Bolthole Index

Dawson County, Montana

Building permits, zoning and land rules in the Town of Richey, Montana

The Town of Richey, Montana requires a property-boundary/building-and-construction application for exterior projects bordering or using town rights-of-way or public property.1 State building-permit requirements depend on the project, with exemptions for ordinary residential buildings that do not serve transient guests.2 Richey prohibits septic disposal inside town limits; qualifying occupied structures must connect to municipal water and sewer facilities.34 For land outside town, use the Dawson County guide.

At a glance

Town building application
Required for covered exterior projects at town rights-of-way or public property1
State building permit
Project-dependent; residential exemptions exclude transient-guest use2
Zoning
Town zoning ordinance, districts and dimensional limits unconfirmed; ask the Town Office5
Septic disposal
Septic systems and similar sewage-disposal facilities prohibited inside town limits3
Water and sewer
Connection required for qualifying occupied structures near municipal facilities; Town Council approval required4
RV and tiny-home living
Occupancy permission unconfirmed; utility requirements still need review with the Town Office54
Owner-builder
State contractor-license exemption has conditions and does not waive project approvals6

Who to call

Building permits

Richey Town Office

Town property-boundary/building-and-construction applications; starting contact for utility connection approval and questions about town land-use requirements.

(406) 773-5634

112 Antelope Ave. East Richey, MT 59259

Building permits

Montana Building Codes Program

State building-permit applicability, plan review and required inspections for projects under state jurisdiction.

(406) 841-2056

[email protected]

2705 Skyway Drive Helena, MT 59620

Septic permits

Dawson County Environmental Health (Sanitarian)

County environmental-health questions; a county septic inquiry does not override Richey’s in-town sewage-disposal prohibition.

(406) 377-5213

207 West Bell Glendive, MT 59330

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in the Town of Richey, MT?

Richey’s town application covers exterior projects bordering or performed on town rights-of-way or public property, including new buildings, excavation, new driveways, fences and decks.1 The town process addresses property encroachment and construction staging on town property.7 Richey is also under state building-code jurisdiction, subject to project exemptions.8 In that jurisdiction, residential buildings containing fewer than five dwelling units are exempt from state building permits unless serving transient guests.9 A state exemption does not remove Richey’s applicable town application requirement.12

Who handles building applications in the Town of Richey?

Start with the Richey Town Office for the property-boundary/building-and-construction application and questions about the town process.7 Use the town office contact listed below to request the current form, fee and instructions for your proposed exterior work.5 Separately, ask the Montana Building Codes Program whether your project needs a state building permit.9 Required state applications include construction plans and a building permit/plan review application; the permit holder must arrange required inspections and provide access.910

Does the Town of Richey have zoning, lot-size rules or setbacks?

We could not confirm an adopted Richey zoning ordinance, a district map, minimum lot sizes, minimum dwelling size or setback distances; ask the Town Office for the rules applicable to your address.5 Richey’s joint planning board reviews subdivision proposals and zoning-change requests, but that description alone does not establish the town’s zoning districts or dimensional standards.11 Before drawing a site plan, ask the Town Office to confirm property boundaries, the right-of-way edge and any required town application for proposed buildings, fences or decks.1

How do septic and utility approvals work inside the Town of Richey?

Richey prohibits septic tanks and systems, cesspools, privies, privy vaults, leach or drain fields and similar sewage-disposal facilities inside corporate town limits.3 An occupied structure intended for living quarters or transient accommodation must connect at the owner’s expense when it abuts a street, alley or right-of-way containing municipal water or sewer facilities within 500 feet.4 A connection permit requires advance Town Council approval.4 Ask the Town Office about service availability before committing to a lot; Dawson County Environmental Health is a separate contact for environmental-health questions, not a way around the town prohibition.5123

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in the Town of Richey?

We could not confirm permission for private-lot RV occupancy, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy in Richey; ask the Town Office about your intended use and duration before buying or moving a unit.5 Richey’s municipal connection rule applies to qualifying occupied living-quarter and transient-accommodation structures, and the town prohibits septic disposal within town limits.43 A utility connection does not establish RV or tiny-home occupancy permission; request a separate answer from the Town Office about the proposed residential use.5

Building a home in the Town of Richey: what comes first?

  1. Ask the Town Office to confirm your parcel’s town-limit location and the applicable property-boundary review for the proposed building, driveway and excavation.1
  2. Confirm municipal water and sewer availability and obtain advance Town Council approval for a required connection permit.4
  3. Ask the Montana Building Codes Program whether your design and intended occupancy require a state building permit; submit plans when required and arrange inspections.910
  4. Ask the Town Office to identify the local floodplain administrator before development in a designated Special Flood Hazard Area, where Montana requires floodplain-development approval.513
  5. If building yourself, review Montana’s contractor-license exemption and resale conditions; that exemption does not waive applicable building or trade requirements.6

Watch-outs

  • Richey’s prohibition on septic disposal makes a proposed in-town off-grid sewage system a purchase-stopping issue to resolve with the Town Office.35
  • Residential buildings serving transient guests are excluded from the state residential building-permit exemption.2
  • We could not confirm Richey’s town building-application fees, RV occupancy permission or setback distances; request address-specific answers from the Town Office before committing to a design.5

