Portland Building Permit Office
Portland
City of Portland
207-874-8703
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
389 Congress Street, Room 315, Portland, Maine, 04101
Portland, Oregon handles building and development permits through Portland Permitting & Development (PP&D). Most building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, sign and zoning permit applications can be submitted through the City’s Development Hub PDX online system.
Portland does not treat every building permit as a single-department review. Depending on the work, an application may be routed to Planning & Zoning, Life Safety, Structural Review, Site Development, Environmental Services, Fire, Transportation, Water or Urban Forestry before the permit can move to issuance.
Portland permits can involve more than one City review group
Portland Permitting & Development
PP&D manages the City of Portland development review process, including building permit intake, plan routing, permit issuance and inspections.
Structural and life-safety review
Structural Review examines structural portions of residential and commercial permits. Life Safety Review covers building-code subjects that include fire and life safety, accessibility and energy-code requirements.
Zoning, utilities and site conditions
A project can also be assigned to Planning & Zoning, Site Development, Environmental Services, Transportation, Water, Fire or Urban Forestry when those reviews apply to the proposed work.
PP&D also provides permitting or land-use services outside Portland in certain circumstances, including building permitting for the City of Maywood Park and services for some unincorporated areas of Multnomah County. Those locations can have separate fee schedules and jurisdiction rules. A property inside the City of Portland should be reviewed under the City of Portland requirements rather than assuming the same rules apply throughout Multnomah County.
Development Hub PDX is the main permit intake system
Development Hub PDX, commonly called DevHub, is Portland’s online permitting system. The City uses it for applications that include building permits, standard trade permits, trade permits with plan review, demolition permits, sign permits and several other development requests. Some permit types follow different submission instructions, so the project-specific requirements should be checked before uploading plans.
Confirm the property and project requirements
Portland recommends checking property information, zoning, permit history and any prior land-use decisions before preparing the application. PortlandMaps can be used for property and permit research.
Prepare the application and required plans
The permit packet must satisfy the City’s submittal requirements. An incomplete application can be rejected during intake rather than moving directly into technical review.
Submit through DevHub
Plan-reviewed permits are submitted electronically when the permit type is supported by DevHub. Portland uses electronic plan files for most projects that require plan review.
Complete intake and technical reviews
After prescreening, the City assigns the necessary review groups. If a reviewer needs corrections or additional information, the applicant receives a Checksheet and responds through the electronic permitting process.
Move through pre-issuance
After all assigned technical reviews are approved, the permit enters pre-issuance. PP&D performs its final permit-set and quality checks and identifies remaining fees before the permit is approved for issuance.
Portland’s plan requirements depend on the work being proposed
For house and duplex building permits, Portland’s published plan guidance identifies several drawings commonly needed for a complete application. The scope determines which items are required.
- Completed building permit application
- Site plan showing the property and proposed work
- Floor plans showing existing and proposed layouts when applicable
- Exterior elevations for exterior work
- Cross-sections and construction details where needed
- Structural calculations when engineering is required
- Product specifications or supporting technical documents when applicable
- Geotechnical information or surveyed property-line information when required by the project
Portland requires plans to clearly identify the work covered by the permit. Larger commercial projects can require additional structural, electrical, mechanical, plumbing or civil drawings based on project scope and the reviews assigned to the application.
A zoning permit, land use review and building permit are not the same approval
Zoning can be part of a building permit review
Planning & Zoning staff review assigned building permits for zoning requirements that can include setbacks, height, building coverage, landscaping, environmental zones, design standards, nonconforming situations and conditions from prior land-use decisions.
Some projects need zoning approval without a building permit
Portland also uses zoning permits for work where a building permit is not required but the proposal still needs approval under the zoning regulations.
Project location and design can trigger a separate land use review before development may proceed. Portland planners can determine whether a proposal requires one. Type III and Type IV land use reviews require a pre-application conference before the land use application is submitted.
Portland separates permit review into intake, technical review and pre-issuance
The application, documents and drawings are prescreened for submittal requirements. After an application is accepted through the prescreen process, PP&D provides the applicable intake-fee instructions.
Assigned technical groups review the project. Applicants use DevHub to follow permit activity and respond to Checksheets or upload corrections when requested.
Once the required technical reviews have signed off, PP&D performs the final review of the permit set before issuance. Applicants are then notified when the permit is ready and of any remaining fees.
PortlandMaps can also display active and historical permit information. Searches can be made using a permit number, IVR number or property address, although the information available varies by permit type and stage.
Issued permits use DevHub or Portland’s IVR inspection system
PP&D allows inspections to be scheduled online through DevHub. The online system can also be used to cancel inspections and review detailed inspection results. Portland also maintains an automated Interactive Voice Response system at 503-823-7000 for inspection scheduling and related permit inspection functions.
Permits are assigned an IVR number used in the inspection system. The IVR number is separate from the permit number, although DevHub can also locate inspections using permit information in supported searches.
If tree preservation is required on the approved plans, Portland identifies Tree Preservation inspection #507 as an inspection that must be approved before other inspections are requested. For work that disturbs the ground, the City requires Pre-Construction Erosion Control inspection #200 before digging. The approved plans and assigned inspection list should control the sequence used for the individual project.
Portland uses separate fee schedules for different permit and review functions
The current City of Portland PP&D fee schedules took effect July 10, 2026. Building permits, electrical permits, plumbing permits, mechanical permits, land use services, site development, transportation review, tree permitting and water review have separate schedules. A project can draw charges from more than one schedule.
Portland also states that a 12% State of Oregon surcharge applies to building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits. System Development Charges may apply separately to development that affects sewer, parks, water or transportation infrastructure.
A building project can involve plan-review and permit fees as well as charges administered by other City bureaus. Projects involving new development, additions or changes of use should also be checked for applicable System Development Charges rather than relying only on the building permit fee schedule.
Portland permit and development resources
Apply for permits
City instructions for preparing and submitting building, trade, sign and zoning permit applications.
Development Hub PDX
Portland’s online system for permit applications, payments, permit activity and supported inspection functions.
Check permit status
Official information on Portland’s intake, technical-review and pre-issuance stages and permit tracking options.
Schedule an inspection
Online and IVR inspection scheduling instructions for issued Portland permits.
Permit plan review groups
Descriptions of the City groups that can be assigned to building and development permit reviews.
Current PP&D fee schedules
Current City of Portland permit, trade, land use, site development and related development-review fee schedules.
Zoning and land use
City zoning information, land use review requirements and planning resources for Portland properties.
PortlandMaps permit search
Property, zoning, active permit and historical permit information for Portland-area addresses.