Missoula, MT
Missoula building permit cost
A Missoula building permit prices on project cost — and the City usually derives that number itself.
The Building Permit Valuation & Plan Review Packet builds an artificial valuation from per-square-foot factors ($46.85 dwelling area, $10.11 unfinished basements, $16.99 garages), then the ladder prices it: a $1,000-wide printed grid from $43.00 to $1,869.00, then $11.73 per $1,000 to $500,000, $7.82 to $1,000,000, $5.87 above. Plan review adds 30% of the permit fee — paid before review proceeds.
How this fee is calculated
These are the components the schedule defines for this permit, as they applied on 2026-09-28. A component only applies to your project if its conditions match — read that column before assuming a figure. Want a figure for your own project? Estimate this fee with the permit fee calculator.
| Component | Formula | Applies when | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building permit project-cost block 1Permit fee | $43.00 flat fee | Project valuation up to $500 | — |
| Building permit project-cost block 2Permit fee | $52.00 flat fee | Project valuation over $500 and up to $1,000 | — |
| Building permit project-cost block 3Permit fee | $75.00 flat fee | Project valuation over $1,000 and up to $2,000 | — |
| Building permit project-cost block 4Permit fee | $78.00 + $9.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $2,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $2,000 and up to $20,000 | — |
| Building permit project-cost block 5Permit fee | $159.00 + $2.60 per $1,000 of project valuation above $20,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $20,000 and up to $30,000 | — |
| Building permit project-cost block 6Permit fee | $368.00 + $2.70 per $1,000 of project valuation above $30,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $30,000 and up to $40,000 | — |
| Building permit project-cost block 7Permit fee | $635.00 + $5.80 per $1,000 of project valuation above $40,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $40,000 and up to $50,000 | — |
| Building permit project-cost block 8Permit fee | $1,225.00 flat fee | Project valuation over $50,000 and up to $100,000 | — |
| Building permit marginal band 1 (above $100,000)Permit fee | $1,869.00 + $11.73 per $1,000 of project valuation above $100,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $100,000 and up to $500,000 | — |
| Building permit marginal band 2 (above $100,000)Permit fee | $6,563.00 + $7.82 per $1,000 of project valuation above $500,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $500,000 and up to $1,000,000 | — |
| Building permit marginal band 3 (above $100,000)Permit fee | $10,474.00 + $5.87 per $1,000 of project valuation above $1,000,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $1,000,000 | — |
| Plan review — 30% of the building permit fee (all occupancies, through 2026-09-30)Plan review | 30% of calculated permit fee | plan review is true | — |
A real permit fee is these components added together. The department’s final calculation is the one that applies — this is the schedule it will be based on.
A worked example
Follow the arithmetic by hand. Every line is produced by the engine from the rules above, so the total cannot drift away from the schedule behind it.
Worked example
A commercial build-out with a project cost of $650,000 (derived valuation), submitted through plan review.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $650,000 |
| Occupancy class | Commercial |
| Type of work | New construction |
| Plan review | Yes |
Example total
$10,056.80
An estimate, not an official fee. It is calculated from the published fee schedule as it applied on 2026-09-28. The permit office’s own calculation is the one that applies, and your project may fall under rules this schedule does not describe.
Fee schedule as of 2026-09-28Rules applied 2Rules considered 25
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Building permit marginal band 2 (above $100,000)Permit fee"$500,001 to $1,000,000 = $6,563 for the first $500,000 plus $7.82 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof." Check: $1,869 + 400 × $11.73 = $6,561 — the printed $6,563 base carries the two-dollar rounding of the grid rows, modelled as printed.Show the working
| $6,563.00 + $7.82 per $1,000 of project valuation above $500,000, or fraction thereof, in $1,000 steps | $7,736.00 |
Plan review — 30% of the building permit fee (all occupancies, through 2026-09-30)Plan reviewThe FY2026 schedule and the City's Valuation & Plan Review Packet agree: "the plan review fee shall be 30% of the building permit fee as established in Section 15.32.020(A)" — one percentage for every class, paid before review proceeds and non-refundable. Resolution 8970 (effective 2026-10-01, six days after this rule's effectiveTo) keeps 30% residential and raises commercial to 65%. Additional review for changed plans bills at $62.00/hour (half-hour minimum); resubmittals after three cycles add 10% of the original review per cycle — named, not charged. The packet's artificial-valuation method derives the project cost this percentage reads: dwelling × $46.85, unfinished basement × $10.11, attached garage × $16.99, carport × $11.53, detached garage × $16.99, pole building × $9.85 per square foot; publicly bid projects over $50,000 may use bid value.Show the working
| 30% of calculated permit fee | $2,320.80 |
| Total | $10,056.80 |
Fees that do not apply here
Listed so you can see what was considered and left out, rather than wondering whether something is missing. A rule can also be left out because it is not published for this permit at all, and that is stated where it matters.
