Lewis and Clark County is home to Helena, the Montana state capital, at about 75,000 residents across a long county reaching from the capital north into the Rockies. Helena and East Helena run their own certified building programs; the county itself has none, so everywhere else the state Building Codes Program is the authority, based in the same capital city.
This guide covers the certified-versus-state split, the uniform Montana code, floodplain permits, and how contractor and trade licensing work.
This guide covers Lewis and Clark County. Helena and East Helena run certified programs; the rest of the county is covered by the state.
Helena is both a certified city and the home of the state Building Codes Program, so the two authorities sit in the same city. The City of Helena issues permits inside the city and East Helena inside its own limits; the state is the authority everywhere else, where the state code does not reach houses of fewer than five units. Confirm the parcel first.
What requires a building permit in Lewis and Clark County?
Permit required
- Outside certified cities: new commercial buildings and buildings of five or more dwelling units, and their additions, alterations, moves and changes of occupancy
- New residential construction within a certified jurisdiction that enforces the residential code
- Inside certified cities: structural work, retaining walls more than 4 feet high, re-roofing, pools 24 inches deep or more, larger decks and demolition
- Electrical work under the adopted National Electrical Code, including services, circuits, solar and EV charging
- Plumbing under the Uniform Plumbing Code (outside certified cities a state plumbing permit, unless a homeowner does the work on their own home), and mechanical work (outside certified cities only on buildings that need a state building permit)
Often exempt or no permit
- Houses and residential buildings of fewer than five units (not serving transient guests), where no local program has adopted the code for them
- Farm and ranch buildings of any size, and private garages and storage buildings for the owner’s own use, unless the local government has adopted the code for them
- Outside certified cities, other work the state confirms is exempt when asked
- Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops and similar finish work, and ordinary repairs that do not cut into walls or structure or change piping or wiring
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Which authority applies — certified program or the state program
Where a city or county holds a certified building-code program, that jurisdiction is the authority having jurisdiction and issues the permit. Everywhere else — the state’s vast non-certified areas — the Montana Building Codes Program in Helena is the authority, and it enforces primarily commercial and other covered buildings. In Lewis and Clark County, the City of Helena and East Helena hold certified programs covering their limits; the county has none, so the state is the authority in unincorporated areas, where houses of fewer than five units need no state building permit.
Montana adopts one building code, based on the 2024 International Codes from 26 September 2026; a certified local program or the state Building Codes Program enforces it, and the state code does not reach houses of fewer than five units, farm and ranch buildings or private garages unless a local government has made it apply to them. How Montana’s statewide code works
Who handles permitting in Lewis and Clark County?
Helena and East Helena run certified programs inside their limits; the state Building Codes Program, based in the same city, is the authority for non-certified areas.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| County seat | Helena (state capital) |
| Certified city programs | City of Helena Building Division, 316 North Park Avenue, Room 435 (406-447-8438); City of East Helena |
| State authority | Montana Building Codes Program, 2705 Skyway Drive, Helena |
| State portal and phone | EBIZ.MT.GOV; 406-841-2056 |
| Serves | Lewis and Clark County, split by certification |
| Floodplain | A floodplain permit from the responsible local government for development in a designated floodplain (MCA 76-5-404) |
| Code | Montana state code, amended by ARM Title 24 Ch. 301; the state moved to the 2024 I-Codes and 2023 NEC on 26 September 2026 |
| Contractor credentials | State construction contractor licence (or ICEC where exempt); electrical and plumbing state-licensed |
The City of Helena’s Building Division, at 316 North Park Avenue, runs a certified program and issues permits inside the city, and East Helena runs its own. For the rest of the county, the state Building Codes Program — based in Helena at 2705 Skyway Drive — is the authority, filing through the state EBIZ portal.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Whichever authority applies, the code text is the uniform Montana code; moderate-to-severe snow or seismic loads pull a Montana-licensed design professional into the project.
Permit types
Residential permits
Residential work inside Helena or East Helena is permitted and inspected by the certified city program. Elsewhere in the county, houses of fewer than five units need no state building permit, though zoning, floodplain and septic approvals and a state electrical permit can still apply.
Commercial permits
Commercial work is permitted by the certified cities inside Helena and East Helena and by the state program elsewhere. Both apply the uniform Montana code; moderate-to-severe snow or seismic loads require engineered drawings from a Montana-licensed design professional.
Construction contractors need a Department of Labor and Industry licence, with exemptions for casual work under $2,500, owners working on their own property and independent contractors with no employees; electricians and plumbers hold state trade licences, though owners may do their own electrical and plumbing at home. Contractor licensing in Montana
Lewis and Clark County permit costs and fees
Budget the building permit and plan-review fees of whichever authority applies, separate trade permits, and any design-professional drawings. The state’s fees follow a valuation table; Helena and East Helena set their own.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Building permit | Based on project valuation; set by the certified jurisdiction or the state schedule |
| Plan review | 35 percent of the building permit fee on state permits; certified programs set their own |
| Trade permits | Separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical fees |
| Design professional | Engineer or architect fees where snow, seismic or design triggers it |
| Zoning and floodplain | Local land-use, zoning or floodplain review where it applies |
| Extra inspections | The state charges $75 an hour for requested inspections; certified cities set their own fees |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Need a real number for a specific Lewis and Clark County project? Send us the scope, address and valuation and we will identify the authority having jurisdiction, the reviews it will trigger and the fee categories that will apply.
