Jefferson County, Oregon Building Permit Guide

Jefferson County Community Development is the building department for the whole county: the state directory lists it for all building permits in Madras, Culver and Metolius as well as on rural land such as Camp Sherman and Ashwood. Permits are applied for and searched on Oregon ePermitting. A rural house follows a fixed order: land use approval, then the septic site evaluation, then plans, which the county says it approves within 10 business days of a complete set.

What requires a building permit in Jefferson County?

Community Development puts it plainly: no construction is allowed without a permit. Its application list shows the work it permits, with separate forms for a new single-family dwelling; accessory buildings, additions and remodels; commercial construction; manufactured homes; demolition; and electrical, mechanical and plumbing work. Farm buildings have their own exempt agricultural building application, and plan changes after approval go on a revision application.

Those are the chapter 1 exemptions of the 2026 Oregon Residential Specialty Code, mandatory since October 1, 2026. Its section R101.2.2 separately leaves ground-mounted solar arrays up to 10 ft high, freestanding tanks and in-ground pools at houses outside the building permit unless a local ordinance requires one. Exempt structures still have to meet the county zoning ordinance, and on rural land the land use approval comes before any building work.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The county sets its own fees, its application forms and its land use rules, through the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan and the Jefferson County Zoning Code. It also acts as the state’s agent for septic permits. The building codes, the trade licenses and the way a structural fee is figured are statewide: under OAR 918-050-0100 a new house is valued from the ICC building valuation table current on April 1, with carports, covered porches, patios and decks counted at half the value of a private garage.

Jefferson County building department: who handles permitting

The Building Codes Division’s Local Building Department Directory names Jefferson County Community Development as the only building department in the county and marks it for “all building permits” in every city and in the rural communities of Ashwood and Camp Sherman. None of the three cities is listed with a building department of its own.

The Planning Commission hears conditional uses, home occupations, variances, site plan reviews, subdivisions, planned unit developments, nonconforming uses, zone changes and plan amendments, plus appeals of the planning director’s decisions. Its next posted meetings are Thursday, November 12, and Thursday, December 10, 2026, from 3 to 5 p.m.; the November 26 meeting is canceled.

Permit types and approvals before filing

Residential permits

A new house goes on the New Single Family Dwelling Application, while garages, shops, additions and remodels share one accessory building, addition and remodel application, and manufactured homes have their own. The county describes the building plans it expects as the full set of drawings that describe the structure in detail, covering heating, ventilation and air conditioning, plumbing, electrical, mechanical and structural engineering. A site plan goes with them so staff can check setbacks, easement conflicts, the driveway and utility locations.

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit filing, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial permits

Commercial projects use the Commercial Construction Application. The county notes that commercial buildings usually cost more to permit because of their complexity and size, and that a certificate of occupancy must be issued before a commercial building can be occupied or used. A formal pre-application session with staff, which carries a fee, is offered for complicated land use applications.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit expediting through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

• Land use: on rural land the process starts with a land use application under the county zoning code; the uses allowed in each zone are set by state rules and the county ordinance. The county’s forms include a General Development Application Form, and zoning can be looked up on the county GIS mapper.
• Septic: next comes a site evaluation, with three test holes dug where the system will go, then a construction permit for the type of system approved. Both come from Community Development, which runs the onsite program under authority from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
• Replacement dwellings: to replace a rural home, the existing one must have been lawfully established and still have intact walls and roof, indoor plumbing with a kitchen sink, toilet and bathing facility connected to septic, interior wiring and a heating system.
• Second homes on rural lots: the county’s accessory dwelling unit page sets out the 2021 state law (SB 391) that lets counties allow rural ADUs: a lot of at least 2 acres with exactly one existing house, no more than 900 sq ft of usable floor area, within 100 ft of the house, and no rentals shorter than 45 days. It lists the zones the Planning Commission has considered (RR-2, RR-5, RR-10, RR-20, SC, ERD, CRRR and BL) and notes that state law does not allow ADUs in the Madras urban reserve area.
• Farm and forest zones: the county’s model code page describes an update of its Exclusive Farm Use and Forest Management zone chapters, the first comprehensive one in more than 20 years, and posts the draft chapters and comparison tables.
• Charges: system development charges apply to new development; the county posts SDC information sheets for fiscal years 2022–23 and 2024–25.

