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Residential/Commercial Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit in Stevensville, Montana

Required for installation of a rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system in Stevensville. Because Stevensville is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for the Electrical (E) trade (in addition to Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, and Swimming Pool), solar PV is permitted locally by the Town rather than routed to the state — per the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's own published Alternative Energy Information guidance, a licensed electrical contractor applies for a standard Electrical Permit and selects 'solar' on the application, a non-electrician installer submits an Alternate Energy Permit with solar information, and a homeowner may use the homeowner electrical permit option with solar information provided. The fee is based on the total value of the electrical work, including the solar equipment, using the same Commercial valuation-based tier documented in the Electrical Permit entry.

Verified 2026-07-20 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Licensed electrical contractors apply for a standard Town of Stevensville Electrical Permit and select 'solar' on the application, per Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau Alternative Energy Information guidance
  • A homeowner performing their own PV installation on their own owner-occupied residence may use the homeowner electrical permit option (per Montana statute, as documented in the Electrical Permit entry) and must provide solar-specific system information on the application Owner-builder
  • A non-electrician solar installer (i.e., a solar-specific contractor who is not itself a licensed Montana electrical contractor) submits an Alternate Energy Permit with solar information rather than a standard Electrical Permit, per the same DLI guidance
  • All grid-tied systems require a Montana-licensed electrical contractor for the interconnection wiring itself, even if a non-electrician installer handles the mounting/racking
  • Fee is based on the total value of the electrical work, including the solar equipment — billed under the same Commercial valuation-based fee tiers already documented in the Electrical Permit entry, since Stevensville's own fee schedule does not carry a separate flat residential-solar line
  • Structural/racking work is permitted via the standard Town of Stevensville Building Permit (Table of valuation-based fees documented elsewhere in this record), governed by the 2018 IBC/IRC as locally adopted

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Solar Electrical Interconnection — Commercial valuation-based tier
Town of Stevensville Electrical Permit Application, Commercial fee table — the same table already documented in the Electrical Permit entry; Show full citationTown of Stevensville Electrical Permit Application, Commercial fee table — the same table already documented in the Electrical Permit entry; the Town's own MEP fee documents do not carry a distinct flat residential-solar line, so solar is billed on total electrical-work value using this valuation tier, consistent with the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's own statement that 'the fee is based on the total value of the electrical work, including solar.'
$60 for the first $1,000 plus 0.6% of the remainder ($1,001-$10,000); $114 for the first $10,000 plus 1.5% of the remainder ($10,001-$50,000); $714 for the first $50,000 plus 2.5% of the remainder (over $50,000)
Building Permit Fee (structural mounting/racking)Town of Stevensville Building Permit Fees schedule — applies to the racking/mounting structural scope if it requires its own permit beyond the electrical interconnection.
$35 minimum, scaling per the valuation tiers documented in the Residential Building Permit entry of this record

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Residential/Commercial Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit permit actually take in Stevensville?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Rough-In / Prior to Covering

    Interconnection wiring, disconnect placement, and conduit before energizing; installer must call for inspection prior to covering electrical work, per the same mechanism documented for Stevensville's general Electrical Permit entry.

  2. 2

    Final

    Panel/array wiring complete, disconnect labeled, system verified per the 2017 NEC before permit final and utility interconnection.

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

Tips

  • Stevensville is one of the few jurisdictions in this batch that is FULLY DLI-certified for Electrical, so solar PV permitting stays entirely local rather than being split between the Town and the State — confirm this distinction if you are used to a neighboring Montana town (e.g., Toole County or Townsend) that routes electrical, including solar, to the state DLI Building Codes Bureau instead.
  • The exact permit type depends on who performs the work: a licensed Montana electrical contractor uses the standard Electrical Permit (select 'solar'); a non-electrician solar installer uses an Alternate Energy Permit with solar information; and a qualifying homeowner may use the homeowner electrical permit option — confirm which applies with the Building Office, (406) 777-5271 ext. 105.
  • No Montana statewide fee cap (of the kind Colorado's C.R.S. § 24-48.5-113 provides) applies here — Stevensville's own Commercial valuation-based Electrical Permit fee tiers govern the full cost of the interconnection work.

Frequently asked questions

Stevensville requires a residential/commercial solar photovoltaic (pv) permit for: Licensed electrical contractors apply for a standard Town of Stevensville Electrical Permit and select 'solar' on the application, per Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau Alternative Energy Information guidance; A homeowner performing their own PV installation on their own owner-occupied residence may use the homeowner electrical permit option (per Montana statute, as documented in the Electrical Permit entry) and must provide solar-specific system information on the application; A non-electrician solar installer (i.e., a solar-specific contractor who is not itself a licensed Montana electrical contractor) submits an Alternate Energy Permit with solar information rather than a standard Electrical Permit, per the same DLI guidance; All grid-tied systems require a Montana-licensed electrical contractor for the interconnection wiring itself, even if a non-electrician installer handles the mounting/racking; Fee is based on the total value of the electrical work, including the solar equipment — billed under the same Commercial valuation-based fee tiers already documented in the Electrical Permit entry, since Stevensville's own fee schedule does not carry a separate flat residential-solar line; Structural/racking work is permitted via the standard Town of Stevensville Building Permit (Table of valuation-based fees documented elsewhere in this record), governed by the 2018 IBC/IRC as locally adopted. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Stevensville Building Department at (406) 777-5271 before starting work.

