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Electrical Permit (State-Issued) in Townsend, Montana

Required for electrical installation, alteration, or repair work anywhere in Townsend (city limits) and unincorporated Broadwater County. Because Townsend is NOT electrically-certified, this permit is issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau (Helena), not the city, under the 2020 NEC.

Verified 2026-07-04 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Application must be signed and dated by the licensed electrical contractor's person in charge
  • Payment must be submitted with the application; incomplete applications are returned unprocessed
  • Property address, GEOCODE/parcel/lot/block, owner information, and power company must be provided
  • Alternative Energy Source (solar/wind/hydro) projects require an additional fee added to the base fee and must specify system type (Micro Inverter/AC Module System or PV String System for solar)
  • Apply in accordance with Title 50, Chapter 60, Section 604, MCA and ARM 24.301.431

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Single Family Dwelling or Cabin — up to 200-amp service (includes meter base and attached garages if wired at the same time)Montana Building Codes Bureau, Application for Residential Electrical Permit (BCP-1), fee option A — same statewide fee schedule documented in anaconda-deer-lodge.json
$200
Single Family Dwelling or Cabin — 201 to 400-amp serviceApplication for Residential Electrical Permit (BCP-1), fee option B
$380
Single Family Dwelling or Cabin — 401 to 600-amp serviceApplication for Residential Electrical Permit (BCP-1), fee option C
$600
Single Family Dwelling or Cabin — 601-amp service and upApplication for Residential Electrical Permit (BCP-1), fee option D
$800
Residential Change of Service — exterior meter base & interior/exterior main disconnect onlyApplication for Residential Electrical Permit (BCP-1), fee option I
$45
Private Property Accessory Building (Garage, Barn, etc.) — up to 200-amp panelApplication for Residential Electrical Permit (BCP-1), fee option K
$80
Alternative Energy Source add-on (solar, wind, or hydro)Application for Alternative Energy Permit (BCP-1) — required in addition to base fee for any alternative energy project; figure varies by form revision, confirm current amount with the Building Codes Bureau
$45-$65 additional fee added to the selected base work type
Request inspection, per hourApplication for Residential Electrical Permit (BCP-1), fee option CC
$60 (additional $30 for each 30 minutes or fraction thereof in excess of one hour, plus travel time)

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Electrical Permit (State-Issued) permit actually take in Townsend?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

    Tips

    • Electrical permits for Townsend addresses are issued by the STATE Building Codes Bureau in Helena, not the city — mail applications and payment to PO Box 200517, Helena, MT 59620-0517, or apply online at aca-prod.accela.com/bcb.
    • Solar PV installations must add the Alternative Energy Source fee on top of whatever base electrical work fee applies.
    • No review-timeline figure is published by the DLI Building Codes Bureau for electrical permits specifically — the Bureau's own electrical-permits page states only that 'Upon receipt of the application and fee(s), the Bureau will issue the electrical permit,' with no day-count given.
    • This is the SAME statewide BCP-1 electrical fee schedule documented for Anaconda-Deer Lodge and East Helena — it is not Townsend-specific, but it is the correct, currently-published fee schedule that applies to all non-certified-for-electrical Montana jurisdictions, including Townsend.

    Frequently asked questions

    Townsend requires an electrical permit (state-issued) for: Application must be signed and dated by the licensed electrical contractor's person in charge; Payment must be submitted with the application; incomplete applications are returned unprocessed; Property address, GEOCODE/parcel/lot/block, owner information, and power company must be provided; Alternative Energy Source (solar/wind/hydro) projects require an additional fee added to the base fee and must specify system type (Micro Inverter/AC Module System or PV String System for solar); Apply in accordance with Title 50, Chapter 60, Section 604, MCA and ARM 24.301.431. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Townsend — city-certified for Building (B) and Swimming Pool (SP) only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau. Building Official of record: James Schauber. at (406) 266-3911 (City Office, general); (406) 431-8319 (James Schauber, Building Official) before starting work.

    In Townsend, the published Single Family Dwelling or Cabin — up to 200-amp service (includes meter base and attached garages if wired at the same time) is: $200. Additional published fees: Single Family Dwelling or Cabin — 201 to 400-amp service — $380; Single Family Dwelling or Cabin — 401 to 600-amp service — $600; Single Family Dwelling or Cabin — 601-amp service and up — $800; Residential Change of Service — exterior meter base & interior/exterior main disconnect only — $45; Private Property Accessory Building (Garage, Barn, etc.) — up to 200-amp panel — $80; Alternative Energy Source add-on (solar, wind, or hydro) — $45-$65 additional fee added to the selected base work type; Request inspection, per hour — $60 (additional $30 for each 30 minutes or fraction thereof in excess of one hour, plus travel time). These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

    Townsend does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Townsend — city-certified for Building (B) and Swimming Pool (SP) only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau. Building Official of record: James Schauber. at (406) 266-3911 (City Office, general); (406) 431-8319 (James Schauber, Building Official) for current turnaround.

