County Building Permits
Multnomah County, OR - 2026 Building Permit Guide
How to apply for a building permit in unincorporated Multnomah County, Oregon. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
There is not one unified county building-permit counter for all unincorporated Multnomah County. County land use staff review zoning and related county permits, while building permits are routed by geography to Portland, Gresham, or Troutdale. Septic and on-site sewage are handled countywide by Portland. Transportation review can also be separate for county roads.
- Department
- Split authority. Multnomah County Land Use Planning handles zoning, land use, and county review for rural and unincorporated property; structural building permits are routed to City of Portland, City of Gresham, or City of Troutdale depending service area.
- Address
- Land Use Planning, 1600 SE 190th Ave., Portland, OR 97233
- Phone
- 503-988-3043
Online Permit Portal
Platform: Multnomah County Permit Portal / EnerGov • Account required: Yes • Submission: Online only
Application Process
- Contact Multnomah County Land Use Planning first through Ask a Planner or phone to confirm jurisdiction, zoning, and whether county land use permits or zoning plan review are required.
- If the project is in unincorporated county, determine which city issues the structural building permit for that location: Portland, Gresham, or Troutdale.
- If county land use approval or zoning plan review is required, obtain that approval before or alongside building-permit routing as instructed.
- Submit county zoning-plan-review or land use materials through the county permit portal with all required digital documents.
- Pay county invoices; applications are not considered received until full payment is made.
- After county review, continue with the applicable city building-permit process for permit issuance and inspections.
- Complete any county erosion-control, transportation, floodplain, geologic hazard, septic, or other parallel reviews that apply to the site.
Typical processing time: County states the assigned planner will send a status update within 30 days after an application is received; no single full permit-issuance estimate is posted because county and city reviews are split.
General Requirements
In unincorporated areas, building-permit applicants are referred by the issuing city to Multnomah County for zoning review where required; separate county permits may also apply for floodplain, geologic hazards, erosion and sediment control, transportation, and related land use matters.
Required Documents
- Application form
- Site plan
- Floor plan
- Building elevations
- Service-provider review forms
- Other items identified in the zoning checklist or land use permit
- Permit validity
- County land use pages do not publish a single building-permit expiration rule because issuance and inspections are handled by the routed city; county permit validity varies by permit type.
- Building code
- County zoning and land use review is paired with state-adopted Oregon building codes administered by the routed building department. Unincorporated sites may also face county floodplain, landslide or geologic hazard, erosion-control, transportation, septic, wildfire, and Columbia River Gorge or scenic-area review depending location.
- Owner-builder
- Follow the routed city and Oregon rules for the actual building permit.
- Contractor requirements
- Follow the routed city and Oregon contractor and trade licensing requirements.
Fees
- Minimum permit fee
- Examples include Accessory Building/Structure Registration at $77, Agricultural Building Review at $157, Floodplain Development Permit at $1,266, and Sign Permit at $162
- Plan check fee
- County zoning plan review and related land use fees are separate from the routed city's building plan review fees
- Permit fee formula
- County land use fees are mostly flat or deposit-based by application type; actual building permit fees depend on the routed city
- Reinspection fee
- County transportation review and erosion-control inspections can have separate fee structures; building reinspection fees depend on routed city
- Payment note
- County states applications are not received until full payment is made; payment after regular business hours posts next business day. County permit-portal payments accept Mastercard, Visa, or Discover.
Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule (effective July 1, 2025).
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the Split authority. Multnomah County Land Use Planning handles zoning, land use, and county review for rural and unincorporated property; structural building permits are routed to City of Portland, City of Gresham, or City of Troutdale depending service area. to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- Self-scheduling available for certain county inspection types (online)
- County land use staff by appointment (phone)
- Inspection hours
- County land use staff available by appointment Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
Typical inspection sequence: County erosion-control or hazard inspections as required, then city building and trade inspections for the actual permit.
Additional Resources
- Building code: County zoning and land use review is paired with state-adopted Oregon building codes administered by the routed building department. Unincorporated sites may also face county floodplain, landslide or geologic hazard, erosion-control, transportation, septic, wildfire, and Columbia River Gorge or scenic-area review depending location.
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- Service providers and regional land use partners
- Submitting building plan zoning review
- How to contact land use planning
- Transportation planning
- License lookup guide: Oregon Contractor License Requirements
- Contract template: Oregon Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
- Oregon hub: Oregon Contractor License & Permit Hub
Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the Split authority. Multnomah County Land Use Planning handles zoning, land use, and county review for rural and unincorporated property; structural building permits are routed to City of Portland, City of Gresham, or City of Troutdale depending service area. before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Multnomah County Building Permit FAQ
- Do I need a building permit in unincorporated Multnomah County, OR?
- In unincorporated areas, building-permit applicants are referred by the issuing city to Multnomah County for zoning review where required; separate county permits may also apply for floodplain, geologic hazards, erosion and sediment control, transportation, and related land use matters.
- How much does a building permit cost in unincorporated Multnomah County, OR?
- The minimum permit fee is Examples include Accessory Building/Structure Registration at $77, Agricultural Building Review at $157, Floodplain Development Permit at $1,266, and Sign Permit at $162. Fees are calculated as: County land use fees are mostly flat or deposit-based by application type; actual building permit fees depend on the routed city. Plan check fee: County zoning plan review and related land use fees are separate from the routed city's building plan review fees.
- How do I apply for a building permit in unincorporated Multnomah County, OR?
- 1. Contact Multnomah County Land Use Planning first through Ask a Planner or phone to confirm jurisdiction, zoning, and whether county land use permits or zoning plan review are required. 2. If the project is in unincorporated county, determine which city issues the structural building permit for that location: Portland, Gresham, or Troutdale. 3. If county land use approval or zoning plan review is required, obtain that approval before or alongside building-permit routing as instructed. 4. Submit county zoning-plan-review or land use materials through the county permit portal with all required digital documents. 5. Pay county invoices; applications are not considered received until full payment is made. 6. After county review, continue with the applicable city building-permit process for permit issuance and inspections. 7. Complete any county erosion-control, transportation, floodplain, geologic hazard, septic, or other parallel reviews that apply to the site.
- How long does it take to get a building permit in unincorporated Multnomah County, OR?
- Typical processing time is County states the assigned planner will send a status update within 30 days after an application is received; no single full permit-issuance estimate is posted because county and city reviews are split..
- What work is exempt from building permits in unincorporated Multnomah County, OR?
- The following work is generally exempt: No single countywide public exemption list exists for all unincorporated building work because structural permit exemptions follow the routed building department and Oregon code; Even where a structural permit is exempt, county floodplain, erosion-control, transportation, septic, scenic-area, or geologic-hazard approvals may still be required depending on site conditions.
- How do I schedule a building inspection in unincorporated Multnomah County, OR?
- Inspections can be scheduled via: Self-scheduling available for certain county inspection types, County land use staff by appointment.
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