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Residential Building Permit (New Construction) in Missoula, Montana

Required for new single-family and duplex construction within Missoula city limits. Reviewed against the 2021 IRC/IBC and 2021 IECC as amended by the State of Montana Building Codes Bureau, adopted locally via Missoula Municipal Code 15.04.010. Applications are submitted online through the Accela Citizen Access portal.

Verified 2026-07-02 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Apply online through Accela Citizen Access at aca-prod.accela.com/MISSOULA
  • Plans must comply with the 2021 IRC/IBC and 2021 IECC as amended by the State of Montana
  • For 1-2 family dwellings, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing scopes within the building permit are not separately plan-reviewed; compliance is field-verified at inspection
  • Detailed project description and property/utility information (water meter, water supply, heating source) required in the application
  • Plans must be uploaded as vector-based PDFs following City naming and bookmark conventions

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — project valuation $1 to $500City of Missoula FY26 Building Permit and Plan Review Fee Schedule (Resolution 8887, effective Jan 1–Dec 31, 2026); plan review fee is 30% of the permit fee
$36 permit fee + $11.00 plan review fee
Building Permit Fee — project valuation $99,001 to $100,000City of Missoula FY26 Building Permit and Plan Review Fee Schedule
$1,582 permit fee + $475.00 plan review fee
Building Permit Fee — project valuation $100,001 to $500,000City of Missoula FY26 Building Permit and Plan Review Fee Schedule
$1,582 for the first $100,000 plus $9.94 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
Building Permit Fee — project valuation $500,001 to $1,000,000City of Missoula FY26 Building Permit and Plan Review Fee Schedule
$5,556 for the first $500,000 plus $6.62 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
Building Permit Fee — project valuation $1,000,001 and upCity of Missoula FY26 Building Permit and Plan Review Fee Schedule
$8,868 for the first $1,000,000 plus $4.97 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof

Review timeline

Plan reviewMissoula’s published plan-review target
56–84 business days

How long did your Residential Building Permit (New Construction) permit actually take in Missoula?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Footing and Foundation

    Before concrete pour

  2. 2

    Framing/Structural

    Requires rough mechanical, electrical, and plumbing inspections to be completed and passed first

  3. 3

    Mechanical (Rough)

    Ductwork and equipment rough-in before wall cover; must pass before framing inspection

  4. 4

    Plumbing (Rough)

    Pipe rough-in before wall cover; must pass before framing inspection

  5. 5

    Electrical (Rough)

    Wiring rough-in before wall cover; must pass before framing inspection

  6. 6

    Insulation

    Before drywall installation

  7. 7

    Drywall (fire-rated walls)

    Verification of fire-rated assemblies before finish

  8. 8

    Roofing

    Roof covering installation

  9. 9

    Siding

    Exterior siding installation

  10. 10

    Final

    Required on all permits; all work complete per approved plans

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

Tips

  • Apply through Accela Citizen Access at aca-prod.accela.com/MISSOULA/Login.aspx. See the City's 'How to Apply for a Building Permit' Coordinators' Guide (v07.07.25) for step-by-step screenshots.
  • Rough mechanical, electrical, and plumbing inspections must pass BEFORE a framing inspection can be scheduled.
  • Building permits requiring plan review typically take 8–12 weeks; permits that do not require plan review typically take 2–3 business days (City of Missoula Permit Processes and Policies page).
  • One plan revision cycle is included at no extra cost; resubmittal fees may apply at three or more review cycles.
  • Schedule inspections by 4:00 PM the day before, via phone (406-552-6040), text (888-413-4439), or the online portal; work must be ready for inspection by 7:00 AM.

Frequently asked questions

Missoula requires a residential building permit (new construction) for: Apply online through Accela Citizen Access at aca-prod.accela.com/MISSOULA; Plans must comply with the 2021 IRC/IBC and 2021 IECC as amended by the State of Montana; For 1-2 family dwellings, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing scopes within the building permit are not separately plan-reviewed; compliance is field-verified at inspection; Detailed project description and property/utility information (water meter, water supply, heating source) required in the application; Plans must be uploaded as vector-based PDFs following City naming and bookmark conventions. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Missoula Development Services — Building Division (Community Planning, Development & Innovation) at (406) 552-6630 before starting work.

In Missoula, the published Building Permit Fee — project valuation $1 to $500 is: $36 permit fee + $11.00 plan review fee. Additional published fees: Building Permit Fee — project valuation $99,001 to $100,000 — $1,582 permit fee + $475.00 plan review fee; Building Permit Fee — project valuation $100,001 to $500,000 — $1,582 for the first $100,000 plus $9.94 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; Building Permit Fee — project valuation $500,001 to $1,000,000 — $5,556 for the first $500,000 plus $6.62 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; Building Permit Fee — project valuation $1,000,001 and up — $8,868 for the first $1,000,000 plus $4.97 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Permits requiring plan review typically take 8–12 weeks; permits that do not require plan review typically take 2–3 business days, per the City of Missoula's Permit Processes and Policies page.

You'll need: Building Permit Application (Accela Citizen Access); Construction Drawings. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Missoula requires 10 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction), in order: Footing and Foundation, Framing/Structural, Mechanical (Rough), Plumbing (Rough), Electrical (Rough), Insulation, Drywall (fire-rated walls), Roofing, Siding, Final. Schedule each through City of Missoula Development Services — Building Division (Community Planning, Development & Innovation) ((406) 552-6630).

Apply online through Accela Citizen Access at aca-prod.accela.com/MISSOULA/Login.aspx. Sign in, select the Building tab, and choose 'Apply for a Building Permit.' After submission you will receive a permit number and instructions to upload plans as attachments.

Missoula, Montana has adopted: 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — as amended by the State of Montana; effective in Missoula September 1, 2022 per Missoula Municipal Code (MMC) 15.04.010; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — as amended by the State of Montana; effective September 1, 2022 per MMC 15.04.010; 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — as amended by the State of Montana; effective September 1, 2022 per MMC 15.04.010; 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — as amended by the State of Montana; effective September 1, 2022 per MMC 15.04.010; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — as amended by the State of Montana; effective September 1, 2022 per MMC 15.04.010; 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — as amended by the State of Montana; effective September 1, 2022 per MMC 15.04.010; 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — as amended by the State of Montana; effective September 1, 2022 per MMC 15.04.010; 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) — as amended by the State of Montana; effective September 1, 2022 per MMC 15.04.010; 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) — as amended by the State of Montana; effective September 1, 2022 per MMC 15.04.010; 2021 Wildland Urban Interface Code — statewide adoption by the Montana Building Codes Bureau, Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) Title 24, Chapter 301. Local amendments apply — see the Missoula overview page for the full list.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-02.

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 Missoula building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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