Washington County, OR Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Covered work
- Construction, alteration, demolition, repair
- Issuing authority
- County building official
- Plan retention
- 90+ days after completion
- Permit start deadline
- 180 days from issuance
- Outer expiration
- 24 months from issuance
- Scope
- Unincorporated area only
Summary
Any construction, alteration, moving, demolition, repair or maintenance work on a building or structure in unincorporated Washington County is covered by the county's Uniform Building Code and must be reviewed and permitted by the building official before work begins.
This code shall apply to the construction, alteration, moving, demolition, repair, maintenance, and work associated with any building or structure except those located in a public way... If the building official finds that the work described in application for a permit and the plans, specifications, and other data filed therewith conform to the requirements of this code and other pertinent laws and ordinances, and that the fees have been paid, the building official shall issue a permit therefor to the applicant.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Community Development Code: Supplement 2 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 25).
Full Breakdown
030). A governs how that work gets authorized: the building official reviews the application, plans, specifications and computations an applicant files, and if the work conforms to the code and other applicable laws and the required fees have been paid, the building official issues the permit and endorses the approved plans. Work must follow those approved plans, and the building official may issue a partial permit for part of a structure before the full plan set is approved, though the holder proceeds without assurance the rest will be granted. B). B). A), and it applies only within the unincorporated area. Hillsboro, Beaverton and the county's other cities administer their own building permits.
Violations & Fines
Work done without the required permit, or contrary to an issued permit's terms, is enforced through the building official's stop-work authority under Section 14.04.090: written notice ordering all work to cease immediately until specifically authorized to resume. Issuance of a permit doesn't excuse any other code violation, and the building official can still require correction of plan errors or halt work in violation after a permit issues, under Section 14.04.180.
Frequently Asked Questions
What work requires a permit in unincorporated Washington County?
How long is a Washington County building permit good for?
Can I get a permit for part of a project before the full plans are approved?
What happens if work doesn't match the approved plans?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
Compare Washington County to another location·View the Oregon building safety overview
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