In Stevensville, the published Solar Electrical Interconnection — Commercial valuation-based tier is: $60 for the first $1,000 plus 0.6% of the remainder ($1,001-$10,000); $114 for the first $10,000 plus 1.5% of the remainder ($10,001-$50,000); $714 for the first $50,000 plus 2.5% of the remainder (over $50,000). Additional published fees: Building Permit Fee (structural mounting/racking) — $35 minimum, scaling per the valuation tiers documented in the Residential Building Permit entry of this record. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Stevensville does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Town of Stevensville Building Department at (406) 777-5271 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Electrical Permit Application (or Alternate Energy Permit, as applicable); Building Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Stevensville requires 2 inspection(s) for a residential/commercial solar photovoltaic (pv) permit, in order: Rough-In / Prior to Covering, Final. Schedule each through Town of Stevensville Building Department ((406) 777-5271).

Apply through Town of Stevensville Building Department at 206 Buck Street, Stevensville, MT 59870 (mailing: PO Box 30, Stevensville, MT 59870). Phone: (406) 777-5271, email: INSPECTOR@constructmt.com. Office hours: Town Hall main line (406) 777-5271, Building Office extension 105. Regular inspection hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10:00 am - 12:30 pm (inspections by appointment only, 24 hours' notice required). Building Inspector Tim Netzley: (406) 880-5832. Inspection scheduling / general inspector line: (406) 552-3238, INSPECTOR@constructmt.com. Source: Town of Stevensville Building page (townofstevensville.com/building) and Building FAQs page (townofstevensville.com/building/page/building-faqs).. Official information: https://www.townofstevensville.com/building.

Stevensville, 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; a certified local program's adopted code 'may include only codes adopted by the Building Codes Bureau' (ARM 24.301.202). Non-certified areas fall under direct state administration by the DLI Building Codes Bureau. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Certified City, County and Town Programs (bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf, updated 04/22/2026).; Stevensville is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B), Plumbing (P), Electrical (E), Mechanical (M), and Swimming Pool (SP) -- full-trade certification -- within Stevensville city limits. Certified program contact on file with DLI: Tim Netzley, 880-5832. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, 'Certified City, County and Town Programs' roster (bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf, updated 04/22/2026), row 'Stevensville — B,P,E,M,SP — Tim Netzley — 880-5832 — City Limits'.; Per the Town's own 'Adopted Building Codes' notice (currently_adopted_building_codes.docx): Montana adopted several updated building code editions with amendments under ARM 24.301.202(1) on December 7, 2019, giving municipalities 90 days to formally adopt. The Town of Stevensville complied with adoption and enforcement of new projects as of February 17, 2020. Codes in effect per that notice: 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code, 2018 International Mechanical Code, 2018 International Fuel Gas Code, 2018 NFPA 99C (Gas and Vacuum Systems), 2017 National Electrical Code, 2018 International Building Code, 2018 International Residential Code, 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (explicitly stated to remain in effect, not updated to a later edition), 2018 International Existing Building Code, 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code. Signed by Tim Netzley, Building Official, Town of Stevensville. Source: Town of Stevensville, 'Currently Adopted Building Codes' (townofstevensville.com/forms, currently_adopted_building_codes.docx).; This code-edition set (2018-vintage IBC/IRC/UPC/IMC/IFGC/IEBC/ISPSC, 2017 NEC, 2012 IECC) is older than the 2021-cycle codes now in effect statewide per the DLI's Current Codes page and is one edition cycle behind Hamilton's and Darby's currently-adopted 2021 codes; this is Stevensville's own most recently published adoption notice and is reported as-is rather than assumed to have been silently updated to the 2021 cycle without a superseding notice found on the Town's site.; Montana uses the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), not the International Plumbing Code.. Local amendments apply — see the Stevensville overview page for the full list.

Stevensville issues its own solar PV electrical permits locally, since the Town is Montana DLI-certified for the Electrical (E) trade — unlike many smaller Montana jurisdictions that route all electrical work, including solar, to the state DLI Building Codes Bureau. A licensed electrical contractor applies for a standard Electrical Permit and selects 'solar'; other installer types use an Alternate Energy Permit or the homeowner electrical permit option, per Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau guidance.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-20.

Applications & forms

Department & other records

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

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