Before You Build in Beaverton, OR: Permit & Rule Checklist (2026)

Beaverton requires building permits for fences over 7 feet tall, fences over 8 feet for open chain link or woven wire, and all fences serving as swimming pool barriers. Applications should be made through the city's building department. Always check with the Planning Division for zoning and land use requirements before building.

Oregon does not have a shared fence cost statute for urban areas. ORS 105.175–105.190 covers line fences in rural areas only. In Beaverton, fence disputes between neighbors are generally private civil matters. The city enforces code violations (height, materials, nuisance conditions) but does not mediate neighbor fence disputes.

Beaverton Development Code limits fences in residential zones to 6 feet in side and rear yards and 3.5 feet (42 inches) in the front yard or in any street-facing yard. Fences along corner lots and within the vision-clearance triangle at intersections and driveways are further restricted to maintain sight lines. Fences over 7 feet require a building permit under the Oregon Residential Specialty Code adopted by Beaverton Code Chapter 8.02; barbed-wire and electrified fences are prohibited along sidewalks and public ways under Beaverton Code Chapter 5.

Beaverton Municipal Code Section 8.07.380 requires swimming pools holding water over 24 inches deep to be properly maintained — water must not become green, brown, or black, and must not be stagnant or provide habitat for mosquitoes. Pool setbacks require at least 3 feet from side and rear lot lines and outside public utility easements.

Beaverton residential swimming pools must comply with the Oregon Residential Specialty Code (ORSC) Appendix V (formerly Appendix G of the IRC), which requires a minimum 48-inch barrier around any pool capable of holding water more than 24 inches deep. Gates must be self-closing and self-latching, with the release at least 54 inches above ground (or with specific child-safe configurations if lower). Beaverton Code Chapter 8.02 adopts the ORSC, and the Beaverton Building Division issues pool and pool-barrier permits.

Above-ground pools in Beaverton holding water over 24 inches deep are subject to the same barrier, maintenance, and permit requirements as in-ground pools under BMC Chapter 8.05 and Section 8.07.380. A 48-inch barrier is required under Oregon state standards. Pools must be at least 3 feet from lot lines.

Garage conversions to ADUs are permitted in Beaverton. Existing legal non-conforming structures can be converted to ADUs provided the conversion does not increase the non-conformity. Building, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical permits are required. The converted unit must have a separate exterior entrance and meet all ADU standards.

Beaverton allows one ADU per detached dwelling unit in all residential zones under Development Code Chapters 40 and 60. Detached ADUs are limited to 800 sq ft; attached ADUs cannot exceed 50% of primary dwelling or 800 sq ft. Detached ADU height limit is generally 16 feet. No owner-occupancy requirement. No parking minimum near transit per state law.

Beaverton regulates carports as residential accessory structures under the Beaverton Development Code Chapter 60 (Special Requirements), Section 60.50 (Accessory Dwelling Units and Residential Accessory Structures). Carports must meet the same yard setbacks as the principal dwelling under the underlying residential zone in BDC Chapter 20, and garage door or vehicle-entry setbacks are measured from the door elevation to the property line. Building permits are administered under BMC Chapter 8.02, which adopts the Oregon Residential Specialty Code.

Sheds and detached accessory structures in Beaverton are regulated by the Beaverton Development Code Chapter 60 (Section 60.50, Residential Accessory Structures) and the Oregon Residential Specialty Code adopted under BC Chapter 8.02. One-story detached accessory structures of 200 square feet or less are generally exempt from a building permit under the Oregon Residential Specialty Code, but they must still comply with the setbacks of the underlying residential zone (BDC Chapter 20). Sheds cannot be used as habitable dwelling units unless converted into an ADU with full permitting.

Backyard burning of yard debris is prohibited year-round throughout Beaverton because the city lies inside the permanent burn-ban boundary jointly enforced by Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue (TVF&R) and Oregon DEQ under OAR 340-264-0060. Only properly conducted recreational fires (IFC 307.4) and approved barbecues are allowed. Land-clearing burns, demolition burns, and agricultural burns inside this boundary are not permitted without rare special variances. DEQ issues air-quality advisories that may suspend even recreational fires.

Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue (TVF&R) is Beaverton's fire authority and regulates recreational fires under the Oregon Fire Code (International Fire Code Section 307), which Beaverton adopts through Beaverton Code Chapter 8 (Fire Code adoption). A 'recreational fire' is limited to a fuel area no more than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height, must be at least 25 feet from any structure or combustible material (15 feet for portable outdoor fireplaces), must be constantly attended, and must have an extinguisher or water source on hand. Only seasoned firewood may be burned - no yard debris, garbage, or treated wood.

Beaverton residents are served by either the Tualatin Valley Water District (TVWD) or the City of Beaverton Water Department depending on location, with some areas receiving wholesale water from the Portland Water Bureau or the Joint Water Commission. Both TVWD and the city follow the Regional Water Providers Consortium curtailment framework (four stages from voluntary conservation to mandatory outdoor watering bans). Mandatory restrictions are not in effect year-round and are triggered by drought conditions or supply constraints; year-round conservation practices (efficient irrigation, leak repair) are always encouraged.

Beaverton regulates tree trimming and removal under the Beaverton Development Code Chapter 60.60 (Trees and Vegetation), which protects designated Significant Trees, Significant Tree Groves, and Historic Trees. Routine pruning of small private trees is allowed without a permit, but pruning, topping, or removing a Significant Tree or any street tree in the public right-of-way requires city approval through Beaverton Planning. Property owners are responsible for keeping trees clear of sidewalks, streets, and intersection sight lines.

In Beaverton, tree removal permits are generally not required for trees under 10 inches in diameter at 4.5 feet above ground, unless the tree is a designated landscape or street tree. Fruiting trees and invasive Lombardy Poplars are exempt. Street trees require city permits. Significant Tree/Grove and Historic Tree designations require special permits.