Bolthole Index

McCone County, Montana

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Town of Circle, Montana

The Town of Circle, Montana requires Town Council zoning approval before land use or building changes, with construction applications integrated into that process.1 Circle also requires electrical and plumbing permits for the dwelling work described in its building ordinance.2 McCone County handles on-site wastewater approval inside Circle, but no septic permit is required when sewage goes to an approved public system.3

At a glance

Building permits
Town construction application plus separate electrical and plumbing approvals2
Zoning
Town Council zoning permit before use or building changes1
Septic permits
McCone County approval for on-site systems; approved public sewer is excepted3
RV living
Motor homes, fifth wheels and camper trailers prohibited in Class A residence districts4
Minimum lot size
Class A: 7,000 square feet per dwelling5
Town utilities
Connect where Town water and sewer are available; accessory buildings excluded6
Owner-installed septic
Contractor-license exemption for your own residence, with wastewater approval still required7

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Circle Town Clerk

Starting contact for Town Council zoning approval, construction applications and the Site Inspector

406.485.2524

[email protected]

105 Main Circle, MT 59215

Septic permits

McCone County Sanitarian

McCone County on-site wastewater questions and approvals

(406) 377-5772

207 West Bell 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 Town of Circle 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 Circle, MT?

Circle requires a Town Council zoning permit before land is occupied or used, or buildings are created, changed or converted; construction permits are integrated with zoning permits.1 Circle’s building chapter requires electrical and plumbing permits for the listed private-dwelling work and a written Town Council construction permit for demolition.2 Public and commercial buildings also require state building-code review and a Town Clerk construction application.2 Ask the Town Clerk to identify the approvals for your exact project rather than treating the rural county answer as permission to build in town.2

Who handles building applications in the Town of Circle?

Start with the Town Clerk for Circle construction applications and fee payment; the construction ordinance directs applicants to file a written application with the Site Inspector.28 Reach Town Hall at 406.485.2524 or [email protected].9 Circle construction applications call for a land description, proposed use or occupancy, duplicate plans and specifications, and a scaled lot plan identifying the responsible professional or person.1 Construction-permit fees are set by Town Council resolution and paid before issuance; starting work before obtaining the required permit doubles the fee under the code.8 Request the current fee schedule before submitting.

Does the Town of Circle have zoning and minimum lot sizes?

Circle requires Town Council approval that the proposed building, premises and use comply with town building, health and zoning provisions.1 In Circle’s Class A residence districts, lot area must be at least 7,000 square feet per dwelling.5 The Class A height limit is 25 feet or two stories, while Class B allows 40 feet or three stories.1011 Ask the Town Clerk to confirm your parcel’s district and applicable setbacks before selecting a floor plan. We could not confirm a minimum dwelling floor area or a lot-coverage formula for Circle; request a parcel-specific answer from the Town Clerk.

How do septic permits work inside the Town of Circle?

Circle buildings must connect to Town water and sewer where those services are available, excluding accessory buildings.6 For a project using piped water and intended for human occupancy, McCone County requires an on-site wastewater permit before construction unless sewage goes to an approved public system.3 Ask the McCone County Sanitarian about the on-site route at (406) 377-5772.12 On-site systems cannot be backfilled before inspection and approval unless self-inspection is authorized, and a new system cannot be used before final approval.13 A homeowner installing a system for their own residence on their own property can qualify for a contractor-license exemption, but wastewater permits and standards still apply.7

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

Motor homes, fifth wheels and camper trailers are not allowed in Circle’s Class A residence districts.4 That district restriction is the starting point for an RV plan: establish the parcel’s district before buying or moving a vehicle onto it.4 We could not confirm a general temporary-camping allowance or a Circle rule specifically authorizing tiny-home occupancy; ask the Town Clerk about the proposed dwelling and duration of use. Circle’s zoning permit requirement covers proposed land use as well as building changes, so a small dwelling still needs a zoning answer.1 Town Council permission is required for temporary restroom facilities, and outside toilets are prohibited within town limits.6

Building a home in the Town of Circle: what are the steps?

