Building permits in Washington County are handled by Building Services, Land Use & Transportation. Oregon uses a statewide building code system administered by the Oregon Building Codes Division, while city and county building departments manage local intake, plan review, fees, and inspections.
This guide covers what requires a permit, how to apply through Accela / ProjectDox, permit fees, trade permits, and inspections - so your Oregon project can move from submittal to approval with fewer correction cycles.
Confirm the authority having jurisdiction before filing. This guide covers unincorporated Washington County and county-served areas. Cities such as Hillsboro, Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, Forest Grove, and Sherwood may issue their own permits. Oregon cities and counties often split building, planning, public works, septic, fire, and right-of-way approvals across different offices.
Oregon is a statewide code state. Projects are reviewed against the Oregon State Building Code and adopted specialty codes, plus local zoning, land-use, floodplain, system development charge, and public-works standards. Commercial, multi-family, and engineered scopes may require Oregon-licensed design professionals.
Washington County uses online systems for permit intake, trade permits, inspections, and permit records. Confirm whether the parcel is county or city before filing.
What requires a building permit in Washington County?
Under Oregon specialty codes and local ordinances, a permit is required before most construction, alteration, demolition, repair, relocation, occupancy change, and trade work begins.
Permit required
- New residential, commercial, industrial, and mixed-use construction
- Additions, structural alterations, tenant improvements, conversions, and change of occupancy
- Structural repairs, seismic work, decks, porches, garages, carports, and many accessory structures
- Electrical service changes, panel upgrades, EV chargers, solar PV, and permanent wiring
- Plumbing, water heaters, repipes, sewer connections, gas piping, and fixture relocations
- Mechanical equipment, HVAC replacements, ductwork, commercial kitchen hoods, and exhaust systems
- Demolition, signs, grading, retaining walls, floodplain work, and right-of-way work where applicable
Typically exempt
- Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops, and similar finish work
- Minor repairs that replace like-for-like materials without structural or system changes
- Small detached accessory structures below the local exemption threshold and without utilities
- Some fences, patios, and non-structural site work, subject to zoning and local limits
Exemptions are narrow. Zoning, setbacks, floodplain, easements, historic review, or HOA requirements may still apply even when a building permit is not required.
Get the permit issued before starting work. Work without a permit can lead to correction notices, stop-work orders, double fees, required engineering, or removal of unapproved work.
Who handles permitting in Washington County?
Building Services, Land Use & Transportation handles permit intake, plan review coordination, permit issuance, and construction inspections for unincorporated Washington County and county-served areas. Cities such as Hillsboro, Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, Forest Grove, and Sherwood may issue their own permits.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Building Services, Land Use & Transportation |
| Apply | Accela Citizen Access / ProjectDox |
| Code | Oregon State Building Code and adopted Oregon specialty codes |
| Jurisdiction | unincorporated Washington County and county-served areas. Cities such as Hillsboro, Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, Forest Grove, and Sherwood may issue their own permits. |
| Review timeline | Varies by permit type, completeness, valuation, occupancy, and outside-agency reviews |
| Contractor license | Oregon CCB license plus applicable trade credentials and local registration where required |
Apply through Accela / ProjectDox when available. Submit the application, upload plans, respond to review comments, pay fees, download approved documents, and schedule inspections through the official online process.
Washington County building permit cost
Building permit costs in Washington County are usually based on project valuation, permit type, trade scope, plan review, and any local development or system charges. Final fees are assessed by the jurisdiction after intake and review.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Residential building permit | Usually valuation-based, with plan review and inspection fees where applicable |
| Commercial building permit | Valuation and occupancy based; larger projects may include phased/deferred submittal fees |
| Trade permits | Separate electrical, plumbing, mechanical, manufactured structure, and specialty fees may apply |
| Planning / zoning / land use | May be required before or during building review, especially for site changes or new use |
| Public works / SDCs | Transportation, water, sewer, stormwater, right-of-way, and system development charges may apply |
| Revisions / re-inspections | Additional fees may apply for revised drawings, failed inspections, or expired permits |
Want a precise number for a specific Washington County project? Send us the scope, address, and valuation and we will return a filing path, fee-risk notes, and timeline estimate.