Sources

  1. Sec. 8-22. When application is required (Town of Richey), quoted and re-checked
  2. Building Permits (Montana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  3. Sec. 28-33. Protection of Town water system (Town of Richey), quoted and re-checked
  4. Sec. 28-10. Property owner's duty to use municipal water and sewer services (Town of Richey), quoted and re-checked
  5. Richey Town Office (richeymt.org)
  6. Montana Code Annotated, Title 37, Chapter 45, Construction Contractors (Montana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. Richey Town Council Adopts Resolution for Building and Construction Permits (Town of Richey), quoted and re-checked
  8. Certified City, County and Town Programs (Town of Richey), quoted and re-checked
  9. Montana Building Codes Program (bsd.dli.mt.gov)
  10. Building Permits — inspections (Town of Richey), quoted and re-checked
  11. Planning and Zoning (Town of Richey), quoted and re-checked
  12. Dawson County Environmental Health (Sanitarian) (dawsonmt.gov)
  13. Stream Permitting (Montana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 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 Town of Richey

Town of Richey’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Exterior projects in Richey town that border or are performed on Town rights-of-way or other public property, including new buildings, dirt work or excavation, new driveways, fences, and decks.

    • The application is the Town's property-boundary-review/building-and-construction permit process.
    • The application is intended to prevent encroachment and regulate use of Town property or rights-of-way for construction materials, equipment, or debris.
    • A separate state building permit may also apply to projects subject to state building-permit law.
    “An application is required for exterior projects, including, but not limited to, the following: new building (e.g., houses, additions, garages, outbuildings, shops, etc.), dirt work or excavation (e.g., replacing water/sewer lines, new driveways, etc.) that will border or be performed on Town rights-of-way or other public property, or installing miscellaneous items like fences and decks.”
  • Off-grid sanitationProhibited

    Use of septic tanks, cesspools, privies, privy vaults, leach/drain fields, or similar facilities for sewage disposal inside Richey town limits.

    “In no instance shall septic tanks/systems, cesspools, privies, privy vaults, leach/drain fields, or other similar facilities be used for the disposal of sewerage within the corporate Town limits.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    Occupied residential and transient-living structures within Richey town limits that abut a street, alley, or right-of-way with municipal water or sewer facilities within 500 feet.

    • Connection is at the owner's expense.
    • The structure must be occupied and intended for living quarters or transient living accommodations.
    • A connection permit is required and must be approved in advance by the Town Council.
    • Connections must comply with Town requirements, subdivision regulations, and MCA, ARM, and DEQ design standards and specifications.

    facility distance: <= 500 feet (The rule applies when municipal water system facilities or municipal sewer system facilities are within 500 feet.)

    “Pursuant to the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) Title 17, Ch. 36, Pt. 123, "Connection to Public Water Supply and Wastewater Systems," the owner of any occupied structure that is constructed and intended to function as living quarters, or that is intended to furnish transient living accommodations, and that is situated within the corporate Town limits and abuts on any street, alley, or right-of-way in which there is situated municipal water system facilities or municipal sewer system facilities within 500 feet shall, at the owner's expense, properly connect to and use such facilities.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    New driveways or dirt work/excavation bordering or performed on Town rights-of-way or other public property.

    • A Town application is required for the described exterior project.
    • The source does not establish a separate driveway-design standard or driveway permit for every driveway.
    “An application is required for exterior projects, including, but not limited to, the following: new building (e.g., houses, additions, garages, outbuildings, shops, etc.), dirt work or excavation (e.g., replacing water/sewer lines, new driveways, etc.) that will border or be performed on Town rights-of-way or other public property, or installing miscellaneous items like fences and decks.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Richey Town property-boundary/building-and-construction permit process.

    • Resolution #392 was adopted June 13, 2023.
    • The Town says the process is intended to prevent encroachment on Town property or rights-of-way and to regulate construction staging on Town property or rights-of-way.
    • Questions may be directed to the Town Office at (406) 773-5634 or [email protected].
    “At its June 13, 2023, meeting, the Richey Town Council adopted Resolution #392, "Application for Property Boundary Review Related to Building and Construction Permit," to clarify why the Town requires a permit and how to obtain a permit.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Richey

Town of Richey does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    State building-code jurisdiction for non-certified local-government areas, including Richey town limits.

    • Local governments may enforce a building code only through a certified program.
    • The official certified-jurisdiction page states that all other areas are under the State Building Codes Bureau.
    • Project-specific exemptions may apply.
    “Below is a list of all certified local government building code jurisdictions and certified building code inspectors:”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Projects inside Richey town that require a state building permit.

    • The permit holder must notify the inspector when work is ready.
    • The permit holder must provide access for required inspections.
    “It is the responsibility of the permit hold to notify the inspector when work is ready for inspection and to provide access for required inspections.”
  • Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

    Farm and ranch buildings in Richey town's state building-code jurisdiction.

    • The state page says the exemption applies in the State's jurisdiction.
    • The exemption is from state building permits; other local Town permits or land-use requirements may still apply.
    “In the State's jurisdiction, state law exempts the following from the need to obtain state building permits: 1. farm and ranch buildings”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision proposals involving land inside Richey town limits.

    • The official town page states that the joint Dawson County, City of Glendive, and Town of Richey Planning Board and Zoning Commission reviews and decides subdivision proposals.
    • The exact approval standards and administering authority were not located in the opened material.
    “The Planning Board reviews and decides on subdivision proposals and zoning change requests and participates in long-range planning efforts.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Richey town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate-of-occupancy requirements inside Richey town limits.
  • Local zoning — Zoning inside Richey town limits.
  • Zoning districts — Published zoning districts inside Richey town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Richey town limits.
15 more unanswered
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 Town of Richey publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Dawson County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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