Do I Need a Permit to Finish My Basement in Montana?
Basement finishing permit requirements. Egress windows, inspections, and what you need before starting your basement remodel.
Yes — any framing, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical work requires a permit.
What Requires a Permit
Framing walls, adding electrical circuits, installing plumbing, and modifying HVAC in a basement all require a building permit. Cosmetic work — painting, laying floating floors over existing concrete, and adding furniture — does not.
Egress Windows Are Non-Negotiable
Every basement bedroom must have an egress window: minimum 5.7 sq ft net clear opening, sill no higher than 44 inches above the floor (the IRC standard most jurisdictions follow). Window wells deeper than 44 inches need a permanently attached ladder or steps. This is a life-safety requirement — inspectors will not pass a basement without proper egress.
The Four Inspections
Expect four inspections: framing (walls, fire blocking, egress openings), MEP rough-in (electrical, plumbing, HVAC before walls are closed), insulation (exterior walls, vapor barrier), and final (drywall, fixtures, smoke/CO detectors). Do not close walls before passing framing and rough-in inspections.
Common Mistakes
Enclosing the furnace room without combustion air supply, skipping egress windows in bedrooms, not adding enough electrical circuits (you'll want dedicated circuits for the bathroom and any kitchen/wet bar), and forgetting smoke detectors in every bedroom and outside sleeping areas.
Yes, you need a permit. The biggest requirement is egress windows for bedrooms. Budget 4 inspections and don't close walls before passing rough-in.
Permit fees by city in Montana
Verified from each city’s published fee schedule. Where a city has no separate fee listed for this project, open the city page for the current requirements and amount.
| City | Permit fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Anaconda-Deer Lodge | $12.50Verifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction) | Residential Building Permit (New Construction) → |
| Belgrade | Valuation x 0.0024Verifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction, ADU, Addition, Remodel) | Residential Building Permit (New Construction, ADU, Addition, Remodel) → |
| Billings | $30.00Verifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction) | Residential Building Permit (New Construction) → |
| Bozeman | (Administrative Charges/Employee/Hour + Inspector's Hourly Pay Rate) x Table A factor (amount of inspection time per sq ft, by construction type and fire rating) x Building Square FootageVerifiedvia Residential New Construction Permit | Residential New Construction Permit → |
| Butte-Silver Bow | $75.00 per hour, one-hour minimumVerifiedvia New Residential Construction Permit | New Residential Construction Permit → |
| Choteau | See city page for the current Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration) fee | Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration) → |
| City of Deer Lodge | $20Verifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) | Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) → |
| Colstrip | See city page for the current Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration / Repair / Move) fee | Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration / Repair / Move) → |
| Columbia Falls | Calculated at time of submission based on project valuation; the City's own application form does not print a standalone valuation-fee table (field left blank for Building Department completion). No dedicated Columbia Falls fee-schedule document was found published separately from the application form after exhaustive search of the City's DocumentCenter, site search, and Resolutions listings.Verifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel / Repair) | Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel / Repair) → |
| Conrad | See city page for the current Zoning and Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration / Repair) fee | Zoning and Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration / Repair) → |
| Cut Bank | $23.50 (subject to the $100.00 minimum permit fee)Verifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration) | Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration) → |
| Darby | $29.38Verifiedvia Building Permit (New Construction, Addition, Alteration, Repair) | Building Permit (New Construction, Addition, Alteration, Repair) → |
| East Helena | See city page for the current Construction Permit — Residential Building (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) fee | Construction Permit — Residential Building (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) → |
| Forsyth | See city page for the current Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration) fee | Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration) → |
| Glasgow | See city page for the current Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration) fee | Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration) → |
| Great Falls | Ranges from $62.61 (value $1-$1,000) up to $710.45 (value $49,001-$50,000), per the $1,000-increment table in Exhibit AVerifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction) | Residential Building Permit (New Construction) → |
| Hamilton | See city page for the current Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) fee | Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) → |
| Hardin | See city page for the current Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration / Re-Roof) fee | Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration / Re-Roof) → |
| Havre | $23.50Verifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) | Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) → |
| Helena | $22.00Verifiedvia Residential Building Permit (One- and Two-Family Dwelling — New Construction) | Residential Building Permit (One- and Two-Family Dwelling — New Construction) → |
| Kalispell | $23.50Verifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction) | Residential Building Permit (New Construction) → |
| Laurel | See city page for the current Residential Building Permit (New Construction) fee | Residential Building Permit (New Construction) → |
| Lewistown | See city page for the current Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Additions) fee | Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Additions) → |
| Libby | $24Verifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration / Repair) | Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration / Repair) → |
| Livingston | $23.50Verifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction) | Residential Building Permit (New Construction) → |
| Manhattan | See city page for the current Residential Building Permit (New Construction, Addition, Remodel) fee | Residential Building Permit (New Construction, Addition, Remodel) → |
| Miles City | Set by a City of Miles City fee schedule adopted by council resolution under City Code § 5-4; the specific dollar-valuation table was not independently locatable as a standalone published document as of this review (see note)Verifiedvia Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel / Repair) | Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel / Repair) → |
| Missoula | $36 permit fee + $11.00 plan review feeVerifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction) | Residential Building Permit (New Construction) → |
| Missoula County (Unincorporated) | $26.00Verifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction) | Residential Building Permit (New Construction) → |
| Polson | 35% of the Building Permit FeeVerifiedvia Zoning Conformance & Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) | Zoning Conformance & Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) → |
| Red Lodge | See city page for the current Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration) fee | Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration) → |
| Ronan | $35.00 for up to $1,999Verifiedvia Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration / Repair) | Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration / Repair) → |
| Shelby | $23.50Verifiedvia Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Structural Alteration) | Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Structural Alteration) → |
| Sidney | $23.50Verifiedvia Residential Building Permit | Residential Building Permit → |
| Stevensville | $35 (minimum fee)Verifiedvia Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) | Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) → |
| Townsend | See city page for the current Building Permit — Residential Building (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) fee | Building Permit — Residential Building (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) → |
| Troy | $24Verifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration / Repair) | Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration / Repair) → |
| Unincorporated Yellowstone County | Calculated based on project valuation (fee schedule not published inline on the application; contact Building Codes Bureau at (406) 841-2056 for the current valuation-based fee table)Verifiedvia Residential Building Permit | Residential Building Permit → |
| West Yellowstone | See city page for the current Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration / Repair) fee | Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration / Repair) → |
| Whitefish | Based on a percentage of the estimated project cost (valuation-based); a deposit is required at time of permit submittalVerifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) | Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) → |