Washington County trade permits
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical, manufactured structure, fire, and specialty scopes may require separate permits and licensed trades. Some trade permits can be pulled independently, while others must be tied to a building permit or plan-review record.
Electrical permits
Required for electrical services, feeders, panels, branch circuits, EV chargers, solar PV, generators, and most permanent wiring. Oregon licensing and permit rules apply, and utilities may require separate service coordination.
Plumbing & gas permits
Required for water, waste, vent, fixtures, backflow, water heaters, sewer, and gas piping work. Septic or onsite wastewater review may be separate for rural properties.
Mechanical permits
Required for HVAC equipment, ductwork, ventilation, commercial hoods, gas appliances, exhaust systems, and similar mechanical scope.
Specialty permits
Depending on scope, projects may also need demolition, sign, fire alarm/sprinkler, grading, erosion control, floodplain, right-of-way, driveway, tree, or public works permits.
Verify Oregon licensing before filing. Most paid construction work requires an active Oregon Construction Contractors Board license, and trade work may require additional Oregon specialty credentials. Permit applications should match the contractor, license, owner, scope, and valuation.
How to get a building permit in Washington County
Confirm permit requirement & jurisdiction
Verify that the address falls under Washington County Building Services. Check zoning, land use, floodplain, historic, septic, utility, fire, and right-of-way requirements before preparing drawings.
Prepare your application package
Assemble the application, site plan, construction drawings, structural calculations, energy forms, scope narrative, valuation, contractor information, and owner authorization. Commercial and engineered projects may need Oregon-licensed professionals.
Submit application & plans
Submit through Accela / ProjectDox or the official instructions published by Building Services, Land Use & Transportation. Choose the correct permit record type and upload complete drawings and supporting documents.
Plan review & corrections
Staff review the project against Oregon specialty codes and local development standards. Respond to correction notices with revised plans and a clear response letter.
Pay fees & receive permit
Pay assessed plan review, building, trade, SDC, and other fees. Download the issued permit and approved plan set and post them on-site before construction begins.
Schedule inspections
Use the official inspection process to schedule footing, foundation, framing, rough-in MEP, insulation, fire/life-safety, and final inspections as applicable. Obtain final approval or certificate of occupancy before use.
Inspections in Washington County
Schedule inspections through Accela / ProjectDox or the inspection process published by Building Services, Land Use & Transportation. Standard checkpoints can include erosion control, footing, foundation, framing, rough electrical, rough plumbing, rough mechanical, insulation, drywall/fire assemblies, final trade, and final building inspections.
Keep the permit card, approved drawings, engineering, deferred submittals, product approvals, and revision documents on site. Failed inspections or missing documents can delay finals and trigger re-inspection fees.
Official Washington County permitting resources
- 🏢 Washington County official permitting
- 💻 Accela / ProjectDox portal
- 📄 Oregon Building Codes Division
- 📋 Oregon adopted codes
- 📝 Oregon ePermitting
- 💳 Oregon CCB contractor licensing
Simplify Washington County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Washington County permitting rewards applicants who submit complete packages, use the correct portal, and resolve jurisdiction issues early. Alliance Permitting is a permit expediter for Washington County - our permit expediting services pair AI-driven document review with experts who understand Oregon building permit workflows, so your submission moves faster.
Trusted by leading builders and brands - including Dream Finders Homes, Tesla, Verizon, Hyatt, and Sunnova.
Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Washington County because we deliver:
- Local filing strategy - we confirm the correct Oregon AHJ, portal, permit type, and required documents before submittal.
- Complete package control - applications, plans, license info, valuations, revisions, and inspection requirements stay organized.
- Fewer correction cycles - AI pre-checks plus expert review catch missing documents, scope mismatches, and format problems early.
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company: we prepare your paperwork, file it correctly, and coordinate with the building department through issuance. We are not a contractor and do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your team and the jurisdiction.
Need a Washington County building permit?
Get your Washington County project permitted right. Alliance Permitting handles applications, corrections, and permit coordination - so you build, not wait.
More Oregon permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general informational purposes and reflects publicly available information believed accurate as of June 2026. Permit requirements, fees, portals, and review processes change; always confirm current details with the local building department before filing. This is not legal advice.