    You'll need: Application for Residential Electrical Permit. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through City of Townsend — city-certified for Building (B) and Swimming Pool (SP) only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau. Building Official of record: James Schauber. at City of Townsend, 110 Broadway, Townsend, MT 59644 (general city administration); Building Official James Schauber, (406) 431-8319 (also principal of Schauber Surveying, Inc., 64 Jack Farm Rd, Townsend, MT 59644). Phone: (406) 266-3911 (City Office, general); (406) 431-8319 (James Schauber, Building Official), email: kari@townsendmontana.net (City Clerk/Treasurer Kari Williams); jenny@townsendmontana.net (Deputy Clerk Jenny Barnett). Office hours: City Office, 110 Broadway, Townsend, MT 59644 — Monday-Wednesday 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Thursday 7:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Friday 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., per the City of Townsend Contact Us page. No separate published office hours were found for the Building Official specifically; contact James Schauber directly at (406) 431-8319.. Official information: https://townsendmontana.net/.

    Townsend, Montana has adopted: Montana has a mandatory statewide building code administered by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry (DLI) Building Codes Bureau, amended by the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) Title 24, Chapter 301. Cities, counties, and towns may become 'certified' to locally administer permitting and inspection for all or part of the code (building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, swimming pool, WUI, etc.); non-certified trades within a certified jurisdiction, and all trades in non-certified areas, fall under direct state administration by the DLI Building Codes Bureau. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Certified City, County and Town Programs and Current Codes pages (bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits).; Townsend is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B) and Swimming Pool (SP) ONLY within Townsend city limits — James Schauber is the certified building official of record, (406) 431-8319. Townsend is NOT certified for Electrical (E), Plumbing (P), or Mechanical (M); those permits are issued directly by the state DLI Building Codes Bureau for all addresses within Townsend city limits. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, 'CITY CODES BUILDING OFFICIAL PHONE JURISDICTION' certified-jurisdictions PDF (https://bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf), updated 04/22/2026 — Townsend row reads 'B, SP / James Schauber / 431-8319 / City Limits'; independently cross-confirmed against the DLI 'Certified City, County and Town Programs' HTML page (bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/certified-government), same B, SP result. Legend on the PDF: B = Building, P = Plumbing, M/G = Medical Gas, E = Electrical, M = Mechanical, SP = Pool, W = WUI (Wildland-Urban Interface).; The City of Townsend's own website (townsendmontana.net) does not publish a dedicated building-permit application form, fee schedule, or online permitting portal as of this research pass — its public-facing content states only that 'The City has adopted Building Codes, has a building inspector and Zoning' and that permits are required for 'building, large repairs, roofing, installing fences, etc.' No city-specific Construction Permit Application PDF (of the kind published by East Helena, for example) was located on townsendmontana.net or the Chamber/community site townsendmt.com after checking the homepage, Notices & Information page, Contact Us page, and the Forms/Applications/Taxes page. Source: City of Townsend homepage, https://townsendmontana.net/; Townsend Notices & Information, https://townsendmontana.net/notices-information/.; 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — statewide edition effective June 11, 2022, adopted by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau and enforced locally within Townsend by its DLI-certified building official for the Building trade. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Current Codes page, bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/current-codes.; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — statewide edition effective June 11, 2022, applicable to one- and two-family dwelling construction within Townsend city limits under the city's certified Building program. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Current Codes page.; 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — statewide edition effective June 11, 2022, applicable to new construction reviewed under Townsend's local Building program. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Current Codes page.; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), and 2017 ICC A117.1 Accessibility Standard — statewide editions effective June 11, 2022, applicable within Townsend as the locally-enforced editions for the Building and Swimming Pool trades the city is certified for. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Current Codes page.; 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC), 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), and 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) all apply within Townsend city limits as the statewide-adopted editions (effective June 11, 2022) but are administered directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau (Helena), not the City of Townsend, because Townsend holds no local certification for those trades. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Current Codes page; DLI Building Codes Bureau Electrical/Plumbing/Mechanical Permits pages.. Local amendments apply — see the Townsend overview page for the full list.

    The Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau issues electrical permits for Townsend — the city is not certified for electrical inspections. Apply by mail to PO Box 200517, Helena, MT 59620-0517, or online at aca-prod.accela.com/bcb, under the 2020 NEC.

    Sources & verification

    Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-04.

    Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Townsend building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

    Other permits in Townsend

    Building Permit — Residential Building (New Construction / Addition / Remodel)Swimming Pool PermitPlumbing Permit (including Water Heater) — State-IssuedMechanical / HVAC Permit — State-IssuedResidential/Commercial Solar Photovoltaic (PV) PermitElectric Vehicle (EV) Charger Permit (State-Issued)Sign Permit (Commercial/Business Signage)Fire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm System PermitChange of Use / Occupancy Permit

    Electrical Permit (State-Issued) in other cities

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