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Solar PV / Alternative Energy Permit (City Structural + State-Issued Electrical) in Ronan, Montana

Required for installation of rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (and wind/hydro) alternative-energy systems within Ronan city limits. Because Ronan is DLI-certified for Building ONLY (not Electrical), the electrical-connection scope of a solar install is permitted directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau via its statewide Alternative Energy Permit application; the structural/roof-mounting scope falls under the City's own certified Building Permit program (Building Official Dan Miller), using the City's valuation-based Building Permit Fee Schedule Worksheet.

Verified 2026-07-19 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Application for Alternative Energy Permit filed with the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau covers the electrical connection scope of a solar, wind, or hydro system, since Ronan holds no Electrical certification
  • If the project produces 90 or more volts of electricity, a licensed electrical contractor must do the work, UNLESS the homeowner is doing the work on their own private house
  • If the project involves a grid-tied alternative energy generator, a licensed electrical contractor must obtain an additional permit for the final interconnection, even where a homeowner performed the rest of the installation
  • Applicant selects one of: PV String System, Generator, or Microinverter/AC Module System
  • The structural/roof-mounting scope requires a City of Ronan Building Permit (same Application for Building Permit used for other construction), reviewed by Building Official Dan Miller
  • Ground-mounted or roof-mounted racking exceeding the City's posted 2012 IBC/IRC exemption thresholds (e.g., accessory-structure size, deck-mount) would require the standard Building Permit; smaller ancillary equipment enclosures may fall under the City's posted exemption list — confirm with the Building Official for a specific project

Required documents

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This checker covers one permit. A full project usually triggers several — our paid checklist will assemble all of them, from $29

Fee schedule

Residential Change of Service (typical residential alternative-energy interconnection)Montana Building Codes Bureau, Application for Alternative Energy Permit — same statewide fee schedule already verified for Anaconda-Deer Lodge, Pondera County, and Red Lodge in this dataset; applies identically to Ronan since it holds no Electrical certification
$45
Commercial Alternative Energy — valuation $0 to $1,000Application for Alternative Energy Permit
$45 for the first $500 plus 6% of the balance of the project cost
City of Ronan Building Permit Fee (structural/roof-mounting scope) — total valuation $1 to $1,999City of Ronan Building Permit Fee Schedule Worksheet, adopted March 3, 2020 — same table already documented in this file's residential-building-permit entry; no dedicated solar line item exists, so the general valuation-based worksheet applies to the structural scope
$35.00
Plan Review Fee (City of Ronan, structural scope, valuations over $5,000)City of Ronan Building Permit Fee Schedule Worksheet
20% of the calculated building permit fee

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Solar PV / Alternative Energy Permit (City Structural + State-Issued Electrical) permit actually take in Ronan?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Rough Electrical (State DLI)

    Conduit runs, wire sizing, disconnect placement before energizing; 48 hours' notice required

  2. 2

    Final Electrical (State DLI)

    Panel connections, interconnection point, and system operation verified

  3. 3

    Building (City of Ronan)

    Structural mounting and roof/ground attachment verified against approved plans

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

Tips

  • Because Ronan is not certified for Electrical, the electrical portion of any solar install is a STATE Alternative Energy Permit, applied for directly with the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, not the City.
  • The structural/roof-mounting scope IS handled locally — confirm with Building Official Dan Miller, (406) 676-4231, whether your specific project needs a City Building Permit alongside the state Alternative Energy Permit.
  • Grid-tied systems always require a licensed electrical contractor to pull a separate permit for the final interconnection, even for otherwise homeowner-installed systems.
  • A 20% plan-review fee applies to the structural scope for any project valued over $5,000, calculated on top of the City's base permit fee from the valuation table.

Frequently asked questions

Ronan requires a solar pv / alternative energy permit (city structural + state-issued electrical) for: Application for Alternative Energy Permit filed with the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau covers the electrical connection scope of a solar, wind, or hydro system, since Ronan holds no Electrical certification; If the project produces 90 or more volts of electricity, a licensed electrical contractor must do the work, UNLESS the homeowner is doing the work on their own private house; If the project involves a grid-tied alternative energy generator, a licensed electrical contractor must obtain an additional permit for the final interconnection, even where a homeowner performed the rest of the installation; Applicant selects one of: PV String System, Generator, or Microinverter/AC Module System; The structural/roof-mounting scope requires a City of Ronan Building Permit (same Application for Building Permit used for other construction), reviewed by Building Official Dan Miller; Ground-mounted or roof-mounted racking exceeding the City's posted 2012 IBC/IRC exemption thresholds (e.g., accessory-structure size, deck-mount) would require the standard Building Permit; smaller ancillary equipment enclosures may fall under the City's posted exemption list — confirm with the Building Official for a specific project. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Ronan Building Department — Building Official Dan Miller; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical/HVAC permits within Ronan city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at (406) 676-4231 before starting work.

