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Plumbing Permit (including Water Heater) — State-Issued in East Helena, Montana

Required for plumbing work anywhere in East Helena (city limits) and unincorporated Lewis and Clark County, including new water heater installation/replacement. Because East Helena is NOT plumbing-certified, this permit is issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau (Helena) under the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code, not the city.

Verified 2026-07-03 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Application must be signed by the Master Plumber and include Master Plumber License Number
  • Accurate location and owner information required; property address, county, and whether the job is located inside city limits must be indicated
  • Type of Building (Single Family, Multiple Family, Commercial/Public, Accessory Building) and Type of Work (New, Alteration/Addition) must be indicated
  • Sewer Service Type (Public Sewer System or Septic System) and Potable Water Source (Potable Water Source or Public Utility) must be indicated
  • Apply in accordance with Title 50, Chapter 60, Section 505, MCA and ARM 24.301.301 and ARM 24.301.361

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Gray water system, commercial or residentialMontana Building Codes Bureau, Application for Plumbing Permit (BCP-1, Rev. 10/2019), Fee Schedule
$60
Repair or alteration of drainage or vent pipingApplication for Plumbing Permit (BCP-1, Rev. 10/2019), Fee Schedule
$30
Alteration or repair of water piping and/or treatmentApplication for Plumbing Permit (BCP-1, Rev. 10/2019), Fee Schedule
$30
Each connection of building water supply to water service/public utility or private wellApplication for Plumbing Permit (BCP-1, Rev. 10/2019), Fee Schedule
$20
Each connection of building drain to sewer system/public or septicApplication for Plumbing Permit (BCP-1, Rev. 10/2019), Fee Schedule
$20
Each NEW water heater (or replacement)Application for Plumbing Permit (BCP-1, Rev. 10/2019), Fee Schedule
$25
Each storm drain and storm drainageApplication for Plumbing Permit (BCP-1, Rev. 10/2019), Fee Schedule
$30
Each lawn sprinkler, fire protection system, any meter, or backflow protection deviceApplication for Plumbing Permit (BCP-1, Rev. 10/2019), Fee Schedule
$30
Each hose bibb, vacuum, breaker, and/or backflow deviceApplication for Plumbing Permit (BCP-1, Rev. 10/2019), Fee Schedule
$6
Each plumbing fixture or trap (bath tub, lavatory, shower, water closet, kitchen sink, etc.)Application for Plumbing Permit (BCP-1, Rev. 10/2019), Fee Schedule
$10 per fixture/trap

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Plumbing Permit (including Water Heater) — State-Issued permit actually take in East Helena?

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

Inspection process

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

    Tips

    • Plumbing permits for East Helena addresses are issued by the STATE Building Codes Bureau in Helena, not the city — mail applications and payment to PO Box 200517, Helena, MT 59620-0517, or apply online at ebiz.mt.gov.
    • A straightforward water heater replacement is a flat $25 state fee.
    • No review-timeline figure is published by the DLI Building Codes Bureau for plumbing permits specifically; the Bureau's plumbing-permits page states only that a permit 'will be issued' upon receipt of the application and fee, with no day-count given.

    Frequently asked questions

    Yes. Water heater installation or replacement requires a state Plumbing Permit for $25, issued by the Montana Building Codes Bureau (not the city), since East Helena is not plumbing-certified. Apply by mail to PO Box 200517, Helena, MT 59620-0517, or online at ebiz.mt.gov.

    In East Helena, the published Gray water system, commercial or residential is: $60. Additional published fees: Repair or alteration of drainage or vent piping — $30; Alteration or repair of water piping and/or treatment — $30; Each connection of building water supply to water service/public utility or private well — $20; Each connection of building drain to sewer system/public or septic — $20; Each NEW water heater (or replacement) — $25; Each storm drain and storm drainage — $30; Each lawn sprinkler, fire protection system, any meter, or backflow protection device — $30; Each hose bibb, vacuum, breaker, and/or backflow device — $6; Each plumbing fixture or trap (bath tub, lavatory, shower, water closet, kitchen sink, etc.) — $10 per fixture/trap. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

    East Helena does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact 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 (406) 227-5321 for current turnaround.

    You'll need: Application for Plumbing Permit. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    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.

    The Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau issues plumbing permits for all of East Helena and unincorporated Lewis and Clark County under the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code — the city itself is not certified for plumbing.

    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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    Plumbing Permit (including Water Heater) — State-Issued in other cities

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