Where the state issues the permit, the fee follows a valuation table and plan review is 35 percent of the permit fee; a certified local program sets its own schedule. Montana’s state permit rules
Trade permits and who may pull them
Permit required
- Service installations, panel upgrades, new circuits, solar PV and EV chargers
- New plumbing, repipes, water heaters, fixtures and backflow devices (outside certified cities, a state plumbing permit)
- Heating, air conditioning, ventilation, gas piping and kitchen hoods (outside certified cities, a state mechanical permit only on buildings that need a state building permit)
- Fire sprinkler and other fire-extinguishing systems on commercial and multi-family buildings
Typically exempt
- Plugging an appliance into an existing approved outlet, and low-voltage signal, communications and fibre-optic wiring
- Outside certified cities, plumbing a homeowner does on their own home, if it is not built to sell or rent
- Outside certified cities, mechanical work on houses of fewer than five units, farm and ranch buildings, and private garages and storage buildings
- Inside certified cities, clearing stoppages and replacing minor parts that do not alter the equipment’s approval
Electricians and plumbers are licensed by state boards, though an owner may do electrical work on their own home and plumbing on their own single-family home. Where the state covers the area, an electrical permit is needed for any installation or repair, and where a building permit is needed, only after it is issued. Electrical permits in Montana
Rather not deal with the Lewis and Clark County building department?
Get a free quote →How to apply for a Lewis and Clark County building permit
Helena or East Helena inside those cities, the state everywhere else.
Development there needs a floodplain permit.
Outside certified areas, snow loads come from the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool, with a 30 psf minimum.
Contractors hold a state construction contractor licence (or an ICEC where exempt); electrical and plumbing are state-licensed.
Moderate-to-severe snow or seismic loads trigger engineered drawings.
File with Helena or through the state EBIZ portal.
Where the state issues the permit, plan review averages about three weeks, and the building permit must be issued before any trade permit. Montana’s state permit rules
Inspections in Lewis and Clark County
Where a permit is required, standard checkpoints include footing and foundation, framing, rough-in electrical, plumbing and mechanical, insulation and energy, fire systems on commercial work, and final, with occupancy approval before use. Helena inspects work inside the city; the state inspects non-certified areas through field staff.
Field inspection staff for the state program are positioned around Montana to cover non-certified areas; certified jurisdictions run their own inspectors. Confirm which authority inspects your project and give the notice it asks for.
Do not cover work before the required inspection has been approved. Keep the issued permit, the approved plans, the snow-load and seismic documentation, product listings and your correction responses available on site.
Lewis and Clark County permit search and official resources
Permit records in Montana sit with the authority that issued them — a certified jurisdiction holds its own, while the state Building Codes Program provides records of permits it issued in non-certified areas through a public records request. If you are buying, refinancing or renovating, confirm that past work was permitted rather than assuming it was.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Confirm the authority having jurisdiction first. Montana’s certified-versus-state split means the answer — and whether a permit was even required — varies by parcel. The code text is uniform statewide; the administering authority, the fee schedule and the land-use requirements are not. Confirm current requirements, fees and review turnaround for your filing date.
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and portal procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
- City of Helena, Montana
- Lewis and Clark County
- Montana Building Codes Program (DLI)
- Administrative Rules of Montana, Title 24 Ch. 301
- Montana DLI Construction Contractor License Program
Frequently asked questions
Where do I get a Lewis and Clark County building permit?
Inside Helena, from the city’s certified Building Division; inside East Helena, from East Helena; for non-certified areas, from the state Building Codes Program through the EBIZ portal.
Do floodplain rules apply?
Yes. Development in a designated floodplain needs a floodplain permit from the responsible local government under state floodplain law (MCA 76-5-404), separate from the building permit; confirm whether the parcel is in one.
Do I need a permit for a rural home?
Not a state building permit: outside Helena and East Helena, the state code does not reach houses of fewer than five units. Zoning, floodplain and septic approvals and a state electrical permit can still apply.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Does Montana license general contractors?
Yes. Since January 1, 2026, construction contractors need a Construction Contractor License from the Department of Labor and Industry, which replaced the former registration. The state’s FAQ lists an online application and a $70 fee, with no exam, and exemptions apply: an independent contractor with no employees instead needs an Independent Contractor Exemption Certificate (ICEC) or workers compensation coverage. Electricians and plumbers are separately licensed by state boards. Confirm current requirements with Montana DLI.
When is an engineer required?
When a building carries moderate-to-severe snow or seismic loads, or does not meet conventional light-frame provisions, a Montana-licensed design professional is generally required.
How do I run a Lewis and Clark County permit search?
Helena holds records for its certified program; the state Building Codes Program provides records of permits it issued through a public records request.
Simplify Lewis and Clark County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Lewis and Clark County puts the certified city and the state program in the same capital city, so the questions are which authority applies and whether the parcel needs a floodplain permit. Settling those keeps a capital-region project on track.
Trusted by leading builders, developers, and national contractors — 21+ years of filing in the jurisdictions we write about.
Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Lewis and Clark County because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- We confirm the authority having jurisdiction for the parcel.
- We check floodplain status early.
- We pull snow and seismic design values and flag engineered drawings.
- We confirm the state contractor licence (or ICEC) and state trade licences.
- We file with Helena or through the state EBIZ portal and track it.
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Montana. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.
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More Montana permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Lewis and Clark County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.