Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Saco, Montana

Rules another office applies inside Town of Saco

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

• Building permitLimited

  State building-permit process for construction inside Saco town limits.

  • At the state level, farm or ranch buildings and private homes or apartments with four or fewer units that do not serve transient guests are listed as exempt.
  • A local ordinance may impose a permit requirement; no official Saco ordinance was located.

  “Yes, projects which are exempt from the building permit process (at the state level) include: 1. Farm or ranch buildings. 2. Private homes and apartments with four or fewer units that do not serve transient guests.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside Saco town limits subject to Montana's statewide building-code program.

  • The listed 2024 International Building Code and International Residential Code are effective September 26, 2026.
  • A certified local-government program may enforce applicable code locally.

  International Building Code edition: 2024 · International Residential Code edition: 2024

  “All of the codes listed below are amended and adopted by: Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) Title 24, Chapter 301 [...] International Building Code, 2024 Edition - Effective: September 26, 2026 International Residential Code, 2024 Edition - Effective: September 26, 2026”

• InspectionsLimited

  Projects inside Saco town limits that require permitting under the Montana Building Codes Program.

  • The program describes inspections for projects requiring a permit.
  • Local certified enforcement may apply where a local program exists; no official evidence of a Saco program was located.

  “Field inspection staff for the programs are positioned around the state to ensure adequate coverage for inspection and regulation of projects requiring a permit.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Drainfield installation inside Saco town limits when the parcel has a Certificate of Subdivision Approval (COSA).

  • A COSA does not eliminate the drainfield-permit requirement.
  • The permit is required by the local health department under the statewide DEQ-described process.

  “Yes, even thought you have a COSA, a drainfield permit is still required by the local health department.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  State building permits for projects inside Saco town limits that are processed by the Montana Building Codes Program.

  • A plan-review fee is in addition to the permit fee.
  • Both fees must be paid before permit issuance.
  • A certified local government may establish its own fees and valuation method.

  plan review fee: 35 percent of building permit fee

  “A plan review fee must be paid in addition to the building permit fee. The plan review fee is 35 percent of the building permit fee as established in Table 109.2. Both the building permit fee and the plan review fee must be paid before a building permit will be issued.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  State building-permit applications for projects inside Saco town limits processed by the Montana Building Codes Program.

  • The process applies to projects requiring a state building permit.
  • The timing may range from hours to weeks based on workload, project size, and needed modifications.

  “The plan review process begins when the plans and application are received in the office. The plan reviewer then calculates the valuation of the building and the necessary permit fees and screens the plans to determine if the plans, as submitted, are sufficient to do a plan review.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder activity inside Saco town limits
• Local zoning — Land inside Saco town limits, Phillips County, Montana
• Zoning districts — Land inside Saco town limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Saco town limits
• Minimum lot size — Lots inside Saco town limits

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.