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Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) in City of Deer Lodge, Montana

Required for new single-family residential construction, additions, remodels, and a wide range of specific residential scopes (fences, windows/doors, siding, decks, roofing, stairs/ramps, egress windows, demolition) within Deer Lodge city limits. Issued and reviewed LOCALLY by the City of Deer Lodge Building Inspector (Sean Beach) — Deer Lodge is a Montana-certified local government for Building permitting (residential only), per the state Building Codes Bureau's certified-jurisdiction roster. Reviewed against the 2021 IRC/IBC (Administrative Rules of Montana, Title 24, chapter 301). The city's own portal explicitly states mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and COMMERCIAL building permits are reviewed by the State of Montana, not the city.

Verified 2026-07-06 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Submit application through the City of Deer Lodge's online iWorQ portal (fill required fields, upload plans/documents) or in person/by mail at City Hall, 300 Main Street
  • Have a contractor access code ready before starting an online application, per the portal's own instructions
  • Application fee must be paid before the permit is reviewed, EXCEPT for plan-review submissions and new-structure permits, which are priced individually by the Building Inspector and processed on that basis
  • Many common residential scopes (fences, window/door header changes, partial or full siding, partial or full roofing, decks, stairs/ADA ramps/landings, egress windows, demolition) use the flat per-scope fee schedule below rather than a valuation table
  • New construction and any scope requiring plan review is NOT on the flat fee schedule — contact the Building Inspector directly for pricing
  • Starting work without a permit doubles the original permit fee, per Appendix L of the 2021 International Residential Code as adopted on the city's fee schedule

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Fence (after zoning compliance)City of Deer Lodge Building Permit Fee Schedule
$20
Windows & Doors with Header ChangesCity of Deer Lodge Building Permit Fee Schedule — includes all windows & doors done at one time; if done using separate permits, price is per permit
$20
Siding: Partial House (up to 50% of entire house)City of Deer Lodge Building Permit Fee Schedule
$20
Stairs, ADA Ramps & LandingsCity of Deer Lodge Building Permit Fee Schedule
$20
Roof: Partial House (up to 50% of entire roof)City of Deer Lodge Building Permit Fee Schedule
$20
DemolitionCity of Deer Lodge Building Permit Fee Schedule
$20
Egress Window: with excavation and egress area wellCity of Deer Lodge Building Permit Fee Schedule — includes all egress windows done at one time; if done using separate permits, price is per permit
$40 (otherwise $45)
Siding: Entire HouseCity of Deer Lodge Building Permit Fee Schedule
$40
Deck or DecksCity of Deer Lodge Building Permit Fee Schedule
$40
Roof: Entire HouseCity of Deer Lodge Building Permit Fee Schedule
$40
Plan Review (if necessary)City of Deer Lodge Building Permit Fee Schedule
$35 to $150
All Other Permits (including new construction)City of Deer Lodge Building Permit Fee Schedule; also confirmed on the iWorQ portal description
Priced per Appendix L of the 2021 International Residential Code Book; Building Inspector contacts applicant directly for new-structure and plan-review pricing
Starting Without a PermitCity of Deer Lodge Building Permit Fee Schedule, citing Appendix L, 2021 IRC
Double the original fee

Review timeline

Plan reviewCity of Deer Lodge’s published plan-review target
10–10 business days

How long did your Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) 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

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

    Tips

    • This flat-fee schedule covers common residential add-on/repair scopes — new construction and anything requiring plan review is priced individually; call the Building Inspector, (406) 310-6965, for a quote before applying.
    • The Building Inspector does NOT handle electrical, plumbing, mechanical, or COMMERCIAL building permitting — the city's own iWorQ portal states those are reviewed by the State of Montana, even though the residential building shell permit itself is local.
    • Have your contractor access code ready before starting an application on the iWorQ portal; applications will not be reviewed until the fee is paid, except for plan-review and new-structure permits.
    • Starting construction before obtaining a permit doubles your permit fee, per the city's adoption of 2021 IRC Appendix L.

    Frequently asked questions

    City of Deer Lodge requires a residential building permit (new construction / addition / remodel) for: Submit application through the City of Deer Lodge's online iWorQ portal (fill required fields, upload plans/documents) or in person/by mail at City Hall, 300 Main Street; Have a contractor access code ready before starting an online application, per the portal's own instructions; Application fee must be paid before the permit is reviewed, EXCEPT for plan-review submissions and new-structure permits, which are priced individually by the Building Inspector and processed on that basis; Many common residential scopes (fences, window/door header changes, partial or full siding, partial or full roofing, decks, stairs/ADA ramps/landings, egress windows, demolition) use the flat per-scope fee schedule below rather than a valuation table; New construction and any scope requiring plan review is NOT on the flat fee schedule — contact the Building Inspector directly for pricing; Starting work without a permit doubles the original permit fee, per Appendix L of the 2021 International Residential Code as adopted on the city's fee schedule. 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.

    Many common scopes use a flat fee: $20 for fences, window/door header changes, partial siding, partial roofing, stairs/ramps, and demolition; $40 for full-house siding, full roofing, decks, and egress windows with excavation. New construction and anything needing plan review is priced individually by the Building Inspector — plan review alone runs $35 to $150.

    The City of Deer Lodge does not publish its own review-time figure. Because Deer Lodge is a Montana-certified jurisdiction for Building, the statutory backstop applies: under MCA 50-60-106(2)(c), the city must issue the permit or a written notice of plan disapproval within 10 working days of a single-family-dwelling application submitted with the state-mandated checklist attached.

    You'll need: Building Permit Application (iWorQ online portal). Depending on your project, City of Deer Lodge may also ask for: Building Permit Fee Schedule. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    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.

    The City of Deer Lodge Building Inspector (Sean Beach) issues residential building permits locally. Deer Lodge is on Montana's official certified local-government roster for Building permitting (residential only), listed separately from Deer Lodge County/Anaconda-Deer Lodge on the same state roster. Commercial building permits, and all electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits, are reviewed directly by the State of Montana, per the city's own permit portal.

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    Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) in other cities

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