Helena building department

The City of Helena Building Division, part of the Community Development Department, reviews plans and issues building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, sign, demolition, roofing, and street-opening permits. It covers property inside Helena city limits. The division is in Room 435 of the City County Building and is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Montana’s Building Codes Program lists Helena as certified for building, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical codes within city limits. East Helena runs its own certified program. Lewis and Clark County is not on the state’s list, so areas outside those cities fall under the state Building Codes Program.

Civic Access

Helena’s online permitting system is Civic Access, built on Tyler EnerGov. You can use it to:

• Apply for building permits and planning and zoning cases
• Pay invoices
• Schedule inspections

The city posts user guides for registering, submitting applications, requesting inspections, and paying fees. Older permits have to be linked to your new account by staff. Request that with the city’s online or PDF form. You can pay by credit or debit card, cash, or check.

What’s exempt from a building permit

The Permit Types page lists these exemptions for one- and two-family dwellings:

• Detached one-story sheds and similar accessory buildings up to 200 square feet. For commercial property, the limit is 120 square feet.
• Fences up to 7 feet high
• Retaining walls up to 4 feet high, unless they support a surcharge
• Decks no larger than 200 square feet and no higher than 30 inches above grade at any point, as long as they’re not attached to the house and don’t serve a required exit door
• Sidewalks and driveways that aren’t in the public right-of-way
• Painting, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops, and similar finish work
• Prefabricated pools less than 24 inches deep
• Swings and playground equipment
• Window awnings that project 54 inches or less

Fences over 7 feet and retaining walls over 4 feet need a building permit. The Building Division also issues irrigation well permits for a flat $50. See also do I need a permit for a fence.

Trade permits and who can pull them

• Electrical: a permit is required for any installation in new construction, remodeling, or repair. It must be pulled by a Montana-licensed master electrical contractor, and the wiring done by a licensed electrician. Minor repairs, such as replacing lamps, are exempt.
• Plumbing: a permit covers plumbing, water and sewer service lines, gas lines, and drainage, and is pulled by a Montana-licensed plumber. A homeowner doesn’t need a permit for plumbing inside their own home if they do it themselves and the house is for their personal use. A house built to sell or rent doesn’t qualify.
• Water and sewer taps: permits are sold at the Building Division, and only to Montana-licensed master plumbers.
• Mechanical: a permit is required to install or alter heating, ventilation, air conditioning, hoods, boilers, wood stoves, and other heat-producing appliances. Portable appliances are exempt. So are self-contained refrigeration units with 10 pounds of refrigerant or less.

Street-opening permits require the contractor to have bond and insurance on file with the Building Division. Apply for those, and for sidewalk, curb, and drive-approach permits, through Civic Access with a site plan and a traffic control plan.

Submittals

One- and two-family dwellings need:

• A building permit application
• A city address application
• Plans that meet the residential plan submittal requirements
• The residential code summary checklist

Multifamily buildings with three or more units and commercial buildings use the multifamily and commercial submittal requirements. They need third-party review of fire-protection systems. A separate foundation permit is available to start early. Decks follow the city’s deck policy for one- and two-family dwellings. Demolishing a historic building requires its own historic demolition review.

Since December 1, 2025, the Planning Division has offered commercial site review separately from the building permit, so it can happen before you apply for the building permit. It covers access, parking, landscaping, stormwater, utilities, and zoning standards for certain commercial and multi-unit projects.

How fees are figured

Under City Code Title 3, Chapter 2-1, the building permit fee is based on the greater of the contract amount or a square-foot valuation from the ICC Building Valuation Data table. Plan check is 65% of the permit fee.

The division’s July 2026 worked example uses $175.92 per square foot for a wood-frame home (R-3, type VB) and $71.07 for a garage or deck. On that basis, a 2,000-square-foot home with a 576-square-foot garage and a 200-square-foot deck is valued at $406,990.32. That gives a $2,445.00 permit fee and a $1,589.25 plan check fee.

Mechanical, plumbing, and electrical permits, water meters, and system development fees are charged separately. Sidewalk permits are $5 for the first 70 linear feet. Curb cuts are $30 for up to two approaches.

Codes and design criteria

Permit applications received on or after October 26, 2026 are reviewed under the 2024 International Codes, the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code, and the 2023 NEC, as amended by ARM Title 24, Chapter 301 and City Code Title 3. Helena’s design criteria:

Item	Value
Frost depth	42 inches minimum to bottom of footing
Snow load	30 psf minimum
Wind	106 mph (3-second gust)
Seismic design category	D0, or as calculated per IBC Chapter 16
Ice barrier underlayment	Required

The city’s fire code amendments are in Ordinance 3313. No building may be occupied until the Building Official issues a certificate of occupancy. The city also posts current and past permits issued.