County Building Permits
Washington County, OR - 2026 Building Permit Guide
How to apply for a building permit in unincorporated Washington County, Oregon. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
Applies in unincorporated Washington County and in city areas where the county is the actual building permit authority for a given permit type. County review commonly intersects with zoning, grading, floodplain, drainage hazard, significant natural resource, wildfire, and similar land use constraints.
- Department
- Washington County Land Use and Transportation, Building Services
- Address
- 155 N First Ave, Suite 170, Hillsboro, OR 97124
- Phone
- 503-846-3470
Online Permit Portal
Platform: Building and Development Application Services (BDAS) with ProjectDox and Public Permitting and Services • Account required: Yes • Submission: In-person only
Additional resources:
Application Process
- Confirm parcel jurisdiction and any current planning constraints before filing, especially for grading, floodplain, drainage hazard, wildfire, natural resource, or rural-area development issues.
- Select the correct permit path. County self-service BDAS is for electrical, plumbing, mechanical, prescriptive solar, and NFPA 13 sprinkler affidavit permits; most other permits start with an emailed application or homeowner in-person intake.
- Submit the application and required forms. County staff create the permit record and send payment and upload instructions.
- Upload plans to ProjectDox when plan review is required and respond to correction notices until approved.
- Pay remaining permit fees online or through county payment channels.
- Receive issued permit documents, keep approved plans on site, and complete inspections through the county system.
Typical processing time: No single countywide permit review promise is posted. The county states only that applications must upload plans and pay plan review fees within 30 days of submission.
Source: Washington County Land Use and Transportation, Building Services
General Requirements
New construction and most structural, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, demolition, and similar regulated work. County code also ties many projects to separate planning or grading review.
Required Documents
- Permit application
- site plan
- construction plans
- valuation
- supporting engineering when required
- and project-specific county forms and signatures.
- Permit validity
- Oregon baseline is 180 days to start work and 180 days without activity unless extended by the building official.
- Building code
- State of Oregon building specialty codes as enforced by Washington County.
- Owner-builder
- Homeowners may apply directly and may use in-person intake for some permit types; Oregon homeowner acknowledgement rules still apply where the owner is the permit holder.
- Contractor requirements
- Oregon contractor and trade licensing rules apply.
Fees
- Minimum permit fee
- Washington County fee schedule pages show schedule-based minimums by permit type; an older county fee table visible in current search indexing shows a $130 minimum mechanical permit, but applicants should use the current FY 2025-26 county fee PDF for active charges.
- Plan check fee
- Applies where plan review is required.
- Permit fee formula
- Mixed. Valuation-based for many structural permits, schedule-based for trade permits, plus state surcharge and county add-on fees.
- Reinspection fee
- Additional fees may apply for permit extensions, reinspection, and work started without permits.
- Penalty (no permit)
- Additional fees may apply for permit extensions, reinspection, and work started without permits.
- Payment note
- Online payments run through the Public Permitting and Services portal. Credit card convenience fees are paid by the customer.
Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
- Minor work exempt under Oregon residential exemption rules, including many small detached nonhabitable structures, low fences, minor finish work, and limited like-for-like repairs.
- Exemptions do not override planning, floodplain, grading, access, or right-of-way approvals.
- Rural fill placement, floodplain work, and similar site work can still need separate county approvals even when a building permit is not required.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- Public Permitting and Services portal, IVR inspection line, and SelecTXT text scheduling (other)
- Inspection hours
- Building Services lobby hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday; remote services are available daily; exact inspection windows are not posted on the main page
- Time windows
- Building Services lobby hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday; remote services are available daily; exact inspection windows are not posted on the main page
Typical inspection sequence: Footing and foundation, under-slab or underground work, framing and rough trades, insulation and cover inspections where applicable, then finals
Additional Resources
- Building code: State of Oregon building specialty codes as enforced by Washington County.
- Verify contractor license: Oregon CCB License Lookup
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- Resource
- Resource
- Resource
- Resource
- 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 Washington County Land Use and Transportation, Building Services before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Washington County Building Permit FAQ
- Do I need a building permit in unincorporated Washington County, OR?
- New construction and most structural, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, demolition, and similar regulated work. County code also ties many projects to separate planning or grading review.
- How much does a building permit cost in unincorporated Washington County, OR?
- The minimum permit fee is Washington County fee schedule pages show schedule-based minimums by permit type; an older county fee table visible in current search indexing shows a $130 minimum mechanical permit, but applicants should use the current FY 2025-26 county fee PDF for active charges.. Fees are calculated as: Mixed. Valuation-based for many structural permits, schedule-based for trade permits, plus state surcharge and county add-on fees.. Plan check fee: Applies where plan review is required..
- How do I apply for a building permit in unincorporated Washington County, OR?
- 1. Confirm parcel jurisdiction and any current planning constraints before filing, especially for grading, floodplain, drainage hazard, wildfire, natural resource, or rural-area development issues. 2. Select the correct permit path. County self-service BDAS is for electrical, plumbing, mechanical, prescriptive solar, and NFPA 13 sprinkler affidavit permits; most other permits start with an emailed application or homeowner in-person intake. 3. Submit the application and required forms. County staff create the permit record and send payment and upload instructions. 4. Upload plans to ProjectDox when plan review is required and respond to correction notices until approved. 5. Pay remaining permit fees online or through county payment channels. 6. Receive issued permit documents, keep approved plans on site, and complete inspections through the county system.
- How long does it take to get a building permit in unincorporated Washington County, OR?
- Typical processing time is No single countywide permit review promise is posted. The county states only that applications must upload plans and pay plan review fees within 30 days of submission..
- What work is exempt from building permits in unincorporated Washington County, OR?
- The following work is generally exempt: Minor work exempt under Oregon residential exemption rules, including many small detached nonhabitable structures, low fences, minor finish work, and limited like-for-like repairs.; Exemptions do not override planning, floodplain, grading, access, or right-of-way approvals.; Rural fill placement, floodplain work, and similar site work can still need separate county approvals even when a building permit is not required..
- How do I schedule a building inspection in unincorporated Washington County, OR?
- Inspections can be scheduled via: Public Permitting and Services portal, IVR inspection line, and SelecTXT text scheduling.
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