Building Safety in Oregon (2026)
70 rules on the books across Oregon, 13 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Lead Paint
Local lead-paint rules for older housing, hazard abatement orders, inspection triggers, and how local requirements sit alongside the federal disclosure and RRP rules.
Elevator Maintenance
Inspection schedules, maintenance requirements, and safety certifications for residential and commercial elevators and escalators.
Fire Sprinkler Requirements
When residential and commercial buildings must install fire sprinkler systems, including new-construction triggers and major-renovation thresholds.
Gresham
Some RestrictionsGresham requires floating homes moved or added onto to carry an NFPA 13D sprinkler system whenever they sit closer than…
Read full rule →Medford
Some RestrictionsOn Medford minor residential streets serving up to 100 dwellings, a developer choosing not to cluster driveways or…
Read full rule →Multnomah County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Multnomah County's farm and forest zones, the standard secondary fire safety zone around a dwelling…
Read full rule →Portland
Some RestrictionsPortland requires owners of five-story Type V-A apartment buildings to keep required fire and life-safety systems…
Read full rule →Salem
Some RestrictionsSalem doesn't mandate sprinklers in every dwelling; instead SRC 59.230 requires a one-hour fire-resistive separation…
Read full rule →Childcare Center Rules
Building safety standards specific to family childcare homes and centers, including egress, sprinklers, lead and asbestos clearances, and outdoor play standards.
Multnomah County
Significant RestrictionsUnincorporated Multnomah County's zoning code allows a stand-alone child care center only as a conditional use, and…
Read full rule →Beaverton
Some RestrictionsBeaverton's building code classifies new family childcare and foster care uses inside a detached single-family home as…
Read full rule →Hillsboro
Some RestrictionsHillsboro's Community Development Code sets siting standards for child care facilities, including a required…
Read full rule →Salem
Some RestrictionsSalem's Fire Prevention Code requires two separate fire apparatus access roads for any building holding a Group E…
Read full rule →Washington County
Some RestrictionsOpening a day-care facility in unincorporated Washington County means meeting a dedicated zoning standard: CDC §…
Read full rule →Door Locking Hardware
Code requirements for emergency-egress door hardware, including thumb-turn locks, panic bars, and one-action egress required by the building code.
Beaverton
Some RestrictionsBeaverton's property maintenance code requires every exterior door to have a lock that discourages entry yet opens from…
Read full rule →Medford
Some RestrictionsMedford requires every means-of-egress door to open readily from the exit side without keys, special knowledge, or…
Read full rule →Portland
Some RestrictionsEvery exterior door on a Portland dwelling must have a lock that discourages unwanted entry but still opens from inside…
Read full rule →Salem
Some RestrictionsSalem's Housing Code caps residential door lock placement at 48 inches above the floor and bans double-cylinder…
Read full rule →Anti-Mansionization
Floor-area-ratio (FAR) and bulk limits added to single-family zones to prevent oversized rebuilds, including LA's Baseline Mansionization Ordinance updates.
Green Building Code
CALGreen and equivalent state green building codes, plus reach codes that go further (electric-only new construction, EV-readiness, low-VOC materials).
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Where CO detectors are required (typically near sleeping areas in homes with fuel-burning appliances or attached garages), and seller/landlord deadlines.
Bend
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Bend, a citywide carbon monoxide detector mandate is not printed in the Bend Code; the only city rule…
Read full rule →Clackamas County
Some RestrictionsClackamas County's only codified carbon monoxide detector mandate applies to short-term rentals: Section 8.10.050(J)(1)…
Read full rule →Eugene
Some RestrictionsEC 8.425(7) requires every Eugene rental unit with a carbon monoxide source, including an attached garage that opens…
Read full rule →Gresham
Some RestrictionsGresham requires carbon monoxide alarms in residential units, installed, maintained and repaired according to Oregon's…
Read full rule →Medford
Some RestrictionsMedford requires carbon monoxide alarms in residential units, installed, maintained, and repaired to the standard set…
Read full rule →Portland
Some RestrictionsPortland requires CO alarms in existing rental units with a carbon monoxide source, and in all existing dwellings once…
Read full rule →Salem
Some RestrictionsSalem requires an audible carbon monoxide alarm in every residential structure that contains a CO source under SRC…
Read full rule →Building Permits
When a building permit is required, new work, renovations, reroofing, decks, the small-project exemptions, and what unpermitted work costs when it surfaces at sale or inspection.
Beaverton
Some RestrictionsAnyone who intends to construct, alter, enlarge, repair, move, or demolish a building or structure in Beaverton must…
Read full rule →Bend
Some RestrictionsThe City of Bend administers building permits through the Building Official under Bend Code § 9.10.010, who enforces…
Read full rule →Benton County
Some RestrictionsThe Benton County Building Code (Chapter 11) requires a permit application, plans and fees before the building official…
Read full rule →Clackamas County
Some RestrictionsClackamas County requires a permit for construction, alteration, demolition, repair or moving of any building or…
Read full rule →Eugene
Some RestrictionsEugene requires a separate city permit before any building, structure or building service equipment covered by the…
Read full rule →Gresham
Some RestrictionsGresham enforces the Oregon Structural Specialty Code as its building code, and the Building Official must issue a…
Read full rule →Hillsboro
Some RestrictionsHillsboro requires building permits under a set of state-adopted specialty codes covering structural, mechanical…
Read full rule →Lane County
Some RestrictionsLane County requires an approved building permit for all work covered under the county's Building Codes before…
Read full rule →Multnomah County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Multnomah County adopts the state's structural, mechanical, and one- and two-family dwelling specialty…
Read full rule →Portland
Some RestrictionsPortland decks, stairs, and ramps no more than 2-1/2 feet above grade can extend fully into your required yard setback…
Read full rule →Salem
Some RestrictionsSalem requires a building permit before any work covered by the State Building Code begins, under Salem Revised Code…
Read full rule →Washington County
Some RestrictionsAny construction, alteration, moving, demolition, repair or maintenance work on a building or structure in…
Read full rule →Electrical Permits
Which electrical work (panel upgrades, EV chargers, solar inverters, sub-panels) requires a licensed-electrician permit vs. an owner-builder permit.
