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Solar PV / Alternative Energy Permit (State-Issued) in City of Deer Lodge, Montana

Required for installation of grid-tied residential or commercial rooftop/ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems in the City of Deer Lodge. Because Deer Lodge (City) is DLI-certified for Building (B) RESIDENTIAL ONLY and holds no Electrical certification, the electrical/interconnection portion of any solar PV installation is issued directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena as an Application for Alternative Energy Permit — the same statewide form used for solar, wind, and hydro systems, already cited as a document option on this file's electrical-permit entry — not by the City of Deer Lodge. The City's own permit portal confirms electrical permits generally are reviewed by the State, not the City. Roof-mounted racking/structural attachment on a RESIDENTIAL structure may separately require the City's own Residential Building Permit; commercial solar structural work falls to the state, since Deer Lodge's Building certification does not extend to commercial.

Verified 2026-07-20 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Complete the state's Application for Alternative Energy Permit (BCP-1 series, Rev. 11/25): identify the alternative energy type as Solar and the system type (PV String System, Generator, or Micro Inverter/AC Module System)
  • If the system will produce 90 or more volts, the electrical work must be performed by a Montana-licensed electrical contractor unless the homeowner is doing the work on their own private house
  • If the project involves a grid-tied alternative energy generator (virtually all net-metered residential/commercial solar), a licensed electrical contractor must obtain an ADDITIONAL permit for the final utility interconnection — stated directly on the state application form
  • 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
  • Because Deer Lodge's own Building certification is residential-only, a separate City Residential Building Permit application may also be required for the roof-mount racking/structural attachment portion of a residential rooftop system; commercial solar structural work is state-administered since Deer Lodge holds no commercial Building certification

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Residential Change of Service (applies to residential grid-tied solar PV)Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Application for Alternative Energy Permit (BCP-1 series, Rev. 11/25), Type of Work item F, 'Residential Change of Service'; the flat fee line item on the same form used for solar/wind/hydro alternative energy applications statewide, directly fetched and text-extracted from the state's own PDF form; consistent with the $45 'Residential Change of Service' figure already documented on this file's general electrical-permit entry
$45
Commercial Alternative Energy/Solar — valuation $0 to $1,000Application for Alternative Energy Permit (BCP-1 series, Rev. 11/25), Commercial fee chart; matches the commercial electrical fee tiers already documented on this file's electrical-permit entry
$45 for the first $500 plus 6% of the balance of the project cost
Commercial Alternative Energy/Solar — valuation $1,001 to $10,000Application for Alternative Energy Permit (BCP-1 series, Rev. 11/25)
$75 for the first $1,000 plus 2% of the balance of the project cost
Commercial Alternative Energy/Solar — valuation $10,001 to $50,000Application for Alternative Energy Permit (BCP-1 series, Rev. 11/25)
$255 for the first $10,000 plus 0.5% of the balance of the project cost
Commercial Alternative Energy/Solar — valuation $50,001 or moreApplication for Alternative Energy Permit (BCP-1 series, Rev. 11/25)
$455 for the first $50,000 plus 0.3% of the balance of the project cost

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Solar PV / Alternative Energy Permit (State-Issued) 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 (Electrical)

    Conduit runs, wire sizing, disconnect placement before covering/energizing; must be requested with 48 hours' notice

  2. 2

    Final Interconnection

    Per the state application form, a licensed electrical contractor must obtain and complete an additional permit/inspection for the final grid-tied utility connection before Permission to Operate

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

Tips

  • Solar PV in Deer Lodge is NOT processed by the City for the electrical portion — the City's own permit portal confirms electrical permits are reviewed by the State, and this extends to the Alternative Energy Permit used for solar/wind/hydro systems.
  • A grid-tied system (virtually all residential net-metered solar) requires a licensed electrical contractor to obtain a SEPARATE additional permit for the final utility connection, per the state form's own certification language.
  • The residential flat fee of $45 applies under the 'Residential Change of Service' line item on the same Alternative Energy Permit form; commercial projects are billed on the same tiered valuation schedule already documented for other state-issued electrical work in Deer Lodge.
  • Because Deer Lodge's Building certification is residential-only, the structural/racking attachment for a residential rooftop system may separately need a City Residential Building Permit; commercial solar structural work is entirely state-administered.

Frequently asked questions

City of Deer Lodge requires a solar pv / alternative energy permit (state-issued) for: Complete the state's Application for Alternative Energy Permit (BCP-1 series, Rev. 11/25): identify the alternative energy type as Solar and the system type (PV String System, Generator, or Micro Inverter/AC Module System); If the system will produce 90 or more volts, the electrical work must be performed by a Montana-licensed electrical contractor unless the homeowner is doing the work on their own private house; If the project involves a grid-tied alternative energy generator (virtually all net-metered residential/commercial solar), a licensed electrical contractor must obtain an ADDITIONAL permit for the final utility interconnection — stated directly on the state application form; 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; Because Deer Lodge's own Building certification is residential-only, a separate City Residential Building Permit application may also be required for the roof-mount racking/structural attachment portion of a residential rooftop system; commercial solar structural work is state-administered since Deer Lodge holds no commercial Building certification. 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.

The state's Application for Alternative Energy Permit lists a flat $45 fee under 'Residential Change of Service,' which applies to residential grid-tied solar. Commercial solar is billed on the state's tiered valuation-based fee schedule (e.g., $45 for the first $500 plus 6% of the balance for projects up to $1,000).

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 Alternative Energy Permit. Depending on your project, City of Deer Lodge may also ask for: City of Deer Lodge Residential Building Permit. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

City of Deer Lodge requires 2 inspection(s) for a solar pv / alternative energy permit (state-issued), in order: Rough-In (Electrical), Final Interconnection. 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.

The Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau issues the electrical/interconnection permit for solar PV in Deer Lodge, using its statewide Application for Alternative Energy Permit — the City's own permit portal confirms electrical permits are reviewed by the state, not the city. The roof-mount/racking portion of a residential system may separately require a City Residential Building Permit.

Other permits in City of Deer Lodge

Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel)Electrical PermitPlumbing PermitMechanical / HVAC PermitDemolition PermitEV Charger / EVSE Permit (State-Issued Electrical Permit)Sign Permit (City Zoning Permit — On-Site Signage)Change of Use / Occupancy Permit (City Zoning Permit)Fire Sprinkler / Fire Alarm Permit (No Standalone Product — Folded Into the Commercial Building Permit and State Electrical Permit)

Solar PV / Alternative Energy Permit (State-Issued) in other cities

Anaconda-Deer Lodge, MontanaBelgrade, MontanaBillings, MontanaBozeman, MontanaButte-Silver Bow, MontanaChoteau, MontanaColstrip, MontanaColumbia Falls, Montana

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