- Building permit project-cost block 1 (FY2027) — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Building permit project-cost block 1 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit project-cost block 2 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit project-cost block 2 (FY2027) — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Building permit project-cost block 3 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit project-cost block 3 (FY2027) — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Building permit project-cost block 4 (FY2027) — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Building permit project-cost block 4 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit project-cost block 5 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit project-cost block 5 (FY2027) — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Building permit project-cost block 6 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit project-cost block 6 (FY2027) — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Building permit project-cost block 7 (FY2027) — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Building permit project-cost block 7 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit project-cost block 8 (FY2027) — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Building permit project-cost block 8 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit marginal band 1 (above $100,000, FY2027) — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Building permit marginal band 1 (above $100,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit marginal band 2 (above $100,000, FY2027) — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Building permit marginal band 3 (above $100,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit marginal band 3 (above $100,000, FY2027) — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Plan review — 30% of the building permit fee (residential, from 2026-10-01) — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Plan review — 65% of the building permit fee (commercial, from 2026-10-01) — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
Assumptions
- Calculated from 2 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
Two lines — $10,056.80.
Building ladder, second wide band ('$500,001 to $1,000,000'): base $6,563.00. The excess is $150,000 — 150 whole $1,000 steps at $7.82 = $1,173.00. Band total: $6,563.00 + $1,173.00 = $7,736.00.
Plan review: 30% of the building permit fee — 0.30 × $7,736.00 = $2,320.80.
Total: $7,736.00 + $2,320.80 = $10,056.80.
What moves it: from October 1, 2026 the commercial plan review is 65%, not 30% — the same project would pay $5,028.40 of review, $10,588.40 more than a dollar-for-dollar FY2026 comparison suggests; and 'or fraction thereof' rounds each $1,000 step up.
What is different in Missoula
The artificial valuation is the schedule's signature. A 2,000 sq ft house with a 1,000 sq ft unfinished basement and a 600 sq ft attached garage derives to 2,000 × $46.85 + 1,000 × $10.11 + 600 × $16.99 = $111,254 — and that derived number, not a contractor's estimate, walks the ladder. Bid value is admitted only on publicly bid projects over $50,000, and remodels always use the estimated job cost.
The ladder itself is a fine grid: $1,000-wide printed rows from $43.00 at $500 of cost to $1,869 at $100,000, stepping $22–$33 per row through the middle ranges. Above $100,000 the schedule prints four marginal bands — $1,869 + $11.73 per $1,000 to $500,000, then $6,563 + $7.82, then $10,474 + $5.87 — and their printed bases carry one-to-two dollars of rounding against the bands below, which the schedule owns and this page models as printed.
Plan review is 30% of the computed fee for every class under Resolution 8887's FY2026 schedule — but from October 1, 2026, Resolution 8970 raises commercial review to 65% while residential stays at 30%. Changed plans bill at $62.00 an hour after the first review.
What this figure does not include
Impact fees, utility connections and other departments’ permits are the usual omissions, and in some jurisdictions they are larger than the permit fee itself.
Not included in these figures
This is the building permit fee under the FY2026 schedule. It excludes:
- The October 1, 2026 successor amounts — Resolution 8970's roughly 18–19% trade-row increases and the 65% commercial plan review, priced by rules that open October 1, 2026 (not charged on this data's date).
- Trade permits — electrical and plumbing price their own rows on their own pages.
- Mechanical, demolition, solar and re-roof permits — flat rows on the same schedule, recorded in the research file.
- Administrative fees — the 5% technology fee, reactivation $275, stop work $255, and the double fee for unpermitted work.
What you need before applying
- The valuation is usually artificial — derived from square-foot factorsRequired
The City's packet derives the project cost: dwelling area × $46.85, unfinished basements × $10.11, attached garage × $16.99, carport × $11.53, detached garage × $16.99, pole building × $9.85 (areas measured inside exterior walls). Publicly bid projects over $50,000 may use the bid value; remodels always use the estimated job cost; combined addition/remodel prices on the prevailing work.
