General building work permit checklist — Portland, Oregon
Assembled from Portland’s own published permit rules. Every line below is quoted from a city document and linked to it. Nothing here is generated, estimated, or inferred from another jurisdiction.
Do you need a permit?
Portland requires a permit for general building work.
A building permit is not required to paint a building, install insulation or storm windows, install gutters and downspouts, replace or repair siding that is not required to be fire resistive, replace doors or windows where the existing openings are not widened or reduced, pave a walkway, repave a driveway where no expansion is proposed, install swings and other play structures, or build stairs, a patio or a deck not more than 30 inches above grade. Inside the home, replacing wall, floor or ceiling coverings, building non-structural partitions that do not enclose habitable space, and installing shelving and cabinets are also exempt. Projects that do not need a building permit must still meet Zoning Code requirements.
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Sources
- building — permit rules ↗verified August 2026
Other permits Portland publishes rules for
Listed because the city publishes a separate rule for each type — not because this project necessarily triggers one. Whether it does depends on your scope of work.
- Deck permit checklist
- Fence permit checklist
- Shed permit checklist
- Water heater permit checklist
- Re-roof permit checklist
- Retaining wall permit checklist
- Electrical work permit checklist
BuildSpec is a reference, not the authority having jurisdiction. Confirm requirements with Portland before you build.