Gresham, Oregon Building Permit Guide

Gresham building permits are handled by Building Permits and Inspections at Gresham City Hall, 1st Floor, 1333 NW Eastman Parkway, Gresham, OR 97030 (phone 503-618-2845, fax 503-618-2224, PermitCenter@GreshamOregon.gov). In-person building permit services run Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

This guide covers the City of Gresham’s building, right-of-way and planning contacts, its Master Fee Schedule (fees effective July 1, 2026) and inspections. Gresham’s own pages give two different inspection cut-offs; both are shown below.

What requires a building permit in Gresham?

Gresham’s single-family exemptions apply only when the project does not encroach over a drain system, a public utility easement or required setbacks. Private concrete walkways, slabs, platforms and driveways adding less than 1,000 square feet of new area are exempt, but work in the public right-of-way needs a permit. Moving more than 50 cubic yards of earth, or any cut or fill on sites affected by waterways or slope hazards, needs a permit, and the City has its own grading/fill permit application.

Oregon’s building code and its exemptions are the same in Gresham 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 Gresham?

A right-of-way permit is needed for work or encroachment in the public right-of-way, including City easements; common submittals include proof of the contractor’s insurance and a bond. Commercial submittal documents include Gresham’s electrical plan review rules, fire alarm and fire sprinkler plan submittal guides, high piled combustible storage guidelines and a special inspection agreement.

Gresham permit costs and fees

From the Master Fee Schedule, fees effective July 1, 2026:

• OSSC building permits: $94.00 for the first $2,000 of valuation plus $7.30 per additional $1,000 up to $25,000; $657.00 for the first $100,000 plus $5.48 per additional $1,000.
• ORSC and multi-family: $135.00 for the first $2,000 plus $14.00 per additional $1,000 up to $25,000.
• Plan review: 65% of the permit fee, paid at application, plus a 50% administrative/plan review fee when a licensed plan reviewer does the review; additional review for changes $154.00 an hour.
• Inspections: re-inspection $184.00; outside normal business hours $276.00 per site visit. No further inspection or Certificate of Occupancy until a re-inspection fee is paid.
• Other: $549.00 per deferred submittal item; $488.00 for a 30-day temporary permit or temporary Certificate of Occupancy; $184.00 for a Board of Appeals hearing.

Oregon fixes the method rather than the price: new construction is valued with the ICC building valuation data under OAR 918-050-0100, Gresham 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 Gresham

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 Gresham

The Building Division inspects building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical work daily between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm. The City’s pages put the request cut-off two ways: the inspections page says a request placed before 6:30 am gets a same-day attempt and otherwise the inspection is the next business day, while the building permits page says to submit before midnight for a next-day inspection. Confirm with the Permit Center which applies to your permit.

Right-of-way inspections are requested at least 24 hours ahead, and the inspection team must be emailed the site, permit number and start date at ROWInspections@GreshamOregon.gov at least 24 hours before work begins.

Official Gresham permitting resources

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

• Gresham Building Permits and Inspections
• Gresham permit services
• Gresham inspections
• Gresham projects that do not require permits
• Gresham Master Fee Schedule

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a Gresham right-of-way permit at City Hall?

No. Building permit services are at City Hall; right-of-way and other permit services are online only.

Is a new driveway exempt in Gresham?

A private-side driveway adding less than 1,000 square feet is exempt if it avoids drain systems, easements and setbacks; work in the public right-of-way needs a permit.

What does a Gresham re-inspection cost?

$184.00 per inspection, and no further inspection is made until it is paid.

Simplify Gresham permitting with Alliance Permitting

• Check Gresham’s exemption conditions and the right-of-way rules for the site
• Submit the plans in Gresham’s online permit system with the plan review fee
• Request building and right-of-way inspections and track the Certificate of Occupancy

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 Gresham permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.