Inside the city limits of Dallas, the City’s Building Division reviews plans and issues and inspects structural, mechanical, plumbing and manufactured dwelling permits, while Polk County issues electrical permits. All applications go through Oregon ePermitting, homeowners included. For a new house, the residential valuation table the City sent to the state in May 2026 starts at $81.01 and adds 65% of the permit fee for plan review.
The division belongs to the Economic and Community Development Department at Dallas City Hall, 187 SE Court Street, and Chris Reichelt is the Building Official. Dallas, in Polk County, had 17,890 residents in the Census estimate for 2025. Call 503-831-3574 or email building@dallasor.gov; the permit technician can set up a 15-minute appointment during office hours.
This covers land inside Dallas city limits. Unincorporated Polk County outside the city is permitted by Polk County Community Development.
What requires a building permit in Dallas?
Dallas sorts its work into the permit types it sells in ePermitting: new one- and two-family dwellings (sold as a combination permit), residential structural work such as additions, remodels, alterations and repairs, manufactured dwelling placements, residential mechanical and plumbing work, backflow devices, and commercial buildings, tenant improvements and fire systems. Where a small project falls below the state’s thresholds, chapter 1 of the 2026 Oregon Residential Specialty Code, mandatory since October 1, 2026, decides whether a house project needs a building permit.
Permit needed in Dallas
- A new house, duplex or ADU, under the City’s combination dwelling permit
- Additions, remodels, structural repairs and alterations
- Furnaces, heat pumps, air conditioners, ventilation and water heaters (mechanical or plumbing permit)
- Plumbing fixtures, gas water heaters and backflow devices
- Fences that serve as a pool barrier, and retaining walls that support a building, protect its users or hold back soil that could affect it
- Commercial buildings, tenant improvements and fire protection systems
Exempt under the 2026 ORSC
- A detached, one-story, nonhabitable accessory building up to 200 sq ft and 15 feet to the average roof height, or 400 sq ft on a parcel of 2 acres or more
- Decks, porches and platforms whose walking surface is no more than 30 inches above grade
- Patio, porch and deck covers up to 200 sq ft that stay at least 3 feet from lot lines
- Reroofing that adds no more than 4 psf of dead load, except on townhouses, stacked two-family dwellings and photovoltaic roofs
- Above-grade and on-ground pools; in-ground pools at a house only need a permit where a local ordinance requires it
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Get a free quote →What Dallas decides and what the state holds
The construction rules are the state’s: the City lists the 2026 residential code, the 2025 structural, mechanical and energy codes, the 2026 plumbing code and the 2010 manufactured dwelling installation code as its adopted codes. Dallas sets the fee schedule, the filing channel, its inspection days, its zoning through the Dallas Development Code, and the local design values: 97 mph basic wind speed for Risk Category II with Exposure B, Seismic Design Category D1, a 25 psf roof and 36 psf ground snow load, a 12-inch frost depth, and a geotechnical report to establish the soil.
Oregon’s building code and its exemptions are the same in Dallas 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
Dallas building department: who handles permitting
Three offices take part in a typical Dallas job. The Building Division reviews plans and inspects structural, mechanical and plumbing work inside the city limits. The Planning Division handles land use and leads the City’s Development Review Team, which brings in economic development, engineering, fire and legal staff. Polk County Community Development, at 850 Main Street in Dallas, issues the electrical permits for Dallas, and electrical inspections are booked under that county permit.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Building Division | Dallas City Hall, 187 SE Court Street, Dallas, OR 97338 |
| Building and permits | 503-831-3574; building@dallasor.gov |
| Office hours | Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m.; building staff work Friday mornings, 8 a.m. to noon |
| Planning Division | 503-831-3571; planning@dallasor.gov |
| Online filing | Oregon ePermitting, also used to pay and to book inspections |
| Electrical permits | Polk County Community Development, 850 Main Street, 503-623-9237 |
Permit types
Residential permits
Five residential permit types can be bought by an owner in ePermitting: manufactured dwelling placement, residential mechanical, residential plumbing, residential structural, and the one- and two-family dwelling permit for a new single-family house, duplex or ADU. That dwelling permit bundles the structural, mechanical, plumbing and backflow permits with the zoning review and the Public Works system development charges in one record, while the electrical permit stays separate with Polk County. A homeowner doing the work attaches the Homeowner Acknowledgement Form to the online application.
