Missoula, MT
Missoula electrical permit cost
A Missoula electrical permit keys on dwelling type.
A single-family new build is $361.00 (100–300 A) or $560.00 (301+ A); a duplex $501.00; multi-family $278.00 plus $58.00 per unit to 12 units. Commercial and everything else climbs a five-band project-cost ladder — $84.00 to $500, then $84 + 9%, $167 + 3.5%, $667 + 1%, $1,229 + 0.5% — with printed bases that deliberately stand alone.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial electrical, project cost $0–$500 — $84.00Permit fee | $84.00 flat fee | Project valuation up to $500 | — |
| Commercial electrical, $501–$1,000 — $84 for the first $500 + 9% of balancePermit fee | $84.00 + 9% of the first $1,000 | Project valuation over $500 and up to $1,000 | — |
| Commercial electrical, $1,001–$10,000 — $167 for the first $1,000 + 3.5% of balancePermit fee | $167.00 + 3.5% of the first $10,000 | Project valuation over $1,000 and up to $10,000 | — |
| Commercial electrical, $10,001–$50,000 — $667 for the first $10,000 + 1% of balancePermit fee | $667.00 + 1% of the first $50,000 | Project valuation over $10,000 and up to $50,000 | — |
| Commercial electrical, $50,001 or more — $1,229 for the first $50,000 + 0.5% of balancePermit fee | $1,229.00 + 0.5% of project valuation | Project valuation over $50,000 | — |
| Duplex new construction, any capacity service — $501.00Permit fee | $501.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and duplex is true | — |
| Multi-family (3–12 units) new construction, any capacity — $278.00Permit fee | $278.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and Work type is new construction and Dwelling units at least 3 and Dwelling units up to 12 | — |
| Multi-family new construction, per unit — $58.00Permit fee | $58.00 per dwelling unit | Occupancy is residential and Work type is new construction and Dwelling units over 0 and Dwelling units up to 12 | — |
| Addition, remodel or interior rewire of existing — $110.00Permit fee | $110.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and Work type is one of alteration, remodel, addition | — |
| Change or upgrade service (meter/breaker panel, incl. alternative energy) — $69.00Permit fee | $69.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and service upgrade is true | — |
| Single-family dwelling new construction, 100–300 A — $361.00Permit fee | $361.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and Work type is new construction and dsf is not provided and duplex is not provided and not (Dwelling units at least 3) | — |
| Single-family dwelling new construction, 301+ A — $560.00Permit fee | $560.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and Work type is new construction and dsf 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 electrical scope with a project cost of $60,000 (labor plus material, rounded to the nearest hundred).
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $60,000 |
| Occupancy class | Commercial |
| Type of work | New construction |
Example total
$1,529.00
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 1Rules considered 24
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Commercial electrical, $50,001 or more — $1,229 for the first $50,000 + 0.5% of balancePermit fee§ D.7.e: $1,229 base plus 0.5% of the project balance, open-ended. (Resolution 8970 raises this base to $1,452 effective 2026-10-01.)Show the working
| $1,229.00 + 0.5% of project valuation | $1,529.00 |
| Total | $1,529.00 |
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.
- Commercial electrical, project cost $0–$500 — $100.00 — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Commercial electrical, project cost $0–$500 — $84.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Commercial electrical, $501–$1,000 — $100 for the first $500 + 9% of balance — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Commercial electrical, $501–$1,000 — $84 for the first $500 + 9% of balance — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Commercial electrical, $1,001–$10,000 — $167 for the first $1,000 + 3.5% of balance — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Commercial electrical, $1,001–$10,000 — $198 for the first $1,000 + 3.5% of balance — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Commercial electrical, $10,001–$50,000 — $667 for the first $10,000 + 1% of balance — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Commercial electrical, $10,001–$50,000 — $788 for the first $10,000 + 1% of balance — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Commercial electrical, $50,001 or more — $1,452 for the first $50,000 + 0.5% of balance — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Duplex new construction, any capacity service — $501.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Duplex new construction, any capacity service — $592.00 — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Multi-family (3–12 units) new construction, any capacity — $329.00 — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Multi-family (3–12 units) new construction, any capacity — $278.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Multi-family new construction, per unit — $58.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Multi-family new construction, per unit — $69.00 — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Addition, remodel or interior rewire of existing — $130.00 — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Addition, remodel or interior rewire of existing — $110.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Change or upgrade service (meter/breaker panel, incl. alternative energy) — $82.00 — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Change or upgrade service (meter/breaker panel, incl. alternative energy) — $69.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Single-family dwelling new construction, 100–300 A — $361.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Single-family dwelling new construction, 100–300 A — $427.00 — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
- Single-family dwelling new construction, 301+ A — $560.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Single-family dwelling new construction, 301+ A — $662.00 — Not in effect on 2026-09-28 (starts 2026-10-01).
