Park County · City of Livingston Building Department
Renovation in Livingston
The oldest housing we work on, and the most rewarding. Also the windiest job sites in Montana.
What building here actually involves
Livingston has the oldest intact housing stock we work in. Railroad-era houses from the 1890s through the 1930s, many with original millwork, hardware and stair parts worth every hour it takes to save them. They also come with the full catalogue of old-house problems: rubble or brick foundations, balloon framing, knob-and-tube, and almost no insulation anywhere.
The wind is a genuine design factor. Livingston regularly sees wind speeds that affect exterior work scheduling, siding and window selection, and any deck or porch roof design.
Our approach here is conservative: stabilise the structure and the envelope first, save the original fabric that can be saved, and be honest about what cannot. A rubble foundation sometimes needs underpinning before anything else is worth doing.
Local constraints
Four things that are specific to Livingston
Foundations
Rubble, brick and early poured foundations are common and often need assessment or underpinning.
Wind
High sustained winds affect siding, window and porch roof design, and exterior scheduling.
Original fabric
Millwork, doors and stair parts are usually worth restoring rather than replacing.
Frost depth
36 inches minimum, deeper on exposed sites.
Housing stock
1890s to 1930s railroad-era houses, many original, some never renovated
Neighbourhoods we work in
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