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Commercial permits
Contractors and design professionals file commercial projects in the same system: new structures, structural repairs and additions, tenant improvements, mechanical and plumbing work and fire systems. Commercial and other non-new-house work is priced on a second valuation table, with plan review at 85% of the permit fee and fire and life safety review at 60%. Commercial mechanical plan review is 25% of the mechanical permit fee.
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What comes before the building permit
Zoning comes first. The Planning Division reviews land use applications under the Dallas Development Code and its own land use fee schedule, effective July 1, 2025, and the City’s zoning map was updated in November 2025. The Development Review Team brings engineering and fire staff into the review. New houses pay the Public Works system development charges through the combination permit. A lot that is not served by city sewer needs an onsite septic permit from Polk County Community Development, which DEQ lists as its agent for Polk County. Dallas is a participating community in the National Flood Insurance Program, and FEMA’s status book dates its current flood map to December 19, 2006.
Dallas permit costs and fees
Dallas indexes its building fees: the City adjusts them by resolution every July 1 by the change in the CPI-U Pacific Cities index for the year before, and the last change before 2026 took effect on July 1, 2025. On May 1, 2026 the City sent the state Building Codes Division its schedule with the FY2026 fees beside the FY2027 fees, 3% higher, for July 1, 2026, with a public hearing on June 15, 2026 at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers. The table shows both columns as the City printed them. New one- and two-family dwellings use their own table; additions, remodels and commercial work use a second one.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Item | FY2026 | FY2027 (from July 1, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| New house, valuation up to $4,000 | $78.65 | $81.01 |
| New house, $4,001 to $25,000 | +$11.74 per $1,000 | +$12.09 per $1,000 |
| New house, $25,001 to $50,000 | $325.19 + $8.81 per $1,000 | $334.90 + $9.07 per $1,000 |
| New house, $50,001 to $100,000 | $545.44 + $5.88 per $1,000 | $561.65 + $6.06 per $1,000 |
| New house, over $100,000 | $839.44 + $4.88 per $1,000 | $864.65 + $5.03 per $1,000 |
| Residential plan review | 65% of permit fee | 65% of permit fee |
| Commercial and other work, up to $4,000 | $93.27 | $96.07 |
| Commercial and other work, over $150,000 | $1,447.55 + $7.46 per $1,000 | $1,490.99 + $7.68 per $1,000 |
| Commercial plan review / fire and life safety | 85% / 60% of permit fee | 85% / 60% of permit fee |
| New house plumbing, 1 / 2 / 3 bathrooms | $285.65 / $376.11 / $466.60 | $294.22 / $387.39 / $480.60 |
| Furnace up to 100,000 BTU, or heat pump | $64.25 | $66.18 |
| Residential re-inspection | $78.65 | $81.01 |
| Structural demolition (not subject to the state surcharge) | $225.79 | $232.57 |
| Technology fee | 4% of designated fees | 4% of designated fees |
Worked example. A new house valued at $300,000 falls in the top band of the residential table. With the FY2027 figures, $864.65 plus 200 × $5.03 ($1,006.00) gives a structural permit fee of $1,870.65, and plan review at 65% adds $1,215.92, for $3,086.57. The mechanical and plumbing parts of the combination permit, the 4% technology fee, the state surcharge, the system development charges and the Polk County electrical permit come on top. The schedule marks permit reinstatement as subject to the state surcharge and demolition as not subject to it.
Other residential items in the FY2027 column: a deferred submittal is reviewed at 65% of the building permit fee for the deferred part, with an $81.01 minimum; a phased project pays an $81.01 phasing fee plus 10% of the total building permit fee, capped at $1,500 a phase; reinstating an expired permit costs $81.01; and a stand-alone residential fire sprinkler system covering up to 2,000 sq ft is $219.81 with plan review included. The City explains the 4% technology fee as the cost of doing business electronically.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Trade permits and who may pull them
Dallas issues mechanical and plumbing permits, including backflow devices, and the City’s contractor page sends every electrical permit to Polk County, either through ePermitting or by calling Polk County Community Development at 503-623-9237. On the City side, the license a contractor holds decides which permit types ePermitting lets it buy, and the City urges owners to look up a contractor’s license with BCD before hiring.
Who may file in Dallas
- A licensed contractor, for the permit types its CCB and BCD licenses allow
- A homeowner, for owner permits on their own house, with the Homeowner Acknowledgement Form
- An owner wiring their own home still buys the electrical permit from Polk County
Where each trade goes
- Structural, mechanical, plumbing, backflow: City of Dallas
- Electrical: Polk County
- Land use and zoning: Dallas Planning Division
- Septic on unsewered lots: Polk County Community Development
How to apply for a Dallas building permit
The Building Division only reviews buildings inside the city limits; check zoning on the Dallas zoning map and call Planning at 503-831-3571 about setbacks or land use.