Beaverton
Some RestrictionsBeaverton's Building Division issues all electrical permits under the state Electrical Specialty Code, which Oregon…
Read full rule →Bend
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Bend, the Building Official administers the Oregon Electrical Specialty Code for all wiring, service and…
Read full rule →Benton County
Some RestrictionsElectrical work in unincorporated Benton County is governed by the Oregon Electrical Specialty Code, enforced under…
Read full rule →Clackamas County
Some RestrictionsClackamas County enforces the Oregon Electrical Specialty Code as part of its own Building Code, so any new wiring…
Read full rule →Eugene
Some RestrictionsEugene adopts an electrical code as part of its technical code under EC 8.010(1), and EC 8.005(7) requires a separate…
Read full rule →Gresham
Some RestrictionsGresham enforces the Oregon Electrical Specialty Code as its local electrical code, so wiring, panel, and other…
Read full rule →Hillsboro
Some RestrictionsHillsboro enforces electrical work through the state-adopted Oregon Electrical Specialty Code, and any permit the City…
Read full rule →Medford
Some RestrictionsMedford adopts the Oregon Electrical Specialty Code under Section 9.250 and requires a permit before any new electrical…
Read full rule →Multnomah County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Multnomah County enforces Oregon's Electrical Specialty Safety Code for all wiring work, requiring a…
Read full rule →Portland
Some RestrictionsPortland requires an electrical permit before most electrical work begins, under Title 26, and enforces the Oregon…
Read full rule →Salem
Some RestrictionsSalem enforces electrical work through the Oregon Electrical Specialty Code as part of the State Building Code…
Read full rule →Washington County
Some RestrictionsWashington County enforces the Oregon Electrical Specialty Code as its wiring standard for the unincorporated area…
Read full rule →Plumbing Permits
Which plumbing work (water heaters, sewer-line replacement, repipe, gas-line) requires a permit, and which minor repairs are typically exempt.
Beaverton
Some RestrictionsBeaverton's Building Division issues all plumbing permits under the state Plumbing Specialty Code; anyone doing…
Read full rule →Bend
Some RestrictionsThe City of Bend Building Official enforces the Oregon Plumbing Specialty Code for all plumbing work in the city. A…
Read full rule →Benton County
Some RestrictionsPlumbing work in unincorporated Benton County runs under the Oregon Plumbing Specialty Code, enforced locally under…
Read full rule →Clackamas County
Some RestrictionsClackamas County enforces the Oregon Plumbing Specialty Code under County Code 9.02.040(C) for all plumbing work in the…
Read full rule →Eugene
Some RestrictionsEugene adopts a plumbing code as part of its technical code under EC 8.010(1), and EC 8.005(7) requires a separate city…
Read full rule →Gresham
Some RestrictionsGresham enforces the Oregon Plumbing Specialty Code as its local plumbing code, so new plumbing installation…
Read full rule →Hillsboro
Some RestrictionsHillsboro enforces plumbing work under the state-adopted Oregon Plumbing Specialty Code, and any plumbing permit the…
Read full rule →Lane County
Some RestrictionsLane County adopts the Oregon State Building Code, including its plumbing specialty code, as its own Building Codes…
Read full rule →Medford
Some RestrictionsMedford enforces the Oregon Plumbing Specialty Code as its local Plumbing Code under Section 9.200, with the Building…
Read full rule →Multnomah County
Some RestrictionsMultnomah County adopts the state Plumbing Specialty Code by reference and administers it in unincorporated areas only…
Read full rule →Portland
Some RestrictionsPortland requires a permit or minor label for nearly all plumbing work, from new water and sewer systems to rainwater…
Read full rule →Washington County
Some RestrictionsWashington County enforces the Oregon Plumbing Specialty Code as its plumbing standard for the unincorporated area, and…
Read full rule →Building Inspections
Required inspection types (rough framing, electrical, plumbing, final), how to schedule, what inspectors look for, and how to handle a failed inspection.
Beaverton
Some RestrictionsBeaverton bars occupying any building until a final inspection is completed and approved or a certificate of occupancy…
Read full rule →Bend
Some RestrictionsThe City of Bend Building Official may enter a structure at reasonable times to inspect for code compliance, must show…
Read full rule →Benton County
Some RestrictionsUnder Benton County Code § 11.145, it's the permit holder, not the county, who must request every required inspection…
Read full rule →Clackamas County
Some RestrictionsClackamas County puts the duty to schedule inspections on the permit holder, not the county: the permittee must request…
Read full rule →Gresham
Some RestrictionsGresham inspects every business location for fire code compliance once each calendar year, charging an inspection fee…
Read full rule →Hillsboro
Some RestrictionsA Hillsboro building permit expires if no inspection approval occurs within 6 months of issuance, though each approved…
Read full rule →Multnomah County
Some RestrictionsBefore a covered building in unincorporated Multnomah County can be occupied or its use changed, the Building Official…
Read full rule →Portland
Some RestrictionsPortland requires an inspection of all permitted construction work, scheduled by the permit holder, before the City…
Read full rule →Salem
Some RestrictionsUnder Salem Revised Code 56.009, the Building Official may enter a building or premises at reasonable times to inspect…
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