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EV Charger Installation Permit (Trade Permit) in Whitefish, Montana

An electric vehicle charging station (Level 2 or DC fast charger) installation in Whitefish requires an Electrical Trade Permit for the circuit/interconnection work, issued directly by the City (Whitefish is DLI-certified for electrical (E) permitting), plus a Building Permit if a new canopy, carport, or structural mounting component is added — the same two-permit pattern already documented in this file's solar-pv-permit entry. No standalone EV-charger-specific application or fee schedule (of the kind some larger Montana cities publish) was found on the City of Whitefish's site.

Verified 2026-07-20 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Trade Permit Application (electrical) required for the charger circuit, wiring, and interconnection, governed by the 2020 NEC as adopted by the City of Whitefish, since Whitefish is DLI-certified for electrical (E) permitting
  • Building Permit Application (Residential or Commercial) additionally required if the installation includes a new canopy, carport, or other structural mounting component, per the City's standard building-permit process
  • Application requires contractor information including State of Montana license number (Journeyman or Master) and city business license number, or homeowner self-install information where applicable
  • Project valuation (cost for materials and labor) must be provided
  • Applicant must certify no work will commence prior to permit issuance
  • Submitted via the Citizen Portal (civicgov4.com/mt_whitefish/portal/) or by email to buildingdept@cityofwhitefish.gov

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Trade (Electrical) Permit FeeCity of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page, 'Fees' section (applies to electrical, mechanical, and plumbing projects alongside building permits); no dedicated EV-charger-specific fee or fee waiver was found published separately on the City's site. Confirm exact amount with Planning & Building at (406) 863-2410.
Based on a percentage of the estimated project cost/valuation, consistent with the City's general building-permit valuation-based fee methodology; a deposit is required at time of permit submittal

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your EV Charger Installation Permit (Trade Permit) permit actually take in Whitefish?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Rough Electrical

    Wiring, box placement, and circuit/disconnect verified before walls are closed, where applicable

  2. 2

    Final Electrical

    Charger installed, connections verified; Final Electrical applies to services over 400 amp or any commercial installation per the Required Inspections List

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

Tips

  • Because Whitefish is DLI-certified for electrical permitting, the EV-charger circuit permit is handled entirely by the City — no separate state Building Codes Bureau application is needed (unlike in a partially-certified city such as Havre).
  • No standalone EV-charger-specific application, checklist, or fee schedule was found published on the City's site — use the same Trade Permit Application (electrical) process documented for this file's electrical-permit and solar-pv-permit entries.
  • reviewTimelineDays is null (hard-unpublished): the City of Whitefish publishes no review turnaround for electrical trade permits (including EV-charger installs) on its Building Permits / Inspections page, Planning & Building page, FAQ, fee schedule, or Citizen Portal, and City Code 10-1-4/10-1-1 sets no review-day period. Because Whitefish is DLI-certified for Electrical (E), these permits are issued and reviewed by the City itself — they are NOT routed to the state DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena, so the state's 'three weeks' plan-review figure (which applies only to state-administered permits) does not govern. Contact Planning & Building at (406) 863-2410 for current review timelines.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. An Electrical Trade Permit is required for the charger circuit/interconnection, issued directly by the City of Whitefish (Whitefish is DLI-certified for Electrical permitting). If the installation includes a new canopy, carport, or other structural mounting component, a Building Permit is also required. There is no standalone EV-charger-specific application or fee schedule published by the City.

In Whitefish, the published Trade (Electrical) Permit Fee is: Based on a percentage of the estimated project cost/valuation, consistent with the City's general building-permit valuation-based fee methodology; a deposit is required at time of permit submittal. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Whitefish does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Whitefish Planning & Building Department at (406) 863-2410 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Trade Permit Application (Electrical). Depending on your project, Whitefish may also ask for: Building Permit Application (Residential or Commercial). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Whitefish requires 2 inspection(s) for an ev charger installation permit (trade permit), in order: Rough Electrical, Final Electrical. Schedule each through City of Whitefish Planning & Building Department ((406) 863-2410).

Apply through City of Whitefish Planning & Building Department at 418 E 2nd Street, PO Box 158, Whitefish, MT 59937. Phone: (406) 863-2410, email: buildingdept@cityofwhitefish.gov. Office hours: Planning & Building Department, 418 E 2nd Street, Whitefish, MT 59937 (inspection requests: (406) 863-2414 or buildingdept@cityofwhitefish.gov, minimum 24 hours notice required). Official information: https://www.cityofwhitefish.gov/191/Building-Permits-Inspections.

Whitefish, 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 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).; Whitefish is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B), Plumbing (P), Electrical (E), Mechanical (M), Swimming Pool (SP), AND Wildland-Urban Interface (W) within Whitefish city limits — the fullest certification tier on the DLI list, matching only Bozeman and Columbia Falls statewide. Certified Building Official of record: Tad Lisowski, (406) 863-2410. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, 'CITY CODES BUILDING OFFICIAL PHONE JURISDICTION' certified-jurisdictions PDF (bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf), updated 04/22/2026. Legend on that PDF: B = Building, P = Plumbing, M/G = Medical Gas, E = Electrical, M = Mechanical, SP = Pool, W = WUI (Wildland-Urban Interface) — 'W' is NOT a water-heater designation.; 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; cited directly on the City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page as a code applicable plans must meet; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; cited on the City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page; 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; cited on the City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page; energy code compliance demonstrated via Prescriptive path, REScheck (residential), or COMcheck (commercial); 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; cited on the City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page; 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; cited on the City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page; 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; cited on the City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page; 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; cited on the City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page (Montana uses the Uniform Plumbing Code, not the International Plumbing Code); 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; cited on the City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page; 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; cited on the City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page; Whitefish is DLI-certified for swimming pool (SP) permitting; 2021 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) — statewide edition; cited on the City of Whitefish Building Permits / Inspections page ('2021 IWUIC'); Whitefish is DLI-certified for WUI (W) and requires a Fire Risk Assessment per the 2021 WUI code on new construction and addition Residential Building Permit applications; City of Whitefish Code of Ordinances, Title 10 (Building Regulations), Chapter 1 (Building Codes): Section 10-1-1 Adoption of Technical Codes and Administrative Regulations; Section 10-1-4 Building Permits. Source: codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/whitefishmt. Local amendments apply — see the Whitefish overview page for the full list.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-20.

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

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EV Charger Installation Permit (Trade Permit) in other cities

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