Contractors attach their license; homeowners register as owners and keep the Homeowner Acknowledgement Form ready for the application.
A new house, duplex or ADU uses the one- and two-family dwelling combination permit; other work uses the structural, mechanical, plumbing or placement permit.
Plans go in electronically; the City provides no paper application. Use the City’s design values and include a geotechnical report for the soil.
Apply to Polk County for the electrical work, in ePermitting or by phone.
Pay plan review and permit fees online, then book each inspection in ePermitting.
Review, corrections and what causes delay
Corrections and status updates arrive through ePermitting. Building staff spend part of each day in the field, so a call may go to voicemail; the City asks for a detailed message or email, and the permit technician can book a short appointment. Jobs stall when the electrical permit has not been opened with Polk County, when a homeowner leaves out the acknowledgement form, or when a site has no geotechnical information. Changes to approved plans are billed at the hourly plan review rate ($81.01 an hour for residential work from July 2026).
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Inspections in Dallas
Anyone working under a permit can schedule or track inspections on the permit record in ePermitting or with the Oregon ePermitting phone app. You can ask for a morning or an afternoon slot, and staff try to meet it, but an inspection may happen at any time on the day booked. Friday inspections are mornings only, and there are none on Friday afternoons, weekends or holidays.
Inspection charges follow the same schedule. From July 2026 a residential re-inspection, an inspection beyond the number allowed, an inspection with no listed fee and an inspection outside normal business hours each cost $81.01 (hourly where the schedule says so), and the commercial equivalents are $96.07. Work started without a permit draws an investigation fee at the same hourly rate. Electrical rough and final inspections are booked under the Polk County electrical permit, not the City permit.
Dallas permit search and official resources
Every Dallas permit is in Oregon ePermitting, where the public search shows the record, its documents and inspection results by permit number or address. The Building Division also posts monthly permit reports on its website, listing the permits issued each month.
- Dallas Building Division: hours, design standards and adopted codes
- Building permits for Dallas homeowners
- Building permits for Dallas contractors
- Dallas building inspections
- Dallas standards, codes and worksheets
- Dallas Planning Division and land use fee schedule
- Dallas building fee notice to BCD, May 2026 (FY2026 and FY2027 fees)
- Oregon ePermitting
- Polk County Building Division (electrical permits)
- 2026 Oregon Residential Specialty Code, chapter 1 (permits and exemptions)
- DEQ onsite septic agents by county
- FEMA Community Status Book for Oregon
- Oregon Construction Contractors Board
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Dallas building permit FAQ
Who issues electrical permits in Dallas?
Polk County. The City issues structural, mechanical and plumbing permits; electrical permits come from Polk County Community Development, 503-623-9237, and the electrical inspections run under that permit.
Can I get a paper permit application in Dallas?
No. The City provides no paper applications, and homeowners apply in Oregon ePermitting like contractors do.
Can a homeowner pull a permit in Dallas?
Yes, for owner permits on their own house, including the new-dwelling combination permit, with the Homeowner Acknowledgement Form attached.
How much is a new-house building permit in Dallas?
With the FY2027 rates in the City’s schedule, a house valued at $300,000 pays $1,870.65 plus $1,215.92 for plan review, before the trade parts, the technology fee and the state surcharge.
Are there building inspections on Fridays?
Friday mornings only. There are no inspections on Friday afternoons, weekends or holidays.
What snow and wind loads does Dallas use?
97 mph basic wind speed (Risk Category II, Exposure B), a 25 psf roof and 36 psf ground snow load, Seismic Design Category D1 and a 12-inch frost depth.
Does a small shed need a building permit in Dallas?
Not if it is detached, one story, nonhabitable, no larger than 200 sq ft and no taller than 15 feet to the average roof height. It still has to meet the setbacks in the Dallas Development Code, and any wiring needs a Polk County electrical permit.
Simplify Dallas permitting with Alliance Permitting
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.
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More Oregon permitting guides
Polk County
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Read guide →Salem
Read guide →Deschutes County Building Permit Guide
Read guide →Douglas County Building Permit Guide
Read guide →Eugene Building Permit Guide
Read guide →This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Dallas permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.