Portland requires grading permits under PCC Title 24 for excavation or fill exceeding 50 cubic yards or slopes over 20%. Portland's Landslide Hazard areas (West Hills) require geotechnical reports. Drainage cannot be redirected onto neighboring properties (ORS 105.170). Retaining walls over 4 feet require engineered plans. Multnomah County Land Use requires grading permits in unincorporated areas on SEC overlay or steep slopes.
Portland City Code Title 24 (Building Regulations) and PCC 24.70 (Excavation and Grading) require a grading permit for any excavation or fill exceeding 50 cubic yards, modifications to natural drainage courses, or work on slopes over 20%. Portland's West Hills (Southwest and Northwest neighborhoods) are mapped as Landslide Hazard Areas in Portland's Environmental Overlay Zones, requiring geotechnical engineering reports for most ground disturbance. ORS 105.170 and common law adopt the Reasonable Use Doctrine - drainage cannot be concentrated and discharged onto a neighboring property so as to cause damage. Retaining walls over 4 feet (measured from bottom of footing) require a separate engineered structural permit (ORSC R404). Compaction testing required for structural fill. Final grade must match approved drainage plans before certificate of occupancy. Gresham Development Code 8.60 and Troutdale TMC 17.80 have similar thresholds. Unincorporated Multnomah County MCC 39 requires grading permits on Significant Environmental Concern (SEC) overlays (streams, wetlands, steep slopes, Columbia Gorge boundary) and any fill exceeding 50 cubic yards. Sandy River Conservation Area and Columbia Slough have additional protections. Oregon DSL (Department of State Lands) removal-fill permits apply within wetlands or waters of the state, with thresholds as low as 50 cubic yards in Essential Salmon Habitat.
Unpermitted grading: Portland BDS stop-work and $500 to $5,000/day under PCC 24.10. Unauthorized fill in wetlands: DSL penalty up to $10,000/day per ORS 196.810. Redirecting drainage onto neighbors: civil liability plus PCC 17.38 enforcement. Slope failure: full remediation at owner cost plus third-party damages.
Gresham, OR
Gresham addresses barking dogs through noise and animal control ordinances. Persistent barking that disturbs neighbors is a violation enforceable through Cod...
Gresham, OR
Gresham permits construction activities between 7 AM and 10 PM per GRC §7.20. Construction noise outside these hours is prohibited in residential areas.
Gresham, OR
Gresham Revised Code §7.20 regulates noise. Residential areas must not exceed 50 dBA between 10 PM and 7 AM, or 60 dBA between 7 AM and 10 PM at the property...
Gresham, OR
Gresham regulates on-street parking with time limits in certain areas. Vehicles must be currently registered and operable. Abandoned vehicles are subject to ...
Gresham, OR
Gresham requires driveways to meet development code standards. Vehicles must not block sidewalks or extend into the public right-of-way. Driveway modificatio...
Gresham, OR
Gresham restricts commercial vehicle parking in residential zones. Large commercial vehicles and heavy equipment may not be stored in residential areas.
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Multnomah County.
See how Gresham's grading & drainage rules stack up against other locations.
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