Yamhill County, Oregon Building Permit Guide

Yamhill County Planning and Development is at 400 NE Baker Street, 2nd floor of the OMI building, McMinnville, OR 97128; phone 503-434-7516. It is open Monday to Friday 8 am to 12 pm and Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 1 pm to 5 pm, and closed to the public Wednesday and Friday afternoons. The Building Official is Tim Codiga.

This guide covers the county program, the cities it serves and the City of McMinnville’s Building Division. It follows the county’s permit procedures effective July 2026.

What requires a building permit in Yamhill County?

The county’s procedures require four approvals before a building permit is issued: land use, septic, driveway, and building plans. Structures for agricultural use need a zoning permit and a $30 fee. An existing septic system evaluation may be needed to build any structure on three acres or less. Erosion prevention permits come in tiers starting at 1/4 acre of land disturbance, and anything over 1 acre needs a DEQ 1200-C permit.

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

Who handles permitting in Yamhill County?

Inside Amity, Carlton, Sheridan, Willamina and Yamhill, an approved city compliance application from the city planning department is submitted with the county permit application; for mechanical permits this applies only in Sheridan. The county sanitarian handles septic approval.

McMinnville, the county seat

The McMinnville Building Division at the Community Development Center, 231 NE 5th St, McMinnville, OR 97128, handles building permits in the city; general inquiries (503) 434-7314, Monday to Friday 7:30am to 5:30pm, with the lobby closed Fridays. Building Official Stuart Ramsing, 503-474-7504. Electrical permits and inspections in the city are handled by Yamhill County (503-434-7516). City inspection requests received before 7:00 am are done that business day, and permit numbers must be entered exactly as on the permit (example 569-20-000020-DWL).

Yamhill County permit costs and fees

County fees increase effective July 1, 2026. New homes pay a park system development fee based on levy code. A manufactured home placement permit lists placement at $491.91 (including the electrical feeder and 30 feet of water/sewer line), a 12% surcharge of $59.03, a $30.00 state administrative fee, a $100.74 zoning review fee and a $30.84 admin processing fee, plus a 5% technology surcharge. Structures in the Gaston, Dayton, McMinnville, Newberg, Sherwood and Yamhill-Carlton school districts may owe a construction excise tax.

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

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 Yamhill County

Applicants must call to schedule inspections for each stage of construction; inspectors keep office hours from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. daily at (503) 434-7516.

Official Yamhill County permitting resources

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

• Yamhill County Building
• Yamhill County building permit guide and procedures
• Yamhill County Sanitation
• Yamhill County erosion control permit packet
• McMinnville Building Division

Frequently asked questions

Who issues electrical permits in McMinnville?

Yamhill County administers electrical permits and inspections in the City of McMinnville.

How long does Yamhill County plan check take?

The county’s July 2026 procedures say to allow four weeks for plan check and processing.

Does a farm building in Yamhill County need a permit?

Structures for agricultural use need a zoning permit and a $30 fee.

Simplify Yamhill County permitting with Alliance Permitting

• Collect the land use, septic, driveway and city compliance approvals in order
• Prepare the plan set and county application, including school tax items
• Call in inspections during the inspectors’ morning hour

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