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Electrical Permit in City of Deer Lodge, Montana

Required for electrical installations, alterations, service changes, and panel upgrades in the City of Deer Lodge. Electrical permitting is NOT locally certified in Deer Lodge — it is issued and inspected DIRECTLY by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Building Codes Bureau, under the 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC), effective June 11, 2022. Confirmed both by the state's certified-jurisdiction roster (Deer Lodge City listed with a 'B (residential only)' designation only, no 'E') and by the city's own permit portal description.

Verified 2026-07-06 · Source

When you need this permit

  • State electrical permits are required on all electrical work performed in Montana except in cities/counties/towns certified to issue electrical permits — the City of Deer Lodge is NOT certified for electrical, so all electrical work there requires a State Electrical Permit
  • Work must be performed by a Montana-licensed electrical contractor (Residential or Commercial Electrical Permit) OR by the homeowner personally on their own owner-occupied home under a Homeowner Electrical Permit Owner-builder
  • Application for Residential/Homeowner/Commercial/Alternative Energy Electrical Permit submitted to the Building Codes Bureau with applicable fee(s), or applied for online at aca-prod.accela.com/bcb
  • All wiring must meet the requirements of the National Electrical Code (2020 Edition, as amended by ARM Title 24, chapter 301)
  • Electrical permit holders must call for rough-in and final inspections, giving 48 hours' notice before covering up work

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 — Up to 200-amp service (new single-family dwelling or cabin)Montana Building Codes Bureau, Application for Residential Electrical Permit, BCP-1 (Rev. 11/25)
$200
Residential — 201 to 400-amp serviceBCP-1 (Rev. 11/25)
$380
Residential — 401 to 600-amp serviceBCP-1 (Rev. 11/25)
$600
Residential — 601-amp service and upBCP-1 (Rev. 11/25)
$800
Interior/Exterior Wire or Rewire — 4+ circuits & change of service and/or interior panelBCP-1 (Rev. 11/25)
$120
Interior/Exterior Wire or Rewire — 4+ circuits, no panel board or service changeBCP-1 (Rev. 11/25)
$100
Interior/Exterior Wire or Rewire — 2-3 additional circuits or pieces of equipmentBCP-1 (Rev. 11/25)
$70
Interior/Exterior Wire or Rewire — 1 additional circuit or piece of equipmentBCP-1 (Rev. 11/25)
$45
Residential Change of Service — exterior meter base, interior/exterior main disconnect onlyBCP-1 (Rev. 11/25)
$45
Residential Change of Service — disconnect with feeder and distribution panelboard replacementBCP-1 (Rev. 11/25)
$75
Private Property Accessory Building (garage, etc.) — up to 200-amp panelBCP-1 (Rev. 11/25)
$80
Private Property Accessory Building — 201 to 300-amp panelBCP-1 (Rev. 11/25)
$150
Private Property Accessory Building — 301-amp panelBCP-1 (Rev. 11/25)
$250
Construction Service (Provisional Power)BCP-1 (Rev. 11/25)
$60
Permit Renewal (expiration no more than 30 days)BCP-1 (Rev. 11/25)
$60
Requested Inspection, per hourBCP-1 (Rev. 11/25)
$60 (plus $30 for each additional 30 minutes or fraction thereof beyond one hour, plus travel time)
Commercial Electrical — valuation $0 to $1,000Application for Alternative Energy Permit / Commercial fee chart, BCP-1 (Rev. 11/25)
$45 for the first $500 plus 6% of the balance
Commercial Electrical — valuation $1,001 to $10,000BCP-1 (Rev. 11/25)
$75 for the first $1,000 plus 2% of the balance
Commercial Electrical — valuation $10,001 to $50,000BCP-1 (Rev. 11/25)
$255 for the first $10,000 plus 0.5% of the balance
Commercial Electrical — valuation $50,001 or moreBCP-1 (Rev. 11/25)
$455 for the first $50,000 plus 0.3% of the balance

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Electrical Permit permit actually take in City of Deer Lodge?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Rough-In

    Must be requested with 48 hours' notice before covering up work

  2. 2

    Final

    All devices installed, panel labeled, system energized; requires 48 hours' notice

See the full City of Deer Lodge inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • The City of Deer Lodge is NOT on Montana's certified-jurisdiction list for electrical — every electrical permit there is a STATE permit issued by the Building Codes Bureau in Helena, not by the city Building Inspector.
  • A homeowner may wire their own owner-occupied home under a Homeowner Electrical Permit; all other electrical work requires a Montana-licensed electrical contractor. Owner-builder
  • Apply online at https://aca-prod.accela.com/bcb/ or mail the paper application with payment to: Department of Labor & Industry, Building Codes Bureau, PO Box 200517, Helena, MT 59620-0517.

Frequently asked questions

City of Deer Lodge requires an electrical permit for: State electrical permits are required on all electrical work performed in Montana except in cities/counties/towns certified to issue electrical permits — the City of Deer Lodge is NOT certified for electrical, so all electrical work there requires a State Electrical Permit; Work must be performed by a Montana-licensed electrical contractor (Residential or Commercial Electrical Permit) OR by the homeowner personally on their own owner-occupied home under a Homeowner Electrical Permit; Application for Residential/Homeowner/Commercial/Alternative Energy Electrical Permit submitted to the Building Codes Bureau with applicable fee(s), or applied for online at aca-prod.accela.com/bcb; All wiring must meet the requirements of the National Electrical Code (2020 Edition, as amended by ARM Title 24, chapter 301); Electrical permit holders must call for rough-in and final inspections, giving 48 hours' notice before covering up work. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Deer Lodge Building Inspector — city-certified for Building permits only (residential); Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau at (406) 310-6965 (Sean Beach, Building Inspector) / (406) 846-2238 (City Hall main line, fax 406-846-3925) / (406) 841-2056 (State Building Codes Bureau — electrical, plumbing, mechanical) before starting work.

