / Sanitarian

County environmental-health contact for septic questions and site review.

(406) 377-5772

[email protected]

207 West Bell Street Glendive, MT 59330

Also useful

Glendive Public Works — Water and Sewer

City water and wastewater service questions.

(406)377-3318 ext. 15

[email protected]

City Hall 300 S. Merrill Ave Glendive, MT 59330

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Glendive means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Glendive, MT?

For residential projects in Glendive, start with the no-cost zoning permit available from Public Works; the city says the permit tracks new construction, including fences, decks and complete new buildings, and checks setbacks and other zoning requirements.1 Glendive directs commercial building permits to the Montana Building Codes Bureau, with building permits and inspections required for commercial new construction, additions and remodeling.1 Ask Public Works which approvals your residential project needs beyond zoning, including trade work and final occupancy; we could not confirm the city’s complete residential building-permit and inspection requirements.1

Does Glendive have zoning, lot-size rules and setbacks?

Glendive, Montana has municipal zoning: buildings and land must conform to the regulations of their district.2 Ask Glendive Public Works to identify the parcel’s district on the city zoning map before designing a home.7 In Glendive’s AG Agricultural District, the minimum lot area is 5 acres, with an exception for qualifying smaller lots already recorded under separate ownership.10 The AR Agricultural Residential District lists 2 acres per dwelling unit.11 The R-1 One-Family Residential District lists 7,500 square feet per dwelling unit, while lots without public sewer or water must be at least 1 acre.12 In AG, the front setback is at least 50 feet from the road right-of-way; side and rear setbacks depend on structure height and cannot be less than 10 feet.13

How do septic permits work inside Glendive?

A Montana drainfield installation requires a permit from the local health department, even if the property already has a Certificate of Subdivision Approval.3 Dawson County Environmental Health is the county septic authority; contact the Sanitarian about a proposed system at a Glendive address.46 First ask Glendive Public Works about sewer service and connection requirements: Public Works manages the city’s water and wastewater systems, but we could not confirm the city’s operative mandatory-connection rule.5 Dawson County’s soil figures are countywide: only 9.1% of soils rate “not limited” for conventional septic drain fields, so obtain a site evaluation rather than treating that figure as a verdict on a city lot or as proof that septic is impossible.14

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Glendive?

We could not confirm whether Glendive allows living in an RV on a private lot, temporary camping while building, or occupancy of a tiny home; ask Glendive Public Works for an answer tied to the parcel’s zoning district and proposed use.7 Glendive’s district-conformity requirement applies to use and occupancy as well as construction, so an available lot alone does not establish permission for the proposed home.2 Montana law prevents municipal zoning from treating qualifying manufactured or factory-built housing differently from other residential units, but placement remains subject to applicable zoning, building and health requirements; the statutory manufactured-housing definition excludes mobile homes and housetrailers.15

How do you plan a home or accessory dwelling in Glendive?

Start by asking Glendive Public Works to identify the zoning district and confirm that the proposed use fits the parcel.7 Next, request the residential zoning permit and have Public Works check the proposed building placement against setbacks and other zoning requirements.1 Resolve water and sewer service with city Public Works; if a drainfield is proposed, consult Dawson County Environmental Health before installation.536 For an accessory dwelling, Montana municipal-zoning law requires at least 1 ADU by right on a lot containing a single-family dwelling; attached or detached units cannot exceed 75% of the primary dwelling’s gross floor area or 1,000 square feet, whichever is less.8 Applicable building, fire and health requirements remain, and the city may require water and sewer will-serve letters.8

What should you check before buying land in Glendive?

For land outside Glendive city limits, use the Dawson County guide: the county’s zoning-compliance rules concern construction in county zoned areas, rather than answering the city’s zoning-permit question.161 Inside Glendive, ask Public Works to review the city floodplain map with the parcel; Montana requires a floodplain development permit for development within a designated floodplain.717 If a private well is proposed, Montana groundwater developments using no more than 35 gallons per minute and 10 acre-feet annually may qualify for a water-permit exception; beginning in 2026, an intending user must file a Notice of Intent with DNRC before using water, with a $400 filing fee.18 Ask Public Works about city water requirements before committing to that option.5

Watch-outs

  • Glendive’s minimum lot-area requirements describe land area, not a minimum single-family home floor area; ask Public Works about any dwelling-size requirement.127
  • Montana’s owner-builder exemption concerns contractor licensing and does not exempt a project from applicable building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical or inspection requirements.9

