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Plumbing Permit (State-Issued, including Water Heater) in Livingston, Montana

Required for plumbing work anywhere in Livingston (city limits) and Park County, including new water heater installation/replacement. Because Livingston 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 the Master Plumber License Number
  • Accurate location and owner information required; property address, county, and whether the job is 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 or Septic) and Potable Water Source 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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This checker covers one permit. A full project usually triggers several — our checklist will assemble all of them, free →

Fee schedule

Each NEW water heater (or replacement)Application for Plumbing Permit (BCP-1, Rev. 10/2019), Fee Schedule
$25
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
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
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

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Plumbing Permit (State-Issued, including Water Heater) permit actually take in Livingston?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Rough-In

    After pipes installed, before walls closed

  2. 2

    Final

    All fixtures connected, water heater T&P and expansion tank verified, cleanouts exposed, no leaks

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

Tips

  • Plumbing permits for Livingston 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.
  • Montana uses the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), not the International Plumbing Code.

Frequently asked questions

Livingston requires a plumbing permit (state-issued, including water heater) for: Application must be signed by the Master Plumber and include the Master Plumber License Number; Accurate location and owner information required; property address, county, and whether the job is 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 or Septic) and Potable Water Source must be indicated; Apply in accordance with Title 50, Chapter 60, Section 505, MCA and ARM 24.301.301 and ARM 24.301.361. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Livingston Building & Planning Department (Building Division) — city-certified for Building and Swimming Pool permits only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical/HVAC permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau at (406) 222-4903 (Building & Planning); (406) 222-0083 (Interim Building Director Brad Haefs, Building Division) before starting work.

In Livingston, the published Each NEW water heater (or replacement) is: $25. Additional published fees: Each plumbing fixture or trap (bath tub, lavatory, shower, water closet, kitchen sink, etc.) — $10 per fixture/trap; 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; Repair or alteration of drainage or vent piping — $30; Alteration or repair of water piping and/or treatment — $30. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Livingston does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Livingston Building & Planning Department (Building Division) — city-certified for Building and Swimming Pool permits only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical/HVAC permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau at (406) 222-4903 (Building & Planning); (406) 222-0083 (Interim Building Director Brad Haefs, Building Division) for current turnaround.

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

Livingston requires 2 inspection(s) for a plumbing permit (state-issued, including water heater), in order: Rough-In, Final. Schedule each through City of Livingston Building & Planning Department (Building Division) — city-certified for Building and Swimming Pool permits only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical/HVAC permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau ((406) 222-4903 (Building & Planning); (406) 222-0083 (Interim Building Director Brad Haefs, Building Division)).

Apply through City of Livingston Building & Planning Department (Building Division) — city-certified for Building and Swimming Pool permits only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical/HVAC permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau at 220 E. Park Street, Livingston, MT 59047 (Building Division field office: 330 Bennett Street). Phone: (406) 222-4903 (Building & Planning); (406) 222-0083 (Interim Building Director Brad Haefs, Building Division), email: jseverson@livingstonmontana.org (Planning Director Jennifer Severson); bhaefs@livingstonmontana.org (Interim Building Director Brad Haefs). Office hours: City Hall, 220 E. Park Street, Livingston, MT 59047. Official information: https://www.livingstonmontana.org/buildingplanning.

Livingston, 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, etc.); non-certified areas/trades 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).; Livingston is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B) and Swimming Pool (SP) ONLY within Livingston city limits; certified building official on file with DLI: Jim Woodhull, (406) 222-0083. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Certified City, County and Town Programs / Current Codes page, bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/certified-government; Livingston is NOT certified for Electrical (E), Plumbing/Mechanical-Gas (P(M/G)), or Mechanical (M). Per the City of Livingston Building Department page: 'The City of Livingston does not issue permits or conduct inspections for electrical, plumbing, or HVAC work. These services are regulated at the state level.' Source: City of Livingston Building Department page, https://www.livingstonmontana.org/buildingplanning/page/building-department; Park County (unincorporated, outside Livingston city limits) does not appear on the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's certified local government list at all — unincorporated Park County is entirely state-enforced for Building, Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permitting. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Certified City, County and Town Programs list, bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/certified-government; 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; per the City of Livingston Building Department, new 2021-edition building codes took effect locally September 23, 2022 ('NEW BUILDING CODES (2021) TAKE EFFECT SEPTEMBER 23, 2022'). Source: City of Livingston Building Department page; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; adopted locally effective September 23, 2022 per City of Livingston Building Department page; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; Livingston is DLI-certified for swimming pool (SP) permitting; 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) and 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — statewide editions; state-administered permits in Livingston (city is not Mechanical-certified); 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) — statewide edition; state-administered permits in Livingston (city is not Plumbing-certified) — Montana uses the Uniform Plumbing Code, not the International Plumbing Code; 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) — statewide edition; state-administered permits in Livingston (city is not Electrical-certified); 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; All codes amended by the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) Title 24, Chapter 301. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Current Codes page, bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/current-codes; The Livingston Building Department reviews plans and performs inspections using the ICC's IBC and IRC; codes are 're-adopted approximately every three years' per the City of Livingston Building Department page. No Livingston-specific Municode text of Chapter 6 (Uniform Building Code) confirming a distinct local amendment ordinance number could be retrieved (Municode's dynamic content did not resolve via direct fetch or Wayback Machine snapshot); the City's own Building Department page is used as the authoritative statement of adopted-code editions and effective date.. Local amendments apply — see the Livingston overview page for the full list.

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