Sherwood, Oregon Building Permit Guide

In Sherwood, the City’s Building Department reviews plans and issues and inspects structural, mechanical, plumbing, fire suppression and sign permits, entirely on paper-free Oregon ePermitting; Washington County permits and inspects all electrical work in the city. The City puts residential and commercial plan review at 4 to 6 weeks. Under the fee schedule effective October 6, 2026, plan review is 85% of the building permit fee.

The department is at Sherwood City Hall, 22560 SW Pine Street, and staff take questions Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. by email, by phone or in person, with no appointment needed (503-625-4226, building@sherwoodoregon.gov). Jared Bradbury is the Building Official. Sherwood, in Washington County, had 20,535 residents in the Census estimate for 2025.

City permits apply inside Sherwood’s limits, and only for structural, mechanical and plumbing work: every electrical permit in the city comes from Washington County’s Building Services in Hillsboro.

What requires a building permit in Sherwood?

New buildings, additions, remodels, commercial tenant improvements and changes of occupancy all go through the Building Department, and wall signs count as permanent structures that need a building permit. ePermitting cannot combine trades on one record, so an addition or remodel may need separate structural, plumbing and mechanical permits, and a commercial tenant improvement may need its plumbing permit application before the structural permit can issue.

What Sherwood decides and what the state holds

The building code is the state’s: sections R101.2.2 and R105.2 of the 2026 Oregon Residential Specialty Code set the exemptions, mandatory since October 1, 2026, with the rest of that code mandatory on April 1, 2027 and the 2025 Oregon Structural Specialty Code in force for commercial work since April 1, 2026. The City’s shed FAQ still cites a 12-foot average height, older than the state’s 15 feet, but its zoning limits stand: a shed of 100 to 200 sq ft under 10 feet tall must sit at least 3 feet from rear and side lines, nothing over 3 feet tall may go in a front yard, and no accessory structure may exceed 15 feet. Sherwood also sets its fees, its design standards and tree rules.

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

Sherwood building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department handles structural, mechanical, plumbing, fire suppression and sign permits, and has a lead permit specialist for commercial work and a permit specialist for residential work. Planning (503-925-2308) handles setbacks, zoning pre-screening, banner signs and land use. Washington County’s Building Services issues and inspects every electrical permit in the city, and Clean Water Services, the regional sewer and surface water utility, issues the sensitive area pre-screening letter that a deck application needs.

Permit types

Residential permits

Homeowners apply in ePermitting with their own account: download and complete the state’s Homeowner Acknowledgement Form, search the work address using only the first three letters of the street name, enter the owner’s details, upload the form, describe the work (for example, a kitchen remodel that adds a wall and moves the dishwasher), name the project with your last name and the type of work, and upload plans with a site plan. Staff email when fees are ready and again when the permit can be issued. Deck plans need elevation, foundation and framing plans, a cross section with connection details, composite decking specifications if used, and Clean Water Services’ sensitive area pre-screening letter.

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

Commercial permits

Licensed contractors apply around the clock in ePermitting; the state system needs a professional license on the account to start a new application. A tenant improvement needs Planning’s land use and zoning pre-screen form, architectural plans and structural calculations, fully dimensioned floor plans with rated walls, egress paths and accessibility features, ventilation data, COMcheck forms and, where plumbing changes, fixture counts. Commercial plan review is 85% of the permit fee, fire and life safety review adds 60% when required, and deferred submittals cost 65% of the fee for the deferred portion, at least $300.

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

What comes before the building permit

Check zoning and setbacks with Planning, and obtain the Clean Water Services sensitive area pre-screening where it applies. New homes pay system development charges listed in section 7 of the fee schedule, plus the Clean Water Services regional sewer connection charge of $7,332, the Sherwood School District construction excise tax of $1.70 per sq ft of dwelling, and Metro’s 0.12% tax on improvements over $100,000 (up to $12,000). A new or replaced street tree needs a root barrier. FEMA’s Community Status Book shows Sherwood as an NFIP participant mapped as of October 19, 2018. Septic permits in Washington County come from the County’s Environmental Health office, DEQ’s agent.

Sherwood permit costs and fees

Building fees are in section 10 of the City’s Master Fees and Charges, the FY 2026–27 schedule effective October 6, 2026, adopted by City Council resolution. Values follow the applicant’s estimate or the ICC Building Valuation Data in force each April 1. Appendix A lists the state surcharge as 12% of the building permit fee, charged on all building and mechanical permits and on commercial plumbing and medical gas permits; structural demolition permits are not subject to it.

