Shops, garages and pole buildings
Larger lots in Orchard Homes, Target Range and along Mullan Road have room for a shop or detached garage. Handy's builds the pad, the slab and the building. See pole buildings & shops.
Missoula County · Home base
General Contractor in Missoula, MT
Handy's Construction is based in Missoula and builds across the whole valley, from older lots in Orchard Homes and Target Range to hillside sites in the South Hills and Grant Creek. One owner-run crew handles excavation, septic, foundations, homes, shops and remodels, with free on-site estimates.
Handy's Construction is a licensed and insured Montana general contractor based in Missoula, owner-operated by Tyler Handy and serving Missoula, Ravalli, Mineral and Lake Counties.
Does Handy’s Construction work in Missoula?
Yes. Missoula is Handy's Construction's home base. The crew digs basements and utility trenches, installs septic systems, pours foundations and slabs, builds custom homes, shops and pole buildings, remodels, and handles demolition in Missoula, with free on-site estimates from owner Tyler Handy.
Anyone comparing Missoula contractors quickly learns that the valley is several different building environments stacked together. The flats west of downtown, around Orchard Homes, Target Range and out along Mullan Road, sit near the Clark Fork and the mouth of the Bitterroot, where the ground is river sand and cobble and the water table can come up in spring. The Rattlesnake and Grant Creek follow creek drainages into the mountains. The South Hills and the Miller Creek area climb toward Mount Dean Stone, where lots slope hard and cuts can hit rock.
Those differences decide the job before a single wall is framed. A shop on a flat Orchard Homes lot is mostly about the pad, the slab and drainage. A house on a South Hills slope is about the cut, retaining and a foundation that steps down the hill. A remodel or addition near the University District means working on an older house on a tight city lot, where access for an excavator or a concrete truck is the first question.
The benches you can see on Mount Sentinel and Mount Jumbo are old shorelines of Glacial Lake Missoula, and the lake left fine silt and clay across parts of the valley floor. That soil can hold water and move with frost, which is one more reason Handy's Construction reads the ground at the site visit instead of pricing a foundation from a phone call.
Missoula projects
What does Handy’s Construction build most often in Missoula?
Additions and remodels
Missoula's older neighborhoods are full of houses that need more room or a new kitchen. Additions get a proper foundation tied to the existing house. See remodeling & additions.
Foundations and basements
New homes and additions across the valley need footings below frost and a plan for groundwater. See concrete & foundations.
Site prep and trenching
Clearing, grading, driveways and utility trenches on in-town and edge-of-town lots. See excavation & site prep.
Ground & rules
What should Missoula property owners check before they build?
Three things shape most Missoula projects, and all three are checked on the free site visit.
- City or county? A Missoula mailing address does not always mean City of Missoula rules. Many lots on the edges of town are in unincorporated Missoula County, with a different permit path.
- Water under the lot. The valley sits on an aquifer that supplies the city's drinking water, and groundwater near the rivers rises in spring. That drives septic design and whether a basement makes sense.
- Slope and access. Hillside lots need cut, fill and retaining plans; tight city lots need a plan for getting equipment and concrete trucks in.
Missoula site checklist
- Soils
- River sand and cobble on the flats, lake silt and clay in places, rock on steep hillside lots
- Septic permits
- Missoula City-County Health Department
- Building permits
- City of Missoula inside city limits, Missoula County outside
- Season
- Frost and snow shape the schedule for digging and pouring
Services in Missoula
Which Handy’s Construction services are available in Missoula?
All eight. These three are where most Missoula projects start.
General Contracting
One owner-run crew managing the whole job, from dirt work to finish.
- Site work through finish
- Residential and commercial
- One point of contact
Pole Buildings & Shops
Pole barns, shops, garages and accessory buildings on rural lots.
- Pad, slab and building
- Shops, barns and garages
- Sized for snow load
Remodeling & Additions
Kitchens, additions, decks, flooring and interior remodels.
- Kitchens and interiors
- Additions and decks
- Commercial remodels
Nearby towns Handy’s Construction serves
Missoula FAQ
What do Missoula property owners ask Handy’s Construction?
Is there a general contractor near me in Missoula, MT?
Yes. Handy's Construction is based in Missoula and works across the city and the rest of the Missoula Valley. Call (406) 491-6141, Monday to Thursday 7 AM to 6 PM, Friday 7 AM to 4 PM or Saturday 8 AM to 5 PM, and Tyler Handy will set up a free site visit.
Who issues building permits in Missoula?
It depends on where the lot is. Property inside Missoula city limits is permitted through the City of Missoula, while property with a Missoula address outside city limits falls under Missoula County. Septic systems need a permit from the Missoula City-County Health Department. Handy's Construction lines up the right permit steps before work starts.
Can Handy's build a shop or garage in Orchard Homes or Target Range?
Yes. The larger lots west of downtown are some of the most common places Handy's Construction builds shops, garages and pole buildings, including the excavation and the concrete slab. Groundwater near the rivers is checked before the design is finished.
Get a free Missoula construction estimate
Call Handy's Construction at (406) 491-6141 or send the form, and Tyler will set a time to see your property.