- Plan review is paid before review proceeds and is non-refundableRequired
The 30% plan review must be paid before the application is reviewed beyond initial screening; changed plans bill at $62.00/hour (half-hour minimum), and a third or later review cycle adds 10% of the original plan review each. From October 1, 2026, commercial review rises to 65% under Resolution 8970.
Common questions
How is a building permit's project cost determined in Missoula?
Usually artificially: the City's packet multiplies your areas by per-square-foot factors — $46.85 dwelling, $10.11 unfinished basement, $16.99 attached or detached garage, $11.53 carport, $9.85 pole building — and the total walks the ladder. Publicly bid projects over $50,000 may use the bid value; remodels always use the estimated job cost.
How much is a building permit for a $400,000 house in Missoula?
Band 1 of the wide bands: $1,869.00 for the first $100,000 plus 300 whole $1,000 steps at $11.73 = $3,519.00 — $5,388.00, plus 30% plan review ($1,616.40) if plans are reviewed.
What is the plan review fee in Missoula?
30 percent of the building permit fee under the FY2026 schedule, for every occupancy, paid before review proceeds and non-refundable. From October 1, 2026, commercial review rises to 65% under Resolution 8970 while residential stays at 30%.
What happens if my plans need several review cycles?
Changes bill at $62.00 per hour with a half-hour minimum; once a project needs three or more review cycles, each additional cycle adds 10% of the original plan-review fee (a resubmittal fee Resolution 8970 carries forward).
Are Missoula's permit fees changing?
Yes — Resolution 8970 (adopted August 17, 2026) raises nearly every fee about 5% effective October 1, 2026, and splits plan review: residential 30%, commercial 65%. Every amount on this page is the FY2026 figure in force through September 30.
What if I build without a permit in Missoula?
Double the permit fee — and where the doubled fee is less than the Stop Work Order fee, the $255.00 stop-work fee is charged instead. Emergencies may proceed, with the permit application due the next business day.
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- Fee schedule (PDF)CityPrimary source
Read 2026-09-26 via reader proxy (5 pp.). Carries the building project-cost ladder (a $1,000-wide row grid from $1 to $100,000, then four wide marginal bands: $1,869 + $11.73 per $1,000 to $500,000; $6,563 + $7.82 to $1,000,000; $10,474 + $5.87 above), plan review at 30% of the building permit fee (§ 15.32.020(A), $62/hour for changes), the electrical residential flats and five-band commercial ladder, the plumbing issuance and unit rows, and the administrative/penalty apparatus (double fee for unpermitted work, stop work $255, reactivation $275, technology fee 5%). Adoption line: 'Passed and adopted Resolution 8887.'
- City websiteCityPrimary source
City of Missoula Building Permit Valuation & Plan Review Packet (V.01.0126)
Read 2026-09-26 via reader proxy (4 pp.). The City's own teaching document for the plan-review arithmetic: 'the plan review fee charged is 30% of the building permit fee.' Seven steps derive an artificial valuation from the 1998 Building Standards per-square-foot data (residential factors: dwelling $46.85, unfinished basement $10.11, attached garage $16.99, carport $11.53, detached garage $16.99, pole building $9.85), convert IBC construction types to the 1997 UBC terms, add sprinkler and air-conditioning multipliers, then apply the ladder and take 30%. Publicly bid projects over $50,000 may use bid value; remodels always use estimated job cost; combined addition/remodel uses the prevailing work.
- OrdinanceCityPrimary source
Read 2026-09-26 via reader proxy (10 pp.); every fee row re-read line by line from the exhibit text on 2026-09-27. The successor instrument, six days after this pass's date: the MEP trade rows rise roughly 18–19% (issuance $43→$51, fixtures and water heaters $16→$19, medical gas $140→$166, gray water $100→$119, commercial electrical bases $84/$167/$667/$1,229→$100/$198/$788/$1,452), the building ladder's grid prints numerically unchanged ($43 … $1,869 with the same three wide-band rates), solar goes $100→$250 and re-roof $281→$332, and the plan review splits — 'b. Residential Plan Review Fee: 30% of the building permit fee (round up to nearest dollar)' unchanged; 'c. Commercial Plan Review Fee: 65% of the building permit fee' raised from the existing 30%. Modelled as FY2027 rules on this source with effectiveFrom 2026-10-01; the FY2026 rules close their window the day before.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.