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Solar PV Permit — Manhattan, Montana · Requirements sheet
Verified 2026-07-20 · Source: https://www.townofmanhattan.com/s/10-How-to-obtain-a-building-permit.pdf
PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency. Requirements change and vary by project — confirm current details with the building department before you submit.
Solar PV Permit in Manhattan, Montana
Required for installation of rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems within Manhattan town limits. Manhattan holds full Montana DLI certification across Building (B), Mechanical (M), Plumbing (P), Electrical (E), and Swimming Pool (SP), so both the structural/racking scope and the electrical interconnection scope of a PV installation are permitted locally by the Town (not routed to the state), bundled into the same combined Building/Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing Permit Application used for all other construction. No dedicated Solar/Photovoltaic line item or checklist is published separately from this general application.
Verified 2026-07-20 · Source
When you need this permit
- A building permit is required for construction of any building or enclosed structure greater than 200 square feet (Town Code 12-1-2.A); ground-mounted PV arrays exceeding this threshold would require a building permit on that basis, and any PV installation's electrical interconnection independently requires the bundled electrical permit component regardless of footprint
- Application bundles the building, plumbing, electrical, and zoning permit into a single combined application per Town Code 12-1-2.A — there is no separate standalone Solar/Photovoltaic application form published on the Town's Forms page
- Plans reviewed and inspections conducted per the rules and procedures of the City of Bozeman Building Code Enforcement Division (Town Code 12-1-2.C)
- Governed by the current model technical codes (2021 IBC/IRC for structural/racking scope, 2020 NEC for electrical interconnection) as adopted by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau and incorporated by reference per Town Code 12-1-1
- Two sets of plans required; plans must be stamped by a Montana-licensed design professional if project valuation exceeds $100,000
- Applicant pays an administrative processing fee plus the cost of plan review and building inspection per a schedule maintained by the building code inspector and available at the Town Office (Town Code 12-1-2.B) — no fixed dollar amounts are published in the ordinance text or on the Town website for any permit type, including solar
Required documents
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Fee schedule
Filing fee
Not published — contact the department
Review timeline
Plan reviewTypical estimate — confirm current times with the Manhattan building department
~10–10 business days
Inspection process
- 1
Framing/Structural
Racking and roof-penetration/structural attachment inspection, consistent with the Town's general Foundation/Framing inspection practice
- 2
Rough-In Electrical
Wiring, box placement, and disconnect placement before concealment
- 3
Final / Certificate of Occupancy
System energized and verified; builders must notify the Building Department for final inspection before occupancy
See the full Manhattan inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →
Tips
- There is no separate Solar/Photovoltaic permit application in Manhattan — a PV installation is filed on the same combined Building/Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing Permit Application used for all other construction, since the Town holds full DLI certification (B, M, P, E, SP) and issues all trade permits locally.
- As with every other permit type in Manhattan, no fee schedule is published online — dollar amounts for plan review and inspection costs are maintained as a document 'available at the town office' per Town Code 12-1-2.B; call (406) 284-3235 or Building Official Brandon Yung at (406) 595-9300 for current figures.
- Because plan review and inspection procedures follow the City of Bozeman Building Code Enforcement Division's rules (Town Code 12-1-2.C), applicants familiar with Bozeman's solar permitting process may find similar procedural expectations apply here, even though Manhattan issues its own permit.
- Re-chased 2026-07-20: independently re-fetched Town Code 12-1-2 directly (codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/manhattanmt/latest/manhattan_mt/0-0-0-6411) and confirmed the exact fee-mechanism text — "fee for processing the application and shall further pay for the cost of the plan review and building inspection as set out in a schedule provided by the [building code inspector]" — no dollar figure is published anywhere in the ordinance itself, consistent with the Town Office-only availability already documented. Also checked the Montana DEQ/Montana Renewable Energy Association "Permitting Processes for Solar Photovoltaic Systems in Montana" report (deq.mt.gov, July 2013) for a Manhattan-specific historical fee figure; the report is 13 years old and its per-jurisdiction fee table was judged too stale to cite as a current governing figure, so it was not used.
Frequently asked questions
Manhattan requires a solar pv permit for: A building permit is required for construction of any building or enclosed structure greater than 200 square feet (Town Code 12-1-2.A); ground-mounted PV arrays exceeding this threshold would require a building permit on that basis, and any PV installation's electrical interconnection independently requires the bundled electrical permit component regardless of footprint; Application bundles the building, plumbing, electrical, and zoning permit into a single combined application per Town Code 12-1-2.A — there is no separate standalone Solar/Photovoltaic application form published on the Town's Forms page; Plans reviewed and inspections conducted per the rules and procedures of the City of Bozeman Building Code Enforcement Division (Town Code 12-1-2.C); Governed by the current model technical codes (2021 IBC/IRC for structural/racking scope, 2020 NEC for electrical interconnection) as adopted by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau and incorporated by reference per Town Code 12-1-1; Two sets of plans required; plans must be stamped by a Montana-licensed design professional if project valuation exceeds $100,000; Applicant pays an administrative processing fee plus the cost of plan review and building inspection per a schedule maintained by the building code inspector and available at the Town Office (Town Code 12-1-2.B) — no fixed dollar amounts are published in the ordinance text or on the Town website for any permit type, including solar. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Manhattan Building Division at (406) 284-3235 before starting work.
