Permits for Concrete Work Around Billings
A reference page, not a sales page. Use it to work out who has authority over the slab you want fixed, then call the office listed before you budget.
Start with the state rule
Montana has no state building permit requirement for a single-family residence unless a local jurisdiction requires one by ordinance. That is the whole reason this page exists: the answer depends entirely on which side of a line your property sits on. The MT DLI Building Codes Bureau can be reached at (406) 841-2056.
Jurisdiction comparison
| City of Billings | City of Laurel | Yellowstone County (Lockwood, Shepherd) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who issues it | City of Billings Public Works, Engineering Division, 2224 Montana Ave | City of Laurel Public Works (separate city government) | Yellowstone County Public Works |
| What triggers a permit | Cutting, breaking, removing or altering curbing, a driveway apron or a sidewalk in the public right-of-way (Ord. 07-5424); curb cuts under Ord. 25-5915 amending §6-1208 | Driveway construction and curb cuts are addressed in Municipal Code Title 12, Ch. 12.08 (§12.08.090 curb cuts) — confirm the requirement with the city | A new or modified approach / road access onto a county road; construction in a regulated 100-year floodplain |
| Published fee | Driveway/sidewalk permit fee: not published — set by council resolution — call. Encroachment $65; special event / ROW $100; traffic control no charge | Not published — call | Approach permit $75 residential (max 30 ft width), $150 commercial; card payments add 2.5% |
| Restoration requirement | Removed concrete in the ROW replaced within 7 working days; an abandoned driveway must be restored by the owner, and if not done within 60 days of notice the city may do it at the owner's expense | Not published — call | Culvert pipe minimum 15 inches where an approach crosses a ditch |
| Phone | (406) 657-8231 | (406) 628-4796 | (406) 256-2735 |
City of Billings
Ordinance 07-5424 makes it unlawful for any person “as owner, agent, servant, contractor or employee to cut, break, remove or alter any curbing, driveway apron or sidewalk” in the public right-of-way without a permit. It also states that permits “shall be issued only to properly licensed and bonded contractors by the city after payment of fees as prescribed by council resolution.”
Ordinance 25-5915 amends §6-1208, which covers curb cuts; a right-of-way permit is required there as well. An abandoned driveway must be restored by the owner, and if that is not done within 60 days of notice, “the city may do so at the expense of the owner.” Concrete removed from the right-of-way must be replaced within 7 working days.
Published Public Works fees: encroachment permit $65, special event or right-of-way permit $100, traffic control permit no charge. Engineering Division, 2224 Montana Ave, (406) 657-8231.
The driveway and sidewalk permit fee itself is set by council resolution and is not published in the ordinance. We will not estimate it. Call (406) 657-8231 for the current amount.
City of Laurel
Laurel has been a separate incorporated city since 1908, with its own Building and Code Enforcement, Planning and Public Works departments. Its zoning authority extends one mile beyond the city limits. Electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing permits go to the State rather than the city.
For flatwork, the relevant text is Laurel Municipal Code Title 12, “Streets, Sidewalks and Public Places,” Chapter 12.08, “Driveway Construction,” with §12.08.090 covering curb cuts.
We could not retrieve the text of Chapter 12.08, so this page names the chapter and stops there. No Laurel fee and no description of what the chapter requires appears here. Confirm both with Public Works at (406) 628-4796.
Yellowstone County — Lockwood, Shepherd and unincorporated areas
- Approach / road access permit$75 residential with a maximum 30-foot width; $150 commercial. Card payments add 2.5%.
- CulvertPipe minimum 15 inches.
- Floodplain permitRequired for construction in the 100-year floodplain of the Yellowstone River, Dry Creek, Cove Creek, Five Mile Creek and Unnamed Creek.
- Who to callCounty Public Works, (406) 256-2735.
Sidewalk responsibility and the lien
A city or town council “has power to regulate and provide for the construction or repair of sidewalks” — MCA 7-14-4122.
The same statute allows the council to do the work and assess it against the property when the abutting owner does not. That applies in Billings and in Laurel. A settled walk that is still liftable today is a cheaper problem than a walk the city replaces and bills you for.
Trip-hazard standards
PROWAG R302.6.2 sets the thresholds for vertical changes in level:
- Up to ¼ inch may be vertical.
- ¼ to ½ inch must be beveled at 1:2 maximum.
- Over ½ inch up to 6 inches requires a 1:12 maximum running slope.
This governs the public right-of-way, not private walkways. A backyard patio lip is not held to PROWAG — though the same ¼-inch figure is a sensible place to start thinking about a private trip hazard.
Accuracy note
Fee schedules and ordinances change, and two of the figures above are set by resolution rather than published in code. Everything here reflects what each jurisdiction published as of August 2026 — confirm with the office listed before you budget.