In Ronan, the published Residential Change of Service (typical residential alternative-energy interconnection) is: $45. Additional published fees: Commercial Alternative Energy — valuation $0 to $1,000 — $45 for the first $500 plus 6% of the balance of the project cost; City of Ronan Building Permit Fee (structural/roof-mounting scope) — total valuation $1 to $1,999 — $35.00; Plan Review Fee (City of Ronan, structural scope, valuations over $5,000) — 20% of the calculated building permit fee. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Ronan does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Ronan Building Department — Building Official Dan Miller; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical/HVAC permits within Ronan city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at (406) 676-4231 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Application for Alternative Energy Permit; City of Ronan Application for Building Permit (structural/roof-mounting scope). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Ronan requires 3 inspection(s) for a solar pv / alternative energy permit (city structural + state-issued electrical), in order: Rough Electrical (State DLI), Final Electrical (State DLI), Building (City of Ronan). Schedule each through City of Ronan Building Department — Building Official Dan Miller; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical/HVAC permits within Ronan city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. ((406) 676-4231).

Apply through City of Ronan Building Department — Building Official Dan Miller; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical/HVAC permits within Ronan city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at 207 Main St SW, Ste A, Ronan, MT 59864. Phone: (406) 676-4231, email: clerk@cityofronan.org. Office hours: City Hall business hours not separately published online; contact (406) 676-4231 or clerk@cityofronan.org. City ordinances may be obtained at 207 Main St SW during normal business hours per the City's own Ordinances page.. Official information: https://cityofronan.org/departments/planning-department/.

Ronan, 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; non-certified trades in a partially-certified jurisdiction fall under direct state administration by the DLI Building Codes Bureau. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Certified City, County and Town Programs (bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits).; Ronan is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B) ONLY within city limits; certified building official on file with DLI: Dan Miller, (406) 676-4231. Verified directly against the DLI Building Codes Bureau's 'Montana Certified Local Government Program' roster PDF, updated 04/22/2026 (fetched and read directly, not via a mirror): 'Ronan | B | Dan Miller | 676-4231 | City Limits'. Source: https://bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf; The City of Ronan's own published Building Department forms reference the 2012 International Building Code (IBC) and 2012 International Residential Code (IRC), specifically Section 105.2 (IBC) / R105.2 (IRC) 'Work exempt from permit' provisions — a locally-adopted 2012-cycle edition, not the 2021-cycle state-adopted edition used by non-certified/directly-state-administered jurisdictions. Source: City of Ronan Building Department page, '2012 IBC Exempt' and 'Work Exempt From Permits 2012 IRC' PDFs (cityofronan.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2012-IBC-Exempt.pdf and .../Work-Exempt-From-Permits-2012-IRC2.pdf).; Per the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's Current Codes page (statewide effective date June 11, 2022, governing state-administered permits and setting the baseline amendment framework under ARM Title 24 Chapter 301): 2021 IBC, 2021 IRC, 2021 IEBC, 2021 IMC, 2021 IFGC, 2021 IECC, 2021 ISPSC, 2021 UPC, 2020 NEC, 2017 ICC A117.1 Accessibility. Ronan's own published exemption-list forms cite the 2012 IBC/IRC by name rather than the current 2021-cycle editions; this discrepancy is reported as found rather than assumed away — the City's posted permit-exemption documents have not been confirmed updated to the current statewide cycle as of this review. Source: bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/current-codes. Local amendments apply — see the Ronan overview page for the full list.

Yes, generally two permits: a State Alternative Energy Permit from the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau for the electrical connection (Ronan is not electrically certified), and a City of Ronan Building Permit for the structural roof-mounting scope, reviewed by Building Official Dan Miller using the City's own valuation-based fee schedule.