Building permit fees

The current schedule is the county’s 2026–2027 Fee Schedule, posted in the Community Development document library as a PDF. The county’s own cost guidance is an estimate rather than a fee table:

State surcharge: under the 2026 residential code’s chapter 1, the state surcharge applies to permit fees but not to plan review fees, and work begun before a permit is issued adds an investigation fee. Because the county’s estimate covers permits only, a budget for a new rural house also needs the land use, septic site evaluation and system permit fees and any system development charges.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The county issues electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits everywhere it issues building permits, so trade work in Madras, Culver and Metolius is permitted and inspected by the county too. Each trade has its own application.

• Contractors: paid construction work needs a Construction Contractors Board license; electricians and plumbers working for hire also need state licenses from the Building Codes Division.
• Owners: the county’s answer is short: an owner can do all the work except a propane installation, if the home is not for sale, rent or lease. The statutes behind it are ORS 479.540 for electrical work on property owned by the owner or an immediate family member and ORS 447.060 for unpaid plumbing; permits and inspections still apply.
• Owner-builders: an owner who claims an exemption from CCB licensing states the basis on the permit application under ORS 701.325.

How to apply

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The county commits to issuing an approval within 10 business days of a complete plan set; when it has to ask for more information, truss specifications being its own example, the clock runs longer. Its advice is to submit complete plans from the start. Plan changes after approval need a revision application, and once a permit is reviewed the approved plans can be found on Oregon ePermitting using the county’s step-by-step guide.

Inspections

Building inspections run through the construction period and end with a final inspection, which is what allows a house to be occupied legally; a commercial building needs its certificate of occupancy. County permits, numbered from 451, can be looked up on Oregon ePermitting. For septic systems, the County Engineer checks the slope of the lines and the leveling of the tank; a simple system usually needs one or two inspections, while a sand filter or other complex system needs several.

Code editions and flood maps

The state codes in force are the 2025 Oregon Structural Specialty Code and the 2026 residential, electrical and plumbing codes, with the residential construction chapters open to the 2023 edition until April 1, 2027. Of the local governments, only the county, Madras and Culver are enrolled in the National Flood Insurance Program, according to FEMA’s Community Status Book; Metolius has no entry there, while the Warm Springs Reservation of the Confederated Tribes has one of its own.

Oregon’s building code and its exemptions are the same in Jefferson County 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

Jefferson County building permit FAQ

Does Madras issue building permits?

No. Jefferson County Community Development issues all building permits in Madras, Culver and Metolius.

How much is a permit for a new house?

The county estimates about $3,000 for the building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits on an 1,800 sq ft house with two baths and a two-car garage, before other fees.

How long does approval take?

Up to 10 business days after a complete plan set is in, longer if staff need more information.

Can I do my own work?

Yes, all of it except a propane installation, if the home is not for sale, rent or lease.

Who issues septic permits?

Community Development, as DEQ’s agent, after a site evaluation with three test holes.

How do I find an old permit?

Search Oregon ePermitting for records beginning 451, or use the county’s free Building Record Portal.

Can I add a second home on my rural lot?

Only where county rules allow it; the state ADU law the county describes needs at least 2 acres, one existing house and no more than 900 sq ft of usable floor area, and it rules out the Madras urban reserve area.

Do I need a permit for a small shed?

Not for a one-story, nonhabitable shed of 200 sq ft or less and no taller than 15 ft, though zoning setbacks still apply.

Permit search and official resources

Building and land use permits are both on Oregon ePermitting, and every Jefferson County record number starts with 451; the county posts guides for finding reviewed building plans and planning records there. Its free Building Record Portal, linked from the Community Development page, adds quick-start guides and code enforcement complaint forms, and staff at 541-475-4462 help with searches.

• Jefferson County Community Development
• Building codes and permits
• Forms and applications
• Community Development documents, including the 2026-2027 fee schedule
• Planning in Jefferson County
• Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code
• Search land use records
• On-site septic program
• System development charges
• Planning Commission
• Accessory dwelling units on rural land
• Farm and forest zone code update
• BCD Local Building Department Directory
• DEQ onsite septic agents by county
• Oregon ePermitting
• BCD adopted codes
• 2026 ORSC chapter 1 (exemptions and fees)
• Oregon Construction Contractors Board

Simplify Jefferson County 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.

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