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

Under Tigard Community Development Code Chapter 18.210 (Residential General Provisions), fences and walls in a required front setback may be a maximum of 3 feet where abutting a local or neighborhood street and 6 feet where abutting a collector or arterial street, and fences in a required side, street side, or rear setback may be a maximum of 8 feet. Vision clearance area limits in CDC Chapter 18.930 apply at intersections and driveways, and barbed or razor wire is prohibited.

Tigard requires a building permit only for fences and walls 7 feet or more in height under the Tigard Community Development Code, consistent with the Oregon Residential Specialty Code adopted under ORS 455.020. Fences under 7 feet do not require a building permit but must still comply with CDC Chapter 18.210 (Residential General Provisions) fence-height standards and CDC Chapter 18.930 (Vision Clearance Areas) sight-distance standards.

Oregon does not have a shared fence cost statute. Each property owner is responsible for their own fence. Fences may be placed within required setbacks subject to height and material standards. Spite fences may be actionable as a nuisance under common law.

Pool barriers are required under Tigard Building Code and the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code. Oregon state rules (OAR 333-060-0105) require 42-inch minimum barriers with self-closing, self-latching gates. Gates must swing outward from the pool area.

Above-ground pools are subject to the same barrier and permit requirements as in-ground pools under Oregon Residential Specialty Code. Plumbing permits are required. Electrical permits are needed for pump wiring and mechanical permits for gas heaters.

Building permits and inspections are required for all pools and spas. Plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permits may all be needed. Anti-entrapment drain covers are required per the federal Virginia Graeme Baker Act. Oregon Residential Specialty Code (OAR 918-480) applies.

Tigard allows accessory dwelling units under Chapter 18.220 (Accessory Dwelling Units) of the Tigard Community Development Code, with a maximum size of 800 square feet, a maximum height of 25 feet for a detached ADU, one detached ADU per lot, and no city-imposed owner-occupancy or additional off-street parking requirement. The framework implements Oregon's statewide ADU mandate under SB 1051 (2017) and HB 2001 (2019).

Tigard allows existing detached garages and other accessory structures to be converted into accessory dwelling units under Tigard Community Development Code Chapter 18.220 (Accessory Dwelling Units), subject to the 800-square-foot size cap, 25-foot height cap, and small form residential setback and lot-coverage rules in Chapter 18.290. Conversions to general habitable space follow the Oregon Residential Specialty Code adopted under ORS 455.020 and require building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits from the Tigard Building Division.

Tigard treats carports as residential accessory structures under the Tigard Community Development Code. Detached accessory structures must maintain a minimum 5-foot setback from side, street side, and rear property lines, with garage and carport vehicle-entry setbacks measured from the door elevation under the standards in Chapter 18.290 (Small Form Residential) Table 18.290.1. Building permits follow the Oregon Residential Specialty Code adopted under ORS 455.020.

Tigard treats sheds as detached residential accessory structures under the Tigard Community Development Code. Under CDC Chapter 18.290 (Small Form Residential), accessory structures may not be located in the required front-yard setback and must maintain at least a 5-foot setback from side, street side, and rear property lines. Accessory structures may not exceed 528 square feet on lots smaller than 2.5 acres and may not cause the lot to exceed the base-zone lot-coverage maximum.

Outdoor burning of yard debris is prohibited year-round in Tigard. The city is inside Metro's Urban Growth Boundary, where Oregon DEQ and TVF&R both ban open burning. Only small recreational and cooking fires meeting TVF&R's 3-foot by 2-foot size limit are allowed. Enforcement runs through TMC Title 6 nuisance authority.

Tigard has no stand-alone fire-pit chapter in the TMC. Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue (TVF&R), the fire authority of record, limits recreational fires to a fuel area no larger than three feet in diameter and two feet in height, sited safely away from combustibles, attended, and fully extinguished after use.

Tigard regulates tree removal under TMC Title 8 (Urban Forestry), Chapters 8.04-8.16. Permits are required for street trees, heritage trees, Urban Forestry Fund trees, and native trees within sensitive lands. Unlawful removal carries a minimum $250-per-tree penalty under TMC 1.16.640.

Street tree maintenance is the responsibility of the fronting property owner. Branches must be maintained 8 feet above sidewalks and 13–18 feet above the street depending on street type. Trees planted through the Urban Forestry Fund have special maintenance requirements.

Tigard's water rules are set in TMC Chapter 12.10. The city uses a four-stage curtailment plan with Lake Oswego: Stage 1 voluntary; Stages 2-4 mandatory. First violation gets a warning letter; later violations become civil infractions with escalating fines.