  1. Ask the Town Clerk to confirm the zoning district and proposed use, then prepare the scaled plat showing lot size and dimensions for zoning approval.1
  2. Establish whether Town water and sewer are available; connect where required, or obtain the McCone County on-site wastewater approval for a qualifying septic project before construction.63
  3. Submit the construction application with the land description, use, plans and lot plan; arrange the electrical and plumbing approvals required for the work.2
  4. Pay the Town Clerk’s applicable construction fee before issuance and ask the Site Inspector for the inspection schedule.8
  5. Keep the septic installation exposed until inspection approval or authorized self-inspection, and obtain final approval before using a new system.13

What should you check before buying land in the Town of Circle?

For land outside town limits, use the McCone County guide for the rural building-permit answer; the county appears not to require residential building permits in unincorporated areas.14 Within Circle, ask the Town Clerk about utility availability and the flood-zone designation recorded during the construction-permit process.68 If a private well is part of your plan, Montana’s groundwater permit exception may cover uses at or below 35 gallons per minute and 10 acre-feet per year, subject to eligibility.15 Beginning in 2026, DNRC requires a Notice of Intent before using groundwater under that exception.15 We could not confirm Circle-specific private-well or curb-access standards; ask the Town Clerk before committing to either.

Watch-outs

  • Circle’s Class A RV prohibition does not establish an RV allowance in another district; request the proposed use’s zoning approval from the Town Council.41
  • A homeowner septic contractor-license exemption does not waive wastewater permits or inspections.7
  • We could not confirm a separate Circle certificate-of-occupancy requirement or a building owner-builder exemption; ask the Town Clerk before relying on either.9

Sources

  1. § 155.13 Permits; Certificates of Occupancy (Town of Circle), quoted and re-checked
  2. § 151.02 Permit Required (Town of Circle), quoted and re-checked
  3. McCone County On-Site Wastewater Treatment Regulations (Town of Circle), quoted and re-checked
  4. § 155.26 Class A Residence Districts (Town of Circle), quoted and re-checked
  5. § 155.26 Class A Residence Districts (Town of Circle), quoted and re-checked
  6. § 155.08 Water, Sewer Connection Required; Outside Toilet Prohibited (Town of Circle), quoted and re-checked
  7. McCone County On-Site Wastewater Treatment Regulations, quoted and re-checked
  8. § 151.04 Construction Permit Fees (Town of Circle), quoted and re-checked
  9. Town of Circle Town Clerk (townofcircle.org)
  10. § 155.26 Class A Residence Districts (Town of Circle), quoted and re-checked
  11. § 155.27 Class B Residence Districts (Town of Circle), quoted and re-checked
  12. McCone County Sanitarian (mcconecountymt.gov)
  13. McCone County On-Site Wastewater Treatment Regulations, Section 6 (Town of Circle), quoted and re-checked
  14. McCone County (official site) (2026 county census)
  15. 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 Town of Circle

Town of Circle’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Private dwellings, single-family units through fourplexes, garages, small buildings, trailer houses, mobile homes, and additions, moves, conversions, extensions, or demolitions inside Circle town limits.

    • Electrical and plumbing permits are obtained from the Department of Commerce for the listed private-dwelling work; demolition instead requires a written construction permit from the Town Council.
    • Construction-permit applicants file a written application with the Site Inspector, including land description, use or occupancy, duplicate plans and specifications, a lot plan, scaled plans, and responsible professional/person information.
    • Public and commercial buildings require a building permit and necessary electrical and plumbing permits from the Department of Commerce Building Codes Bureau, state review and fees, plus a Town Clerk construction-permit application and Building Codes Bureau approval.
    “No person shall erect or construct, or proceed with the erection or construction, of any private dwellings, single-family units up to, and including, four plexes, garages, small buildings, and the like; not add to, enlarge, move, convert, extend, or demolish any of the aforementioned buildings or structures and including trailer houses or mobile homes, or cause the same to be done, without first obtaining an electrical permit and plumbing permit from the Department of Commerce, except when demolishing a building or structure, and then a construction permit to be applied for, in writing, from the Town Council.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Building construction inside Circle town limits.