Assumptions
- Calculated from 1 fee rule in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
One line — $1,279.00.
§ D.7, band e ('$50,001 or more'): base $1,229.00. The excess is $10,000 — 0.5% = $50.00.
Total: $1,229.00 + $50.00 = $1,279.00.
What moves it: the rounding rule — a declared $60,040 rounds to $60,000, no change; and the printed bases stand alone, so a $50,000 job (band d) prices $667 + 1% of $40,000 = $1,067.00, not band e's $1,229.00 base.
What is different in Missoula
The residential rows are named for the job: one flat covers a single-family service of 100 to 300 amps, another everything above; the $69.00 service-upgrade row includes alternative-energy connections. Multi-family prices twice — $278.00 for the building (3–12 units) plus $58.00 per unit — and § 7 takes over past 12 units or for any other installation.
The commercial ladder has an honest quirk: its band bases do not chain. $84.00 plus 9% of the $500 balance is $129.00 at $1,000, but the next band's printed base is $167.00 — the schedule's rows stand alone, and this page prices them as printed. Also note the rounding rule: commercial project cost rounds to the nearest hundred before the ladder reads it.
Resolution 8970 raises every base about 18% effective October 1, 2026 ($100/$198/$788/$1,452) — the FY2026 amounts here are what applies through September 30.
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 electrical permit fee under the FY2026 schedule. It excludes:
- The building permit and its 30% plan review — on the building page.
- Accessory, mobile-home and special-installation flats — $43–$110 (detached buildings by amperage, courts, irrigation wells, pumps, temporary services, STEP systems), recorded in the research file.
- The October 1, 2026 successor amounts — modelled as rules that open October 1, 2026; not charged on this data's date.
- Miscellaneous residential wiring rows — $43.00 under $50 of labor and materials, $80.00 above — recorded.
What you need before applying
- Commercial project cost rounds to the nearest hundred before the ladderRequired
§ D.7's own instruction: 'Please round project cost to the nearest hundred prior to using fee schedule' — the cost is all labor and material to the owner. A declared $5,140 job prices as $5,100, inside the $1,001–$10,000 band at $167 + 3.5% of the balance.
Common questions
How much is an electrical permit for a new house in Missoula?
$361.00 for a 100–300 amp service, $560.00 for 301+ amps. A duplex is $501.00 at any capacity; an addition, remodel or interior rewire is $110.00; a service upgrade including alternative-energy connections is $69.00.
How is a commercial electrical permit calculated?
By project cost rounded to the nearest hundred: $84.00 to $500, then $84 + 9% of the balance to $1,000, $167 + 3.5% to $10,000, $667 + 1% to $50,000, $1,229 + 0.5% above — each band's printed base stands alone rather than chaining.
What does a multi-family electrical permit cost?
$278.00 for the building (3–12 units) plus $58.00 per unit of new construction — a 12-unit building prices $278 + 12 × $58 = $974.00. Over 12 units, the commercial project-cost ladder applies instead.
Are Missoula electrical fees going up?
Yes — Resolution 8970 raises the commercial bases to $100/$198/$788/$1,452 and most residential rows about 19% effective October 1, 2026. The FY2026 amounts apply through September 30.
Does the electrical permit read the whole project's value?
No — the commercial ladder reads the electrical project cost (all labor and material to the owner), not the building's value; and the residential rows are flats keyed on dwelling type and amperage, reading no valuation at all.
Where do Missoula electrical permits come from?
Development Services (CPDI) at 435 Ryman Street, through the City's Accela portal. The fee schedule is Resolution 8887's Exhibit C in force through September 30, 2026, succeeded by Resolution 8970's amounts on October 1.
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.'
- 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.