The City of McMinnville’s Building Division reviews plans, issues structural, mechanical and plumbing permits and inspects the work, with applications, uploads and payments handled through Oregon ePermitting. Electrical permits and electrical inspections inside the city are run by Yamhill County. Fees follow the Building Fee Schedule the City Council adopted on July 14, 2026 (Resolution No. 2026-25), in force since August 1, 2026, under which a $20,000 remodel pays $284.87 plus 65% of that for plan review.
The division works from the Community Development Center at 231 NE 5th Street (503-434-7314) under Building Official Stuart Ramsing. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., but the lobby is closed to walk-ins on Fridays, and appointments with Community Development staff are available. McMinnville, the Yamhill County seat, had about 34,600 residents in the Census estimate for 2025.
The City permits work inside McMinnville; Yamhill County Planning and Development handles the land outside it, and the county’s other cities have their own arrangements.
The schedule that applies is set by your submittal date. McMinnville calculates permit fees from the fee schedule in effect when a complete application and plans are submitted, except system development charges. Its permit fees went up on August 1, 2026, and a new park SDC adopted on October 13, 2026 starts on July 1, 2027.
What requires a building permit in McMinnville?
McMinnville enforces the state’s building permit rules, and its checklists show the jobs that come through the counter most often: new one- and two-family homes, exterior remodels and additions, interior remodels, garages and carports, accessory structures, prescriptive solar systems, and commercial new buildings, exteriors and interiors. The fee schedule adds permits for demolition, changes of occupancy without building work, fire suppression systems, manufactured home placement and house relocation.
Permit needed
- New houses, additions, garages, carports and interior remodels
- Decks more than 30 inches above grade
- Solar panels, on the prescriptive path or by valuation
- Complete demolition of a building
- Change of occupancy, even with no building changes
- New sewer laterals and other plumbing; heating, ventilation and gas appliances
- Moving a house (relocation permit and refundable deposit)
Exempt under the 2026 ORSC
- A nonhabitable one-story detached accessory structure up to 200 sq ft of floor area and 15 feet tall, or 400 sq ft on a parcel of at least 2 acres
- Decks and porches whose walking surface is no more than 30 inches above adjacent grade
- Door and window replacements and siding repair, unless a structural member changes or a fire-resistance rating is required
- Patio or porch covers up to 200 sq ft that stay at least 3 feet from lot lines
- Fences, unless a city ordinance requires a permit (for wood, wire mesh or chain link only above 7 feet); pool barriers always need one
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Get a free quote →What McMinnville decides and what the state holds
The technical rules are set statewide. BCD’s adoption list has the 2025 Oregon Structural Specialty Code mandatory from April 1, 2026, while the 2026 Oregon Residential Specialty Code arrives in two steps: its chapter 1 on permits and exemptions on October 1, 2026, and chapters 2 to 44 on April 1, 2027. McMinnville sets its building, planning and engineering fees, its residential design standards and zoning under the Municipal Code, and its system development charges.
Oregon’s building code and its exemptions are the same in McMinnville 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
McMinnville building department: who handles permitting
The Building Division handles structural, mechanical and plumbing permits, plan review and inspections. The Planning Division, at the same address (503-434-7311), reviews building permits against the zoning and residential design standards. Public Works Engineering (503-434-7312) calculates SDCs and issues street and right-of-way permits. Yamhill County Planning and Development issues and inspects electrical permits for McMinnville addresses, and as DEQ’s agent it also handles septic permits in the county.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Building Division | Community Development Center, 231 NE 5th St, McMinnville, OR 97128; 503-434-7314 |
| Building Official | Stuart Ramsing, 503-474-7504 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; lobby closed to walk-ins on Fridays |
| Online | Oregon ePermitting (McMinnville jurisdiction 569) |
| Planning Division | Same building; 503-434-7311 |
| Electrical permits | Yamhill County Planning and Development, 503-434-7516 |
| SDC estimates | Public Works Engineering, 503-434-7312 |
Permit types
Residential permits
Every application goes in through an ePermitting account, though no account is needed to search, schedule inspections or pay. A new house uses the City’s residential 1 & 2 family checklist and the 2025 residential design checklist, plus the residential energy, moisture-sensitive wood and high-efficiency lighting forms. Additions, exterior and interior remodels, garages, carports and accessory structures each have their own checklist. Homeowners create an account, download and upload the Homeowner Acknowledgement Form, then enter the work details. Planning charges a residential building permit review of $250 for work valued under $100,000 and $450 above that, and a residential design standards review of $1,450 for a new single-family house, duplex, triplex, quadplex, townhome or ADU.
