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Fire Sprinkler / Alarm Permit in Great Falls, Montana

Required for new or altered fire sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, and kitchen hood suppression systems in Great Falls. Jointly processed by the Planning & Community Development Building Division and Great Falls Fire Rescue (GFFR), using a single Fire Sprinkler/Alarm Permit Application that covers all three project types. Great Falls Fire Rescue independently administers the 2021 International Fire Code (adopted by the City effective May 25, 2023) and publishes its own currently-effective fee schedule (Resolution No. 10569, 2025), confirming genuine local fire-code enforcement and acceptance-testing authority beyond the Building Division's Title 15 process.

Verified 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • A complete Fire Sprinkler/Alarm Permit Application (Effective 5/2024), selecting the applicable project type: Fire Sprinkler, Fire Alarm, or Kitchen Hood Suppression
  • All plan sets must be submitted electronically to permit@greatfallsmt.gov -- hard-copy plan sets are not required under the current (5/2024) application, which supersedes older guidance on the Building Division FAQs page referencing a 4-hard-copy-set requirement
  • Until further notice, the City of Great Falls uses a third-party consultant to review Fire/Sprinkler Permit Applications rather than in-house Building Division staff
  • Valuation of work must be disclosed on the application
  • A written letter of authorization from the property owner is required if the applicant is not the owner
  • Acceptance testing and inspections are conducted and billed separately by Great Falls Fire Rescue's Fire Prevention Bureau, in addition to any plan review fee
  • Governed by the 2021 International Fire Code (IFC), adopted by the City of Great Falls effective May 25, 2023 and administered by Great Falls Fire Rescue rather than the Building Division

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Fire Plans Review Fee (in-house life-safety plan review)Resolution No. 10569 (2025 Great Falls Fire Rescue Fee Schedule), 'FIRE PLANS REVIEW FEES' -- confirmed on the City's own Fee Schedule page
$150 per hour plus a $75 inspection fee
Fire Sprinkler AcceptanceResolution No. 10569, 'FIRE SPRINKLER ACCEPTANCE'
$75 per inspection for 100 heads or less, minimum 3 inspections; inspection count increases by 1 for every 99 heads over 100
Fire Alarm AcceptanceResolution No. 10569, 'FIRE ALARM ACCEPTANCE'
$75 per inspection, minimum 2 inspections for 25,000 sq ft or less; inspection count increases by 1 at 25,001 sq ft and every additional 25,000 sq ft thereafter
Hood (Kitchen Hood Suppression) AcceptanceResolution No. 10569, 'HOOD ACCEPTANCE'
$75 per inspection, minimum 1 inspection per project
Fire Suppression System AcceptanceResolution No. 10569, 'FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM ACCEPTANCE' -- covers special suppression systems other than standard sprinklers/hoods
$75 per inspection, minimum 1 inspection per project
Special InspectionResolution No. 10569, 'SPECIAL INSPECTION'
$75 per hour, minimum 1 hour
After-Hours InspectionResolution No. 10569, 'AFTER HOURS INSPECTION'
$75 per hour, minimum 1 hour
Contractor Not Ready for AcceptanceResolution No. 10569, 'CONTRACTOR NOT READY FOR ACCEPTANCE' -- charged if a scheduled acceptance test cannot proceed because the system isn't ready
$200 per instance
False Alarm Fee (post-installation, ongoing)Resolution No. 10569, 'FALSE ALARM FEES' -- applies to the 3rd false activation within a 365-day period; not part of the initial permit fee but relevant to alarm system ownership
$250 per activation

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Fire Sprinkler / Alarm Permit permit actually take in Great Falls?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Acceptance Test -- Fire Sprinkler

    Great Falls Fire Rescue verifies the installed sprinkler system; billed per inspection, minimum 3 inspections for systems with 100 heads or less

  2. 2

    Acceptance Test -- Fire Alarm

    Great Falls Fire Rescue verifies the installed alarm system; billed per inspection, minimum 2 inspections for 25,000 sq ft or less

  3. 3

    Acceptance Test -- Kitchen Hood / Suppression System

    Great Falls Fire Rescue verifies the installed hood or special suppression system; billed per inspection, minimum 1 inspection per project

