Albany, Oregon Building Permit Guide

Building permits in Albany are handled by the Building Division of the City’s Community Development Department at 333 Broadalbin SW (2nd floor). The counter is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m., and the phone is 541-917-7550.

This guide covers the City of Albany’s Building Division: its filing site, the 2026-2027 fees (version July 1, 2026), inspection booking and historic review.

What requires a building permit in Albany?

Albany’s exemption for a patio cover is narrow. No building permit is needed only when the cover is 200 square feet or less, supported by an exterior wall of the house, 12 feet or less in height, and kept out of the setback the Albany Development Code requires from the property line.

On a property in one of the three National Register historic districts (Monteith, Hackleman and Downtown Commercial), designated buildings go through review by planning staff or the Landmarks Commission for exterior alterations, additions and demolition, and new construction in the districts is reviewed as well.

Oregon’s building code and its exemptions are the same in Albany as everywhere in the state, and an exemption from the building permit is not an exemption from zoning, land use or a trade permit. Site snow, wind and seismic values come from the state’s Oregon Design Criteria Hub. How Oregon’s statewide code works

Who handles permitting in Albany?

The Building Division issues the permits; the Planning Division adds its own review of building permits and a land use inspection, and historic work goes to planning staff or the Landmarks Commission. The city publishes its own plan review checklists for 2023 ORSC work: alterations, conversions, new accessory structures, townhouses, and new detached dwellings or ADUs.

The City warns of spam emails dressed up as City invoices. It never asks for a wire transfer, and real City email comes only from an albanyoregon.gov account.

Albany permit costs and fees

The 2026-2027 building permit fee (version July 1, 2026), used for one- and two-dwelling, multi-dwelling and commercial work:

• Up to $25,000 of valuation: $89.00 for the first $2,000 plus $10.05 per additional $1,000.
• Above $100,000: $815.00 for the first $100,000 plus $4.45 per additional $1,000.
• Building plan review: 50% of the building permit fee ($89 minimum); fire and life safety review another 50% ($89 minimum).
• Planning Division building permit review: 25% of the building plan review fee ($50 minimum), plus a $50 land use inspection.
• Deferred submittals $250.00 per item; third-party plan review $125.00 an hour, 2-hour minimum; an added inspection or re-inspection $89.00.
• Historic review: $57 for an exterior alteration or new construction, $956 for a demolition or move.

The fee guide’s example for a 2,000 sq ft single-dwelling home puts the Building Division fees at $4,165, system development charges at $20,205 and construction excise taxes (Greater Albany Public School CET plus the City of Albany Housing CET) at $4,235, with an approximate combined total of $32,140. An Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control permit ($125 to $250) and a $50 encroachment permit for sidewalks and the driveway approach are part of a typical new home.

Oregon fixes the method rather than the price: new construction is valued with the ICC building valuation data under OAR 918-050-0100, Albany applies its own schedule, and a 12 percent state surcharge is added to every permit fee. How Oregon permit fees are set

How to get a building permit in Albany

An Oregon building permit expires if work does not start within 180 days of issue or stops for 180 days; the building official can extend it in writing, 180 days at a time. Oregon’s statewide code rules

Inspections in Albany

Inspections are booked on the City’s e-Permitting site, and only on permits with an Approved status. They can be booked up to 10 days ahead but must be in by 7 a.m.; an a.m. or p.m. preference, or a request for a 15-minute call-ahead, goes in the notes. Only one inspection can be on the schedule at a time, and cancellations go by email to cd.customerservice@cityofalbany.net.

Official Albany permitting resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Albany Building Division
• Albany development fees
• Does my home project need a permit?
• Albany ePermitting guide: scheduling inspections
• Albany historic preservation

Frequently asked questions

Does a patio cover in Albany need a permit?

Not if it is 200 square feet or less, supported by the house wall, 12 feet or less in height and outside the required setback.

What is Albany’s minimum building permit fee?

$89.00, the same amount charged for an inspection or re-inspection added to an existing permit.

What is Albany’s inspection booking cut-off?

Inspections must be scheduled by 7 a.m., up to 10 days ahead, and only on a permit with an Approved status.

Simplify Albany permitting with Alliance Permitting

• Match the project to Albany’s 2023 ORSC plan review checklist
• Upload the application and plans on Albany’s ePermitting site
• Book inspections by the 7 a.m. cut-off and track historic or planning review

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Oregon. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Albany permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.