District of Columbia

Washington Building Permit Guide

Building in the District of Columbia means dealing with a single agency and a distinctive layer of federal review. The Department of Buildings — the successor since 2022 to the old Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs — is the one building authority for the entire city, and above its DC Construction Codes sit the federal Height Act, the historic-district review that runs inside the permit, and the federal design boards that shape the monumental core.