State fees apply since electrical is state-enforced there: e.g., $200 for a new single-family dwelling with up to 200-amp service, scaling to $800 for 601-amp service and up, per the Montana Building Codes Bureau's Application for Residential Electrical Permit (BCP-1, Rev. 11/25).

City of Deer Lodge does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Deer Lodge Building Inspector — city-certified for Building permits only (residential); Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau at (406) 310-6965 (Sean Beach, Building Inspector) / (406) 846-2238 (City Hall main line, fax 406-846-3925) / (406) 841-2056 (State Building Codes Bureau — electrical, plumbing, mechanical) for current turnaround.

You'll need: Application for Residential Electrical Permit. Depending on your project, City of Deer Lodge may also ask for: Application for Homeowner Electrical Permit; Application for Alternative Energy Permit. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

City of Deer Lodge requires 2 inspection(s) for an electrical permit, in order: Rough-In, Final. Schedule each through City of Deer Lodge Building Inspector — city-certified for Building permits only (residential); Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau ((406) 310-6965 (Sean Beach, Building Inspector) / (406) 846-2238 (City Hall main line, fax 406-846-3925) / (406) 841-2056 (State Building Codes Bureau — electrical, plumbing, mechanical)).

Apply through City of Deer Lodge Building Inspector — city-certified for Building permits only (residential); Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau at 300 Main Street, Deer Lodge, MT 59722 (city Building Permits); Building Codes Bureau, PO Box 200517, Helena, MT 59620-0517 (state electrical/plumbing/mechanical permits). Phone: (406) 310-6965 (Sean Beach, Building Inspector) / (406) 846-2238 (City Hall main line, fax 406-846-3925) / (406) 841-2056 (State Building Codes Bureau — electrical, plumbing, mechanical), email: Contact via the City of Deer Lodge website's staff-directory contact form for Sean Beach, Building Inspector (no direct email address is published in plain text; the site uses a CivicPlus anti-spam contact-form redirect for all staff emails); Building Codes Bureau email available via bsd.dli.mt.gov contact links. Office hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, closed weekends and holidays. Official information: https://www.cityofdeerlodgemt.gov/building-inspector.

City of Deer Lodge, Montana has adopted: City of Deer Lodge is a MONTANA CERTIFIED LOCAL GOVERNMENT for BUILDING permitting only, RESIDENTIAL ONLY — per the Montana Building Codes Bureau's official 'Certified Local Government Building Code Jurisdictions' roster (updated 04/22/2026), entry: 'Deer Lodge (City) — B (residential only) — Sean Beach — 846-2238 — City Limits.' This is a SEPARATE line item on the same roster from 'Deer Lodge County — B (residential only) — Greg Bahr — 563-4010 — County' (the Anaconda-Deer Lodge consolidated government), confirming these are two distinct, independently-certified jurisdictions with different building officials.; The City's own Residential Building Permit portal (iWorQ) states directly: 'All residential building permits are reviewed by the City of Deer Lodge,' while 'Mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and commercial building permits are reviewed by the State of Montana' — confirming the Building-only, residential-only certification scope in the city's own words, independent of the state roster.; Statutory basis for the certified-local-government model: a city, county, or town may adopt a building code by ordinance and enforce it locally ONLY if certified by the Building Codes Program as complying with applicable statutes/rules (current adopted code, current fee list, and enforcement plan filed and approved) — per ARM Title 24, chapter 301, subchapter 2 (Local Jurisdiction Administrative Rules) and Title 50, chapter 60, MCA (Local Jurisdiction Statutes). Absent local certification for a given trade (electrical/plumbing/mechanical/commercial building here), the State Building Codes Bureau retains jurisdiction under Title 50, chapter 60, MCA.; Statewide adopted codes (Administrative Rules of Montana, Title 24, chapter 301), verified directly against the Montana Building Codes Bureau's Current Codes page, apply as the substantive code baseline for both the locally-certified residential Building program and the state-enforced trades/commercial building: 2021 International Building Code (IBC), effective June 11, 2022; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), effective June 11, 2022; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), effective June 11, 2022; ICC A117.1 Accessibility, 2017 Edition, effective June 11, 2022; 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), effective June 11, 2022 — enforced directly by the State Building Codes Bureau in Deer Lodge (not locally certified); 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC), effective June 11, 2022 — enforced directly by the State Building Codes Bureau in Deer Lodge (not locally certified); 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), effective June 11, 2022 — enforced directly by the State Building Codes Bureau; 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC), effective June 11, 2022 — enforced directly by the State Building Codes Bureau in Deer Lodge (not locally certified); 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), effective June 11, 2022; 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), effective June 11, 2022; 2021 Wildland Urban Interface Code, effective June 11, 2022. Local amendments apply — see the City of Deer Lodge overview page for the full list.

No. The City of Deer Lodge's own permit portal states that electrical permits are reviewed by the State of Montana, not the city. All electrical permits for work in Deer Lodge are State Electrical Permits issued by the Building Codes Bureau in Helena, since Deer Lodge is not on the state's certified-jurisdiction list for electrical.