The residential design checklist (2025 revision) applies to new housing, residential conversions and additions of 50% or more of the existing structure, for ADUs, cottage clusters, plexes, single detached houses, tiny houses and townhouses under chapter 17.11 of the Municipal Code. Its site plan must show lot dimensions and area, adjacent streets with their widths and improvements, building footprints and setback distances to every property line, driveway locations and spacing, easements, utilities, corner elevations, and street trees of 1.5-inch caliper or more in the abutting right-of-way. Among the design standards, doors and windows, trim included, must make up at least 25% of the street-facing facade.
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Commercial permits
Commercial, industrial and multi-family projects use the commercial new or exterior checklist or the commercial interior checklist, each with a plumbing fixture list, and the City’s special inspection form. Structural plan review is 65% of the permit fee, with a further 40% for fire and life safety review where it applies, and deferred submittals cost 65% of the fee on the deferred work (minimum $188). Planning’s commercial and industrial building permit review is $675 for work under $100,000, $1,750 from $100,000 to $500,000 and $3,500 above that.
For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit applications through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.
What comes before the building permit
Land use cases, site and design review and zoning letters go through the Planning Division; a pre-application meeting costs $350. Work in the public right-of-way needs a Public Works street use permit, and new sewer laterals have their own plumbing permit form. Septic systems outside the sewer area are permitted by Yamhill County. Flood maps for McMinnville (FEMA community 410255, in the National Flood Insurance Program) date from March 2, 2010.
McMinnville permit costs and fees
Resolution No. 2026-25, adopted on July 14, 2026 after a public hearing, repealed the earlier building fee resolutions and set the schedule in force from August 1, 2026. Planning fees come from a separate schedule effective July 1, 2026.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Item | Fee or rule |
|---|---|
| Structural minimum permit fee | $165, which covers any job valued up to $10,000 |
| $2,001 to $25,000 | $61.49 for the first $2,000 plus $12.41 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $25,001 to $100,000 | $346.92 for the first $25,000 plus $6.20 per additional $1,000 |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $811.92 for the first $100,000 plus $4.68 per additional $1,000 |
| Plan review | 65% of the structural permit fee; fire and life safety review 40% |
| Prescriptive solar permit | $190, including the first plan review |
| Complete demolition of a building | $137, not subject to the state surcharge |
| Reinspection or extra plan review | $94 each / $94 per hour |
| Temporary certificate of occupancy (up to 180 days) | $197 |
| Residential mechanical appliances (furnace, heat pump, water heater) | $66 each; mechanical minimum $68.76 |
| New-house plumbing | $94 for one bath and kitchen, $142 for two baths, $190 for three |
| Seismic surcharge | 1% of the building permit fee, structural and mechanical only |
| State surcharge | Applies to permit fees except items the schedule marks as exempt, such as complete demolition; BCD sets it at 12% |
Worked example. A $20,000 addition or remodel falls in the $2,001 to $25,000 band: $61.49 plus 18 × $12.41 ($223.38) gives a structural permit fee of $284.87, and plan review at 65% adds $185.17, for $470.04 before the state and seismic surcharges and any planning review fee.
Excise tax and system development charges
The McMinnville School District’s construction excise tax is $1.67 per square foot of new residential space, with the first 600 square feet exempt, and 84 cents per square foot for nonresidential space up to $41,800 (rates effective January 1, 2026). From July 1, 2026 the sanitary sewer SDC for a single-family home is $4,185, the parks SDC $3,088 per dwelling unit and the transportation SDC $3,177 per PM peak-hour trip. Transportation and sewer SDCs are waived for certified affordable housing; the parks SDC is not.
Trade permits and who may pull them
Mechanical and plumbing permits are City permits, bought and paid through ePermitting; the plumbing form for a sewer lateral is separate. Electrical permits and inspections in McMinnville are administered by Yamhill County (503-434-7516).
