Do I need a building permit? Why?
for a remodel, addition or new construction. Some work may be done without a permit. The following lists are excerpts form the City of Portland’s Bureau of Development Services “Guide to Permits and Inspections for One and Two Family Dwellings”

A Building Permit is Required When:

• Constructing, enlarging, altering, moving or demolishing any one or two family dwelling or related structure
• Adding a room, garage or other attached structure
• Building, demolishing or moving any carport or garage, or a shed that’s more than 200 square feet in area or more than 10 feet high at the highest point
• Finishing an attic, garage or basement to make additional living space
• Cutting a new window/door opening or changing the size of existing openings
• Moving, removing or adding walls
• Applying roofing when all of the old roofing is removed and new sheathing is installed.
• Building a stairway
• Building a retaining wall that is more than 4 feet high – measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall – or any retaining wall affected by the weight of a nearby driveway or structure
• Building a deck more than 30 inches high
• Enclosing, adding or enlarging a porch-cover, patio-cover or any other roofed structure
• Putting up a fence more than 6 feet high
• Moving more than 10 cubic yards of earth
• Pouring concrete sidewalks, slabs and driveways more than 30 inches above adjacent grade and over any story or basement

A Building Permit is Not Required When:

• Painting buildings that are not historic landmarks
• Blowing insulation into existing homes, unless there is existing knob and tube wiring
• Putting up storm windows
• Installing window awnings – not more than 54 inches deep and not in a design zone – that are supported by an exterior wall and do not project beyond the property line
• Replacing interior wall, floor or ceiling covering, such as wallboard or sheet vinyl
• Putting up shelving and cabinets
• Installing gutters and downspouts (a plumbing permit may be required for storm water disposal)
• Replacing or repairing siding on a wall which is 3 feet or more from a property line
• Replacing or repairing roofing, if there is no replacement of sheathing ( a maximum of 2 layers of roofing is allowed)
• Replacing doors or windows if the existing openings are not changed
• Installing swing sets or small play structures. Some play structures may require a permit.

Reasons To Get A Permit
Obtaining the appropriate permits is important for many reasons. Work completed under the proper permits and inspections provides reasonable assurance that the work has been performed safely and accurately. Some more reasons for getting permits are:

It’s the law. State Building Code requires that permits be obtained for certain types of work.

Permits protect you, your family, home, business and financial investment.

Permits help ensure that licensed contractors do the work, if required.

Permitted work requires inspection approval from a certified bureau inspector.
Inspections ensure that work is done safely and meets the minimum code requirements. Incorrect installations can result in house fires, flood damage and/or structural problems.

Minor problems could lead to costly repairs. Liability and life/safety issues can also be detected during permit inspections and brought to your attention before the situation worsens.

When selling a property or a home, the buyer realtor and lender may require that unpermitted work be corrected, properly permitted and inspected before closing. This leaves you in the position of scrambling to “get legal”. For information on how to legalize significant unpermitted work through the Bureau’s Get Legal Program, please call 503.823.7281.

How much does it cost for a building permit?
The building permit cost is based upon the value of the construction costs. This rate and value of construction costs per square foot is scheduled in the State Building Codes. The Building Permit generally includes the fees associated with the permit process, as well as fees required for the various trades such as plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits. The fees vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

The following is a general range of permit fees in the City of Portland.

Kitchen Remodel $650-$800
Small Addition $900-$1200
Large Addition $1400-$2000
New Home $6000-$10,000

Who obtains the permit?
The responsibility can vary from project to project. The architect is responsible for preparing a set of drawings for submittal for the building permit, and making any changes required by the plan checker necessary for the issuance of the permit.

The actual submission of the drawings can be done by the owner, contractor, or the architect. Giulietti/Schouten Associates provides the service of submitting and obtaining of the permit within their basic services unless requested otherwise by the owner. It is easier and presents less coordination problems if the architect does this work. Often, small changes are required by the plan checkers. The architect is the only one authorized to make the changes in their drawings.

Is the building permit all that I need to be in construction?
Each jurisdiction is different. Some issue an all-in-one permit: some may have separate permits for specialty trades such as mechanical, plumbing, etc. In addition to these “main” building trade permits, there are other approvals and/or permits that may be required, i.e., curb cut/driveway permit, Forestry approval, zoning approval, Bureau of Environment services approval, etc.

How long should I plan for obtaining a permit?
The length of time can vary. Factors, such as the size and difficulty of the project, to the number of projects ahead of yours affect the schedule. Each jurisdiction has separate processes. Some may be obtain don the day you apply, others may take up to and in excess of 3 months.