Sources

  1. Glendive Public Works — Building/Construction (cityofglendive.us)
  2. § 155.001 Title, purpose, application (Glendive), quoted and re-checked
  3. Engineering Infrastructure & Subdivisions (Montana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  4. Dawson County Environmental Health (Sanitarian) (2026 county census)
  5. Glendive Public Works — Water and Sewer (cityofglendive.us)
  6. Dawson County Environmental Health / Sanitarian (dawsonmt.gov)
  7. Glendive Public Works — Planning & Zoning (cityofglendive.us)
  8. 76-2-345. Accessory dwelling units -- regulations -- restrictions, MCA (Montana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Montana Code Annotated, Title 37, Chapter 45, Construction Contractors (Montana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. § 155.033 Area regulations (Glendive), quoted and re-checked
  11. § 155.017 Area, yard and height requirements (Glendive), quoted and re-checked
  12. § 155.017 Area, yard and height requirements (Glendive), quoted and re-checked
  13. § 155.033 Area regulations (Glendive), quoted and re-checked
  14. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  15. 76-2-302. Zoning districts, MCA (Montana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Zoning Compliance Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
  17. Stream Permitting (Montana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Exempt Well Updates and Information (Montana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 12, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Glendive

Glendive’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Glendive city limits.

    • The code states that buildings and land must conform to district regulations unless otherwise provided.
    “No building or land shall hereafter be used or occupied and no building or part thereof shall be erected, moved or altered unless in conformity with the regulations herein specified for the district in which it is located;”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Glendive city limits.

    • The code lists AG, AR, C-1, C-2, C-3, M-1, M-2, NCL, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, and RP districts.
    “For the purpose of promoting the public health, safety, morals and general welfare of the city, the city jurisdictional area is hereby divided into the following types of districts.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Lots in the AG Agricultural District inside Glendive city limits.

    • The AG minimum site area is five acres.
    • A smaller lot recorded under separate ownership from adjoining lots at the effective date may be occupied by a one-family dwelling or permitted nonresidential use.

    minimum lot area: >= 5 acres (Smaller pre-existing separately owned lot may be occupied as stated in § 155.033(A)(2).)

    “There shall be a lot of not less than five acres.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Specified — Lots in the AR Agricultural Residential District inside Glendive city limits.
      “Minimum lot area in square footage 3,6 | 5 acres | 2 acres | 7,500 | 7,500 | 7,500 | 7,500”
    • Specified — Lots in the R-1 One-Family Residential District inside Glendive city limits.
      “Minimum lot area in square footage 3,6 | 5 acres | 2 acres | 7,500 | 7,500 | 7,500 | 7,500”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Principal buildings and livestock/fowl accessory structures in the AG Agricultural District inside Glendive city limits.

    • Front yard setback is at least 50 feet measured from the edge of the right-of-way of each road.
    • Rear and side setbacks are one foot for each foot of structure height, but never less than 10 feet.
    • Livestock or fowl accessory structures must be 100 feet from any property line and 50 feet from any dwelling.

    front setback: >= 50 feet (Measured from edge of right-of-way.) · rear and side setback: 1 foot per foot of structure height, minimum 10 feet · livestock/fowl accessory structure setback from property line: >= 100 feet · livestock/fowl accessory structure setback from dwelling: >= 50 feet

    “Measured from the edge of the right-of-way of each and every road, there shall be a front yard setback of not less than 50 feet.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Required rear yards in the AG Agricultural District inside Glendive city limits.

    • Maximum lot coverage of the required rear yard is 30 percent.

    maximum lot coverage of required rear yard: <= 30 percent

    “Maximum lot coverage of required rear yard percent | 30 | 30 | 30 | 50 | 50 | 50”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Specified — Required rear yards in the AR Agricultural Residential District inside Glendive city limits.
      “Maximum lot coverage of required rear yard percent | 30 | 30 | 30 | 50 | 50 | 50”
    • Specified — Required rear yards in the R-1 One-Family Residential District inside Glendive city limits.
      “Maximum lot coverage of required rear yard percent | 30 | 30 | 30 | 50 | 50 | 50”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings in the AR Agricultural Residential District inside Glendive city limits.

    • The residential table lists 35 feet for maximum height for all buildings.
    • The table notes that accessory or other structures shall not exceed three stories or 45 feet.
    • A separate AG section states there shall be no height regulations except as may be set forth for airport zoning; its applicability to AR is unclear.

    maximum height for all buildings: <= 35 feet (Applicability of § 155.032 requires confirmation.)

    “Maximum height for all buildings 2 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 75 | 35”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Glendive or Dawson County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Glendive city limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions inside Glendive city limits.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption inside Glendive city limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Glendive city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Glendive city limits.
18 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Glendive publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Dawson County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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