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- Construction Contractors Board license for contractors paid to do the work; state trade licenses for electricians and plumbers
- An owner may do electrical work on their own residential or farm property that is not for sale or rent, and plumbing not done for hire
- Owners file the Homeowner Acknowledgement Form or the property owner statement with their application
Trade fee basics
- Plumbing minimum permit $66; sewer line $52 for the first 100 feet
- Mechanical plan review, when required, is 65% of the mechanical fee
- Manufactured home placement $280 plus a $30 state code fee
How to apply for a McMinnville building permit
Check zoning, design standards and any land use case with the Planning Division (503-434-7311), or book a $350 pre-application meeting.
Email Public Works Engineering the use, square footage, plumbing fixture form and number of dwelling units.
Use the checklist for your project type, with the energy, lighting and moisture forms for houses and the special inspection form for commercial work.
Create an account, add contractor licenses or the homeowner form, search the worksite address and upload the documents.
Pay online or at the counter by cash, check, debit or credit; extra plan review after the first review costs $94 an hour.
Print the approved plans from ePermitting and get any electrical permit from Yamhill County before wiring starts.
Review, corrections and what causes delay
Plans that need more than the first review are billed at $94 an hour. Missing checklist items, a commercial submittal without its plumbing fixture list, and wiring started before the county electrical permit is issued are the usual reasons a job stalls. Refunds follow the City’s refund policy of August 1, 2026, with a $94 processing fee.
Inspections in McMinnville
The Building Division inspects every business day. Requests received before 7 a.m. are scheduled for that day; later ones are done the next business day. Requests can be made online in ePermitting, through the ePermitting apps, by text message with SelecTXT or by phone through the IVR system, and the permit number must be entered exactly as printed, dashes and letters included (for example 569-20-000020-DWL). Yamhill County does the electrical inspections. A failed inspection that needs a return visit costs $94, inspections outside normal hours are $142 an hour with a two-hour minimum, and a temporary certificate of occupancy for up to 180 days costs $197.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →McMinnville permit search and official resources
ePermitting lets anyone search permit records and schedule inspections without an account. The Building Division also posts weekly reports of permits issued over the past three weeks and annual permit recaps going back to 2009, and older plans or records can be requested from the City; Planning’s general records request rate is $85 an hour.
- McMinnville Building Division
- McMinnville ePermitting, fees and refund policy
- McMinnville Building Fee Schedule, effective August 1, 2026
- Resolution No. 2026-25 adopting the 2026 building fee schedule
- McMinnville Planning fee schedule, effective July 1, 2026
- McMinnville building checklists and forms
- McMinnville: requesting inspections
- McMinnville weekly and annual permit reports
- McMinnville system development charges
- 2026 SDC rate memo (effective July 1, 2026)
- McMinnville School District construction excise tax form, 2026
- Resolution No. 2026-53, park SDC methodology (adopted October 13, 2026)
- Resolution No. 2026-53, signed copy with rates
- Yamhill County electrical permits
- Oregon ePermitting
- Oregon Building Codes Division: codes in effect
- 2026 Oregon Residential Specialty Code, chapter 1 (permits and exemptions)
- FEMA Community Status Book for Oregon
- Oregon Construction Contractors Board license search
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →McMinnville building permit FAQ
Who issues electrical permits in McMinnville?
Yamhill County. The City’s Building Division sends electrical permit and inspection questions to Yamhill County Planning and Development at 503-434-7516.
How much is a building permit in McMinnville?
Under the schedule in force from August 1, 2026, $61.49 for the first $2,000 of valuation plus $12.41 per $1,000 up to $25,000, with a $165 minimum and plan review at 65%; a $20,000 job comes to $470.04 before surcharges.
When are McMinnville inspections done?
Every business day. Requests in before 7 a.m. are inspected that day; later requests go to the next business day.
Can a homeowner pull a permit in McMinnville?
Yes. Homeowners apply through an ePermitting account and upload the City’s Homeowner Acknowledgement Form with the work details.
What is the school excise tax on a new house in McMinnville?
$1.67 per square foot for the McMinnville School District, after the first 600 square feet, at the rates effective January 1, 2026.
Is the McMinnville office open on Fridays?
The division keeps hours of 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, but its lobby takes no walk-ins on Fridays; book an appointment with Community Development staff instead.
Simplify McMinnville 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
Yamhill County
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Read guide →Milwaukie Building Permit Guide
Read guide →Monmouth Building Permit Guide
Read guide →This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about McMinnville permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.