Worked example. An $80,000 house remodel is in the $50,001 to $100,000 band: $575.50 plus 30 × $5.53 ($165.90) gives a permit fee of $741.40. Plan review at 85% adds $630.19, the 5% technology fee $37.07 and the 12% state surcharge $88.97, for $1,497.63 before the Community Development fee and any trade permits.

System development charges in section 7 include, for a detached single-family house, a parks SDC of $17,707.51 ($6,197.68 for an ADU) and a City transportation SDC of $2,316.27 per dwelling, on top of water, sewer and storm charges and Washington County’s Transportation Development Tax. Single-family grading and erosion control for new development costs $75.78 for plan check and $319.32 for inspection. One figure needs care: the schedule the Council adopted with Resolution 2026-045 on June 16, 2026 (effective July 1) and the October 2026 update both print the Community Development Fee as “5% of the project valueation”, while the 2025–26 schedule and the fee table the City sent the state in May 2026 gave 0.5%. On an $80,000 project that is the difference between $4,000 and $400, so ask the Building Department which rate it charges. The City’s deck page estimates about $380 in total for a 10 by 10 foot deck, including plan review, the planning plot plan review and the state surcharge.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Sherwood issues plumbing and mechanical permits; residential mechanical permits start at $84.17, with plan review at 50% only when required. The fee schedule’s electrical line says simply that electrical permits are issued and inspected by Washington County, at 503-846-3470, and the City repeats that for solar and fire alarm work.

How to apply for a Sherwood building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The City’s stated target is 4 to 6 weeks of review for both residential and commercial permits. Points the City’s instructions single out are the one-trade-per-record rule, a missing site plan or acknowledgement form, a missing solar checklist and the order of commercial plumbing and structural permits. Plan revisions cost $101.97 an hour, half-hour minimum, and lost or damaged plan sets $62.32 to re-stamp. Extensions requested in writing before expiry cost $56.65.

Inspections in Sherwood

Once a permit is in ePermitting, inspections are scheduled there, and the portal shows real-time status to anyone tracking the permit. Electrical inspections are booked separately with Washington County. Inspections outside normal business hours, when the Building Official approves them, cost $101.97 an hour with a two-hour minimum, and a reinspection $101.97 plus the state surcharge.

Residential fire suppression systems are permitted by floor area, $128.40 up to 2,000 sq ft and $385.22 above 7,200 sq ft, with plan review included, and a manufactured home set-up costs $446.07. A temporary certificate of occupancy, valid 30 days, costs $200 for a home and $500 for a commercial building; a certificate of occupancy where no permit is needed starts at $350 with an hour of code review. Work done without a permit is charged an investigation fee of $101.97 an hour, at least one hour, to enforce the code.

Sherwood permit search and official resources

Sherwood permits are held in Oregon ePermitting; once a permit is in the system, anyone can use the portal to track it, and the ePermitting public search shows status and inspection history. For older paper records, ask the Building Department at 503-625-4226.

• Sherwood Building Department
• Permitting process: homeowner and contractor steps
• Deck permits
• Commercial tenant improvements
• Sherwood fee schedule page
• Master Fees and Charges, effective October 6, 2026
• FY 2025–26 fee schedule (previous)
• BCD Homeowner Acknowledgement Form
• Washington County Building Services
• 2026 Oregon Residential Specialty Code, chapter 1
• BCD Local Building Department Directory
• FEMA Community Status Book for Oregon
• Oregon ePermitting
• Oregon Construction Contractors Board

Sherwood building permit FAQ

Who issues electrical permits in Sherwood?

Washington County, which also inspects the work; call 503-846-3470. The City issues structural, mechanical and plumbing permits.

How long does plan review take in Sherwood?

The City reviews residential and commercial permits within 4 to 6 weeks.

How much is a building permit in Sherwood?

At least $84.17. An $80,000 house remodel pays $741.40 plus 85% plan review, the 5% technology fee and the 12% state surcharge, about $1,498, before the Community Development fee.

Can a homeowner apply online?

Yes. Create an ePermitting account, upload the Homeowner Acknowledgement Form with plans and a site plan, and staff email you when fees are due.

Do I need a permit for a deck?

Yes if any part is more than 30 inches above the ground within 3 feet of the deck; lower decks still have to meet zoning setbacks.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Not for a nonhabitable one-story detached shed of 200 sq ft or less and no more than 15 feet high, but Sherwood’s zoning keeps accessory structures over 3 feet tall out of front yards and sets sheds of 100 to 200 sq ft under 10 feet tall at least 3 feet from rear and side lines.

How do I apply for a wall sign?

ePermitting has no sign application, so wall signs are filed as commercial structural permits with the tenant’s facade dimensions and attachment details; banners go to Planning.

Can I visit without an appointment?

Yes. Staff are available Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and walk-ins are welcome.

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