Plan review for a solar pv permit in Manhattan typically runs 10–10 business days. This is an estimate, not a published figure — confirm current review times with Town of Manhattan Building Division at (406) 284-3235.
You'll need: Building/Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing Permit Application; Construction Drawings / One-Line Electrical Diagram. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.
Manhattan requires 3 inspection(s) for a solar pv permit, in order: Framing/Structural, Rough-In Electrical, Final / Certificate of Occupancy. Schedule each through Town of Manhattan Building Division ((406) 284-3235).
Apply through Town of Manhattan Building Division at 207 South Sixth Street (P.O. Box 96), Manhattan, MT 59741. Phone: (406) 284-3235, email: townofmanhattan@gmail.com. Office hours: Town Office, 207 S. 6th St., Manhattan, MT 59741, Monday-Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM (Town Office/Zoning: 406-284-3235; Building Official Brandon Yung: 406-595-9300, byung.town@gmail.com). Official information: https://www.townofmanhattan.com/building-zoning.
Manhattan, 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, etc.); non-certified areas/trades fall under direct state administration by the DLI Building Codes Bureau. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Certified City, County and Town Programs list (bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf) and Current Codes page (bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/current-codes).; Manhattan is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B), Mechanical (M), Plumbing (P), Electrical (E), AND Swimming Pool (SP) within Manhattan town limits — full certification across all five trade categories, matching Billings and Belgrade. Certified building official on file with DLI: Brandon Yung. Verified directly against the DLI's official 'Certified City, County and Town Programs' roster (PDF, updated 2026-04-22): the Manhattan row reads 'Manhattan | B, M, P, E, SP | Brandon Yung | | City Limits'. Source: https://bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf; Manhattan Town Code section 12-1-1 (Adoption Of The Model Technical Codes And Administrative Rules): 'The current editions of the model uniform technical codes, to include, but not be limited to, building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical, and all accompanying appendices, amendments and modifications adopted or required to be adopted by the building codes bureau, Montana department of labor and industry (or its successor) as set out in the administrative rules of Montana, as amended from time to time by the building codes bureau, are adopted by reference.' This incorporates the same statewide code editions used by other DLI-certified Montana jurisdictions (2021 IBC, 2021 IRC, 2021 IMC, 2021 IFGC, 2021 IEBC, 2021 UPC, 2021 IECC, 2021 ISPSC, 2020 NEC, ICC A117.1-2017), automatically updated as the Building Codes Bureau amends ARM Title 24, Chapter 301 (effective 60 days after a signed mayoral administrative order per 12-1-1.C). Source: Manhattan Town Code 12-1-1, https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/manhattanmt/latest/manhattan_mt/0-0-0-6397 (Ord. 287, 2-10-2004; amd. Ord. 299, 11-9-2004; Ord. 06-007, 6-13-2006; Ord. 24-005, 5-9-2024); Manhattan Town Code section 12-1-2.C: 'Plans shall be reviewed and inspections made in accordance with the rules and procedures of the Bozeman city building code enforcement division.' This is a notable local arrangement — Manhattan's own Building Official (Brandon Yung) issues permits locally under Manhattan's DLI certification, but plan review and inspection procedure follows the City of Bozeman Building Division's rules and procedures. Source: Manhattan Town Code 12-1-2, https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/manhattanmt/latest/manhattan_mt/0-0-0-6411 (Ord. 297, 8-9-2004; amd. Ord. 24-005, 5-9-2024); Manhattan Town Code Title 12, Chapter 1 (Building Codes) is available at https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/manhattanmt/latest/manhattan_mt/0-0-0-6392; Manhattan Town Code Title 10, Chapter 2 (Administration and Enforcement / Zoning Permit) at https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/manhattanmt/latest/manhattan_mt/0-0-0-3289. Local amendments apply — see the Manhattan overview page for the full list.
No. A solar PV installation is filed on the same combined Building/Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing Permit Application used for all other construction in Manhattan — there is no separate Solar/Photovoltaic form. The Town holds full Montana DLI certification (Building, Mechanical, Plumbing, Electrical, and Swimming Pool), so both the structural and electrical components of a PV installation are permitted locally rather than routed to the state.
No fee schedule is published online for any Manhattan permit type, including solar. Per Town Code 12-1-2.B, the fee schedule is maintained by the building code inspector and available only at the Town Office — call (406) 284-3235 or (406) 595-9300 for current figures.
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 Manhattan building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.
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