Construction Standards

All new construction and any exterior modifications to your home or landscaping requires review and approval by the BSAC. Owners may not begin any site or project preparation (i.e. grading, equipment mobilization, material delivery, clearing) without Final Project Approval from the BSAC. To start the process, contact the BSAC Coordinator, at (406) 995-4166 or bsac@bigskyoa.org.

Building construction and landscaping must strictly conform to the BSAC approved Final Plan and must be diligently prosecuted to completion by the agreed to completion date as noted on the Project Application and Checklist. Your construction completion date is guided by the Covenants as well as your specific approval granted by the BSAC. Completion date is noted and agreed to on Page 4 of the Project Application and Checklist. Regardless of the date your construction begins, the project approval expires on the completion date as noted on the Project Application and Checklist. Construction extensions may be granted by the BSAC upon written request, with good cause, and may require additional review and approval of the BSAC.

Follow your approved plans, keep all construction activity within your property boundaries, keep your construction site neat, and be considerate of the neighbors. Contact the office if your construction schedule is sliding or you have special circumstances (i.e. road cuts, road obstruction for material delivery). More specifically, keep in mind the following:

• Noise Abatement and Hours of Work: Hours of construction are 7AM to 7PM.
• Construction Staging and Material Storage: Unless otherwise permitted, all construction staging, including but not limited to, disturbed areas, excavation, material storage, equipment storage, and temporary structures, must be located within the property for which the Final Project Approval is granted. Alternate staging areas may in certain cases, be conditionally approved in writing by the BSAC. Owners may also obtain such permission in writing from other property Owners, provided the arrangement does not constitute a nuisance and complies with the Covenants, Design Regulations and BSAC approval, with appropriate cash Performance Deposits posted. Roadways and road right-of-ways are not permitted as construction storage and staging areas. Staging of landscaping materials on roadways may be temporarily permitted with BSAC approval. Requests must be made to the BSAC in writing, and shall include a time line for completion and removal of all materials and debris from the roadway.
•  Construction Equipment and Activity: All construction equipment and activity, including stockpiling of materials and topsoil, shall be kept within the property for which Final Project Approval is granted. Alternate staging areas may in certain cases, be conditionally approved in writing by the BSAC. Owners may also obtain such permission in writing from other property Owners, provided the arrangement does not constitute a nuisance and complies with the Covenants, Design Regulations and BSAC approval, with appropriate cash Performance Deposits posted. Any adjacent property including roads or common grounds damaged during construction shall be promptly restored and re-vegetated to the satisfaction of the BSAC. If such restoration is not completed promptly or to the satisfaction of the BSAC, the BSAC is authorized to forfeit all or a portion of the Owner’s Performance Deposit and such sums will be used at the discretion of the BSAC.
•  Trash Containment and Removal and Street Cleaning: Trash and construction debris shall be kept in covered and otherwise appropriate containers such as roll-off dumpsters. Containers must be emptied on a regular basis. Any excess trash and construction debris outside designated containers shall not be permitted under any circumstances. The location of roll-off dumpsters shall be identified on the Site Plan submitted to the BSAC. Burning of construction materials is prohibited
• Concrete contractors may not dispose of leftover concrete from their trucks on any private property or on public roads in Big Sky. Failure to comply with this provision will result in fines or other penalties including the forfeit of all or a portion of the Owner’s Performance Deposit.
• Street cleaning shall be scheduled and paid for by the Owner to minimize dust, dirt, and debris.
• Vegetation, Tree, and Property Protection: Construction practices must include extreme care during grading and excavation to avoid damage to existing trees, shrubs and their root structures. Trees to be removed for excavation of the driveway, building, etc., shall be identified with surveyor’s ribbon and shall be protected by fencing throughout the construction process. Where necessary, trees shall be wrapped or protected by other means to prevent damage. Excavation should not commence until this process has been completed. Owners, Architects and Builders shall consider preservation of vegetation as well as fire protection issues as part of a landscaping plan. Consult qualified professionals in these areas as needed.
• Areas outside the construction and staging area must be protected in a natural state throughout the construction process. Protection areas shall be defined with flagging.
• Temporary Structures: A small job office or material storage trailer may, upon written BSAC approval and as designated on the Site Plan, be located on the site during the construction period. The job office shall not be inhabited and must be removed from the site prior to final project review.
• Portable Toilets shall be serviced regularly, and shall be promptly removed from the site at project completion. Portable toilets must be removed from the site prior to final project review.
• Erosion Control: All disturbed areas of the site shall be protected from erosion during and after the construction period. Erosion control measures must be taken during construction to insure soil stabilization, sediment control, and timely re-vegetation.
• Weed Control: The BSOA, along with Gallatin County and Madison County, is working to mitigate the introduction and spread of noxious weeds in the Big Sky area. Presence of noxious weeds on property is a violation of the Covenants and is against the law in Montana. Owners and their Contractors are responsible for decontamination of trucks, machinery, tools and materials brought in from, or interacting with, outside areas in the effort of fighting the spread of noxious weeds.

Projects are considered complete when construction has concluded and all equipment has been demobilized off site. Landscaping must be complete per the approved final plan with all temporary structures, portable toilets, construction debris, and other evidence of the construction activity removed. When the project is complete, contact the office at 406-995-4166 to schedule a final project review. At this time, approved plans may be marked up to reflect minor construction changes. When the BSAC determines a project is substantially complete and constructed to final approved plans with no Covenant or Design Regulation violations recorded, a refund of the Performance Deposit will be made. Any significant design changes made and not approved by the BSAC, Covenant violations, Design Regulations violations or violations to BSOA Policy made during construction may result in partial or full forfeiture of the Performance Deposit and legal action which may require the project be re-built to the approved plan.