Construction Permits & Best Management Practices (BMPs)

Stormwater Permits

*** PLEASE  NOTE:  If your Building Permit submittal does not contain the required supplemental stormwater documents, your Building Permit WILL BE DELAYED.***

If you were directed here from the Accela Citizen Access (ACA) website, your project is disturbing 2,500 square feet or more of ground. Please follow the steps below to ensure you are submitting the correct supplemental documents with your Building Permit.

STEP 1:  Review the Stormwater Permit Instructions and Fees.  Please do not skip this step as it will answer many questions you may have about the new permitting process.

STEP 2:  Fill out the Stormwater Site Evaluation Form (construction priority ranking) to learn your projects Site Evaluation score of Low, Medium, or High.

STEP 3:  Refer to the list below that corresponds to your Site Evaluation Score;

***Click here for depth to groundwater***

      LOW -  fill out the following forms and submit as supplemental documents on our Building Permit Application. 

      MEDIUM and HIGH - fill out the following forms and submit as supplemental documents on our Building Permit Application.

* Projects that propose to infiltrate, evapotranspire, and/or capture for reuse all post-development stormwater on-site—without the use of piped conveyance—do not require a Maintenance Agreement or O&M Manual. 

A full list of all Stormwater Permit instructions, forms, and checklists can be found below:

Best Management Practices (BMPs)

BMPs are structural, vegetative, or managerial practices used to treat, prevent, or reduce water pollution. Help us protect our waterways and sole-source aquifer with BMPs. Free BMP pocket guides are available. Email the Stormwater Utility with your physical mailing address and the quantity of BMP pocket guides you would like (5 max, local companies only). Quantities are limited.

Do your part to protect Missoula's water quality by keeping all sediment on your construction site. Follow the Montana State manual for Erosion and Sediment Control BMPs and Construction Field Guide. The City of Missoula also has a Utilities Map available for your reference.

Sediment Control For All Construction Activities

Construction permit holders must prevent all mud, dirt, rock, sand, and debris from being spilled or dragged onto streets and rights-of-way outside the construction site. This includes proper set-up of temporary construction site access (see STD-653) and construction site cleanup and right-of-way protection.

Permit Fee Changes

On September 21, 2020, Missoula City Council approved the following amendments to the current Engineering Fee Schedule. The current SWPPP and Grading Permit fees have been rescinded and the new Stormwater Permit and Dry Well Approval fees have been added. Implementation dates are October 1, 2020, for the Dry Well Approval and January 1, 2021, for the Stormwater Permit. These permits will apply only to projects that begin after these effective dates and are not retroactive to projects currently in progress.  

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Missoula SWPPP Instructions

Any construction activity that results in disturbance of one acre or greater total land area requires additional permit coverage. This total disturbance may include any clearing, excavating, grading, stockpiling earth materials, placement or removal of earth material performed during the construction project. If so, the construction activity’s owner or operator is required to follow the below steps:

  1. Obtain and submit to Montana DEQ the Stormwater Construction General Permit Application Package.  For this, the owner or operator is fully responsible. This 2018 Montana DEQ application package may include the items listed below:
  2. Montana DEQ will review and will provide an approval letter.
  3. Once the Stormwater Construction General Permit Application Package has been approved by Montana DEQ, then the following should be submitted to City of Missoula’s Development Services:
    • A copy of the Notice of Intent (NOI) provided to Montana DEQ;
    • A copy of the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) provided to Montana DEQ; and
    • A copy of Montana DEQ’s confirmation letter.
  4. City of Missoula’s Development Services’ engineering staff will review. And when approved, the City will then issue a permit for your construction activity.
  5. If the construction activity requires a permit transfer, both Montana DEQ and the City of Missoula Development Services require the owner or operator to submit a Permit Transfer Notification (PTN).
  6. When your construction activity is completed to the specific item instructions, submit a Notice of Termination (NOT). This is to be submitted to both Montana DEQ and the City of Missoula Development Services engineering staff.

Active Construction Sites

Active construction sites within the City of Missoula can be viewed on the road report map. If you find an active construction site not on this map, please email the Development Services’ Permit Review Supervisor or call 406-552-6349.

The Missoula Valley Water Quality District (MVWQD), a division within the Missoula City-County Health Department, responds to illicit discharges.

If you would like to report an illicit discharge or have a stormwater construction site concern you may use the online reporting form or call 406-258-4890 during regular business hours or for an after-hours matter, please call 911.