Wells, septic, access roads, stream crossings, and fire mitigation — the permits, the real costs, and the people who actually do the work. Written for people who bought acreage and discovered nobody tells you any of this.
Almost every expensive mistake on rural Montana property comes from the same place — not knowing a rule existed until after the work started. Every guide is written from statute and agency sources, with links so you can check us.
Since January 1, 2026 you must file a Notice of Intent with DNRC before putting a new well to use. $400, and it is an approval — not a formality.
Guide · StatewideFour feet of natural soil above the limiting layer is the rule that can't be waived. Why the same house costs $10,000 or $40,000.
Guide · StatewideAny work in the bed or banks of a perennial stream needs Conservation District approval first. It's free. Skipping it costs $500 a day.
Guide · StatewideMontana ranks second nationally for homes at wildfire risk. Free assessments, cost-share grants, and a new law letting insurers reward mitigation.
Tool · Public recordsEvery Montana well log names the driller. We counted 235,287 of them across all 60 counties. Search by county and see who's genuinely active.
Tool · Licensing rostersThe people your county has actually licensed to install a system or evaluate your soil. Pulled from the current county rosters.
Typical figures for making a rural Park County parcel buildable. A remote site more than a quarter mile from existing infrastructure regularly runs past $100,000 before construction begins.
Well depth is computed from 6,831 Park County well logs in the Montana Ground Water Information Center. Half of all wells in the county are 100 feet or shallower; a quarter go past 200 feet, and the deepest on record reaches 1,607 feet. Where your parcel sits matters more than any average.
We're not a lead broker and we don't sell your information. Describe what you're trying to do and we'll point you toward people who actually do that work in your county.
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