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Construction Permit — Deck / Accessory Structure (Garage, Shed) — East Helena, Montana · Requirements sheet
Verified 2026-07-03 · Source: https://easthelenamt.us/coeh/planning-zoning-building/
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.
Construction Permit — Deck / Accessory Structure (Garage, Shed) in East Helena, Montana
Required for construction of decks, private garages, and accessory storage structures within East Helena city limits, issued under the city's Building (B) program. Structures for the owner's own use consisting only of minor work (see Informational Building Permit) may qualify for the lower-fee track; new construction of a deck, garage, or accessory building otherwise uses the standard Construction Permit Application and Plan Submittal Requirements.
Verified 2026-07-03 · Source
When you need this permit
- Zoning Application must be approved before the Building Permit Application is submitted
- Construction Permit Application (Building & Safety) required, with project valuation, owner/contractor information, and description of project
- Exterior deck framing connection detailing to supports, and railing post connections, must be shown per the city's Plan Submittal Requirements where a deck is part of new construction or an addition
- Site plan showing property lines, existing/proposed structures (including decks/porches), and distances to property lines is required
- A private garage or storage structure used only for the owner's own use may qualify for the Informational Building Permit ($25.00) only for the specific minor-work categories under City Code 4-1-13 — new construction of a garage/accessory structure itself requires the standard Construction Permit
Required documents
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Fee schedule
Building Permit Fee (valuation-based formula)Not published as a flat table; same predetermined valuation formula as the residential building permit. Contact City Hall, (406) 227-5321.
Not published — contact the department
Review timeline
Plan reviewEast Helena’s published plan-review target
1–10 business days
Inspection process
- 1
Footing Inspection
Made when forms and footing steel/post footings are in place, prior to concrete placement
- 2
Framing Inspection
Made after framing, sheathing, and bracing are in place, before any covering is applied
- 3
Final Inspection
Completed structure verified against approved plans
See the full East Helena inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →
Tips
- Decks, garages, and accessory structures still require the Zoning Application step before a Building Permit Application will be accepted.
- reviewTimelineDays follows the same MCA 50-60-106(2)(c) statutory floor (10 working days) used for the general residential building permit, since East Helena publishes no permit-type-specific turnaround of its own for accessory structures or decks.
Frequently asked questions
Building or construction permits may be required for any building/construction work, including accessory structures, per the City of East Helena's Planning/Zoning/Building page. A Zoning Application must be approved first, followed by a Building Permit Application; some minor owner's-use structures may only need the lower-fee Informational Building Permit if the work matches the specific categories in City Code 4-1-13.
East Helena's published plan-review target for a construction permit — deck / accessory structure (garage, shed) is 1–10 business days.
You'll need: Construction Permit Application; Site Plan. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.
East Helena requires 3 inspection(s) for a construction permit — deck / accessory structure (garage, shed), in order: Footing Inspection, Framing Inspection, Final Inspection. Schedule each through City of East Helena Department of Building & Safety — city-certified for Building (B) and Swimming Pool (SP) only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau ((406) 227-5321).
Apply through City of East Helena Department of Building & Safety — city-certified for Building (B) and Swimming Pool (SP) only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau at 306 E. Main Street, PO Box 1170, East Helena, MT 59635. Phone: (406) 227-5321, email: building@easthelenamt.us. Office hours: City Hall, 306 E. Main Street, East Helena, MT 59635 (Administration Department, general questions: (406) 227-5321); Building Official/LEAP staff in Room 201 of City Hall, (406) 457-8583. Official information: https://easthelenamt.us/coeh/planning-zoning-building/.
East Helena, 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 trades within a certified jurisdiction, and all trades in 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).; East Helena is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B) and Swimming Pool (SP) ONLY within East Helena city limits — Colin Thomas is the certified building official of record, (406) 594-6322. East Helena is NOT certified for Electrical (E), Plumbing (P), or Mechanical (M); those permits are issued directly by the state DLI Building Codes Bureau for all addresses within East Helena city limits. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, 'CITY CODES BUILDING OFFICIAL PHONE JURISDICTION' certified-jurisdictions PDF (https://bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf), updated 04/22/2026 — East Helena row reads 'B, SP / Colin Thomas / 594-6322 / City Limits'; independently cross-confirmed against the DLI 'Certified City, County and Town Programs' HTML page (bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/certified-government), same B, SP result. Legend on the PDF: B = Building, P = Plumbing, M/G = Medical Gas, E = Electrical, M = Mechanical, SP = Pool, W = WUI (Wildland-Urban Interface).; The City of East Helena's own Construction Permit Application confirms the split directly: 'Separate permits are required for building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work,' and the city's Planning/Zoning/Building webpage links its 'Electrical Permits' quick-link directly to the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's electrical-permits page (bsd.dli.mt.gov/Building-Codes-Permits/Permit-Information/electrical-permits), not to any city-issued electrical form. Source: City of East Helena Construction Permit Application (PDF), easthelenamt.us/PDF/building_permit.pdf; City of East Helena Planning/Zoning/Building page, easthelenamt.us/coeh/planning-zoning-building/.; 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — statewide edition effective June 11, 2022, referenced directly on the City of East Helena Construction Permit Application (IBC Sec. 109.3 and 109.3.8 quoted verbatim on the inspection-requirements side of the form) and enforced locally by the city's own DLI-certified building official. Source: City of East Helena Construction Permit Application (PDF).; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — statewide edition effective June 11, 2022; the City of East Helena's Residential One- and Two-Family Dwellings Plan Submittal Requirements document cites IRC Section R301 and IRC Section R602.10 directly for structural/lateral-bracing plan-review purposes. Source: City of East Helena Residential Plan Submittal Requirements (PDF), easthelenamt.us/PDF/COEH_BuildingPlanSubmittalInfo_2021.pdf.; 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — statewide edition effective June 11, 2022; East Helena's Plan Submittal Requirements require insulation R-values for foundations, walls, and roofs to be shown on submitted plans. Source: City of East Helena Residential Plan Submittal Requirements (PDF); Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau Current Codes page.; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), and 2017 ICC A117.1 Accessibility Standard — statewide editions effective June 11, 2022, applicable within East Helena as the locally-enforced editions for the Building and Swimming Pool trades the city is certified for. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Current Codes page, bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/current-codes.; 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC), 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), and 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) all apply within East Helena city limits as the statewide-adopted editions (effective June 11, 2022) but are administered directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau (Helena), not the City of East Helena, because East Helena holds no local certification for those trades. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Current Codes page; DLI Building Codes Bureau Electrical/Plumbing/Mechanical Permits pages.. Local amendments apply — see the East Helena overview page for the full list.
Sources & verification
Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-03.
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 East Helena building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.
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