    • The adopted text refers to the Uniform Building Code of the International Conference of Building Officials and includes subsequent revisions, additions, and amendments; two copies must remain on file with the Town Clerk.
    “The Uniform Building Code of the International Conference of Building Officials is hereby adopted by reference as the Building Code of the town”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    Any building inside Circle town limits where Town water and sewer are available.

    • Accessory buildings are excluded.
    • Outside toilets are prohibited within the corporate limits after the code's effective date.
    • Temporary restroom facilities require Town Council permission.
    “Any building in which town water and sewer is available shall be connected to same, accessory buildings not included. Outside toilets will not be permitted to be erected within the corporate limits of the town after the effective date of this code. Town Council permission is required for temporary restroom facilities.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Circle construction permits.

    • Fee amount is set by Town Council resolution and must be paid before issuance.
    • The Town Clerk also collects required water and sewer deposits and assigns an address and flood-zone designation.
    • If work starts before the permit, the fee doubles; payment does not relieve compliance or penalties.
    • No permit fee is required for moving, altering, or building onto a trailer house or mobile home located in a licensed trailer court.
    “Any person, firm, or corporation desiring a construction permit under the provisions of this subchapter shall, upon the application for such permit, pay the Town Clerk a fee set by resolution for each permit. No permit shall be issued unless the applicant therefor shall pay the Town Clerk the fee provided herein.”
  • Permit processPublished

    Zoning and construction permit process inside Circle town limits.

    • Zoning-permit applications require a scaled plat showing lot size and dimensions.
    • Construction applications require a land description, occupancy/use description, duplicate plans and specifications, and a lot plan; plans must be drawn to scale and identify the responsible architect, engineer, or person.
    • Construction permits are integrated with the zoning permits for enforcement purposes.
    • A zoning permit expires if contemplated construction, alteration, or moving is not commenced within one year.
    “No land shall be occupied or used, and no building or premises, or part thereof, may hereafter be created, erected, changed, or converted, wholly or in part, for any purpose whatsoever, until a zoning permit has been issued by the Town Council stating that the building and premises, and use proposed, comply with all the building and health laws and regulation of the town, and with the provisions of this section.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Circle

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

  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Lots containing a dwelling in Circle Class A residence districts.

    minimum lot area per dwelling: >= 7000 square feet

    “Lot area per dwelling. Shall not be less than 7,000 square feet.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings in Circle Class A residence districts.

    • The limit is expressed as either 25 feet or two stories.

    maximum building height: <= 25 feet (or two stories)

    “No building shall be erected in excess of 25 feet, or two stories, in height.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Buildings in Circle Class B residence districts.
      “No building shall exceed or be erected in excess of 40 feet, or three stories, in height.”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Motor homes, fifth wheels, and camper trailers in Circle Class A residence districts.

    “Motor homes, fifth wheel, and camper trailers are not allowed in Class “A” districts.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    New, altered, replaced, expanded, or abandoned on-site wastewater systems inside Circle town limits.

    • A permit is required before construction intended for human occupancy using piped water.
    • No permit is required if sewage will be disposed of into an approved public system.
    • Applications require the MCS application and fees; written approval or denial is due within 20 working days for a complete application.
    • A new permit is valid for two years if construction has not begun.
    “A person may not do any construction on a parcel of land unless a valid on-site wastewater system permit has been issued when the construction is intended for occupancy by humans and will use a piped water supply. If the sewage will be disposed of to an approved public system, a permit is not required.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    On-site wastewater systems inside Circle town limits.

    • Owner-installed systems may be self-inspected only if authorized; otherwise MCS inspection is required before backfilling.
    • MCS inspects completed owner-installed systems no later than six working days after notice of completion.
    • A new system used before final inspection and approval violates the regulation.
    “No backfilling of the sewer system may occur, with the exception of 5) below, until it has been inspected and approved or authorized for self-inspection by the MCS.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from Circle building or zoning permits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Circle town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Circle town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Circle town limits.
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Circle town limits.
6 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Well permit
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals

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 Circle publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. McCone County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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