See the full Great Falls inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • All fire sprinkler, fire alarm, and kitchen hood suppression plans must be submitted electronically to permit@greatfallsmt.gov -- the City no longer requires hard-copy plan sets under the current (5/2024) application, even though the Building Division FAQs page still references an older 4-hard-copy-set requirement.
  • Acceptance testing fees scale with system size: a small sprinkler system (100 heads or less) costs a minimum of $225 (3 inspections x $75), and a fire alarm system covering 25,000 sq ft or less costs a minimum of $150 (2 inspections x $75) -- larger systems cost proportionally more.
  • Calling for an acceptance test before the system is actually ready triggers a separate $200 'Contractor Not Ready for Acceptance' fee -- schedule tests only once the system is fully complete.
  • Great Falls Fire Rescue publishes and enforces its own currently-effective fee schedule (Resolution No. 10569, 2025) independent of the Building Division's Title 15 building-permit fee resolution, confirming GFFR has real, active local fire-code enforcement and inspection authority in the city.

Frequently asked questions

Great Falls requires a fire sprinkler / alarm permit for: A complete Fire Sprinkler/Alarm Permit Application (Effective 5/2024), selecting the applicable project type: Fire Sprinkler, Fire Alarm, or Kitchen Hood Suppression; All plan sets must be submitted electronically to permit@greatfallsmt.gov -- hard-copy plan sets are not required under the current (5/2024) application, which supersedes older guidance on the Building Division FAQs page referencing a 4-hard-copy-set requirement; Until further notice, the City of Great Falls uses a third-party consultant to review Fire/Sprinkler Permit Applications rather than in-house Building Division staff; Valuation of work must be disclosed on the application; A written letter of authorization from the property owner is required if the applicant is not the owner; Acceptance testing and inspections are conducted and billed separately by Great Falls Fire Rescue's Fire Prevention Bureau, in addition to any plan review fee; Governed by the 2021 International Fire Code (IFC), adopted by the City of Great Falls effective May 25, 2023 and administered by Great Falls Fire Rescue rather than the Building Division. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Great Falls Building Division (Planning & Community Development Department) at (406) 455-8430 before starting work.

$75 per inspection, with a minimum of 3 inspections for systems with 100 heads or less (a minimum of $225 total), plus one additional inspection for every 99 heads beyond 100 -- per Great Falls Fire Rescue's Resolution No. 10569 fee schedule.

Great Falls does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Great Falls Building Division (Planning & Community Development Department) at (406) 455-8430 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Fire Sprinkler/Alarm Permit Application. Depending on your project, Great Falls may also ask for: Letter of Authorization from Property Owner. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Great Falls requires 3 inspection(s) for a fire sprinkler / alarm permit, in order: Acceptance Test -- Fire Sprinkler, Acceptance Test -- Fire Alarm, Acceptance Test -- Kitchen Hood / Suppression System. Schedule each through City of Great Falls Building Division (Planning & Community Development Department) ((406) 455-8430).

Apply through City of Great Falls Building Division (Planning & Community Development Department) at Civic Center, 2 Park Drive South, Room 112, P.O. Box 5021, Great Falls, MT 59403-5021. Phone: (406) 455-8430, email: permit@greatfallsmt.gov. Office hours: Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Official information: https://greatfallsmt.gov/627/Building-Division.

Great Falls, Montana has adopted: 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — adopted by the City of Great Falls September 9, 2022, effective per city adoption (state effective date June 11, 2022 under ARM Title 24, Chapter 301); city stopped accepting the prior 2018-cycle codes as of November 9, 2022; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — adopted September 9, 2022; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — adopted September 9, 2022; 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) — adopted September 9, 2022 (Montana uses the UPC, not the International Plumbing Code); 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — adopted September 9, 2022; 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — adopted September 9, 2022; 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) — adopted September 9, 2022 (Montana's statewide NEC edition is 2020, not 2021, per ARM Title 24, Chapter 301); 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — adopted September 9, 2022; 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — adopted September 9, 2022; 2021 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) — part of the certified program scope ("W"); ICC A117.1-2017 Accessibility Code — statewide standard incorporated by reference; 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) — adopted separately by the City of Great Falls effective May 25, 2023 (amending OCCGF Title 15), administered by Great Falls Fire Rescue rather than the Building Division. Local amendments apply — see the Great Falls overview page for the full list.

No. Under the current (Effective 5/2024) Fire Sprinkler/Alarm Permit Application, all plan sets must be submitted electronically to permit@greatfallsmt.gov; hard-copy plan sets are not required.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-22.

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 Great Falls building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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