Clackamas County Building Department 2026: Permits, Inspections & Services

2026 permit guide · Information reviewed October 23, 2026

Clackamas County Building Permits & Inspections: What to Do in 2026

If you are planning a new home, addition, remodel, deck, electrical upgrade, plumbing work, HVAC installation, solar project or commercial construction in Clackamas County, the first thing to check is not the permit form. It is who actually has permitting authority over your property.

For unincorporated Clackamas County, the county generally handles building permits. Inside an incorporated city, responsibility can be split between the city and county depending on the permit type. Checking this first can save a frustrating application rejection or several days of delay.

Clackamas County Building Department Contact Information

Holiday schedules can change normal office hours, so check the official Clackamas County Building Codes page before making a special trip.

Step 1: Confirm Which Agency Handles Your Property

A Clackamas County mailing address does not automatically mean the county issues every permit. The county states that it handles all building permit types in unincorporated Clackamas County, while responsibilities in incorporated cities vary by city and permit category.

This type of split responsibility also appears elsewhere in Oregon. If you are researching property outside Clackamas County, our Benton County Building Department guide explains another Oregon county’s permit-jurisdiction process.

What Permits Does Clackamas County Handle?

The correct permits depend on the project. A single project can require several approvals rather than one general “building permit.”

Before You Apply: Check Planning and Septic Requirements

One of the easiest ways to lose time is to prepare a complete building plan before checking land-use or septic requirements.

Clackamas County specifically directs building applicants to coordinate with Planning before submission. For partner jurisdictions such as Canby, Gladstone and Molalla, applicable city planning requirements may need to be addressed instead.

If the property uses septic—or your project could affect an existing septic system—check septic requirements early. This is especially important for a new home, replacement structure, bedroom addition, change of use, drainfield work or connection to an existing system.

The county warns that skipping Planning or Septic coordination can substantially lengthen review or cause the application to be rejected during those reviews.

Documents to Prepare for a Building Permit

For projects requiring plan review, expect to provide more than an application form. The exact list changes with project scope, but the county’s current submission guidance identifies several core items.

Site plan

A building permit application generally needs a site plan. Relevant information can include:

• Applicant name and address
• Property legal description and tax lot
• North arrow
• Driveway and adjacent street locations
• Existing and proposed structures
• Property-line setbacks
• Existing wells when the property is not on public water
• Septic tank, drainfield and replacement area when applicable
• Approximate ground slope
• Creeks, streams, ponds, springs or drainage ways
• Relevant elevations around the site and proposed building

You can obtain the property’s tax-lot information through CMap.

Construction drawings and supporting documents

Depending on the job, your package may need floor plans, foundation information, wall and roof framing, elevations, structural calculations, truss information, engineering, energy-code information and other technical documents.

The county’s current electronic-submittal instructions say:

• Documents must be submitted as PDF files.
• Plans must be legible and drawn to scale with correct dimensions.
• Plans and drawings should be in landscape/horizontal orientation.
• Files must follow the county’s Development Direct naming conventions.

For one- and two-family projects, the county also publishes a residential checklist and permit forms covering common plan-review items.

How to Apply for a Clackamas County Building Permit

Projects requiring plan review are generally submitted through Development Direct, the county’s electronic development-services system.

1. Confirm jurisdiction. Make sure Clackamas County is responsible for the permit type at your address.
2. Identify every permit your project needs. Structural, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, grading, septic and engineering approvals can be separate.
3. Check Planning and Septic first. Resolve applicable land-use and on-site wastewater requirements before finalizing plans.
4. Prepare the site plan and drawings. Convert required documents to properly named PDF files.
5. Open Development Direct. Use Chrome or Microsoft Edge, which the county identifies for access to the system.
6. Choose the application type. Building applications can include Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Manufactured Dwelling, revisions and other supported categories.
7. Name the project clearly. The county recommends using the property address followed by the work type for building applications.
8. Upload every required document. Check the section indicators to make sure each part of the application is complete before submitting.
9. Watch your Development Direct account. Reviewer questions, requests for additional material and payment notices appear during processing.
10. Download the issued permit and approved plans. Print the approved documents in color and keep them available at the job site for inspections.

Basic Homeowner Electrical, Plumbing or Mechanical Permits

There is an important exception to the normal Development Direct route.

A homeowner doing qualifying electrical, plumbing or mechanical work on their own residence or home-based business may be able to use the county’s Basic Homeowner process when the work does not require plan review.

The county instructs basic homeowner applicants to prepare the appropriate trade application, project description and the property-owner statement when required. These applications can currently be submitted to bldservice@clackamas.us. The county asks applicants to allow up to approximately 48 hours for processing.

Do not assume your project qualifies for the basic process. Additions, significant alterations and work requiring plan review use a different route.

How Long Does a Clackamas County Building Permit Take?

For building applications requiring plan review, Clackamas County currently publishes two useful planning ranges:

Those are not guaranteed approval dates. Missing information, Planning or Septic issues, engineering corrections, applicant resubmittals and more complex projects can add time.

The practical way to avoid unnecessary delay is simple: check jurisdiction first, resolve land-use and septic questions before submission, and upload a complete plan set the first time.

2026/2027 Clackamas County Building Permit Fees

There is no single flat price for a Clackamas County building permit. Structural fees can depend on project valuation, and separate plan-review, trade, state and development-related charges may apply.

The county’s current 2026/2027 Building Division fee schedule lists the following residential structural permit tiers for new construction, additions, remodels and alterations:

The regular residential plan-review fee is listed as 65% of the building permit fee.

Other useful 2026/2027 figures include:

• Reinspection fee: $123
• Residential Certificate of Occupancy: $43.50
• 1- and 2-family mechanical minimum permit fee: $123
• Plumbing minimum permit fee: $123
• Additional plan review caused by changes or revisions: $123 per hour, with a one-hour minimum
• Inspections outside normal hours: $123 per hour plus overtime, with a four-hour minimum

These figures do not mean that the listed building permit fee will be your total project cost. Planning charges, trade permits, erosion control, system development charges, school construction excise tax and other fees can apply.

For a new single-family home in unincorporated Clackamas County, use the county’s official new-home fee estimator. It is an estimate only, not a final quote.

For current project-specific amounts, open the 2026/2027 Building Division fee schedule.

How to Schedule a Building Inspection

Once a permit has been issued and work reaches an inspection point, Clackamas County offers three scheduling methods: the county inspection app, the online Citizen Access portal and the automated phone line.

Schedule online

1. Open the official Clackamas County Citizen Access Portal.
2. Select the Building area.
3. Locate the issued permit.
4. Choose the inspection scheduling option.
5. Select the required inspection and follow the portal instructions.

Schedule by phone

Call 503-742-4720. The inspection request line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The county’s current phone-scheduling instructions say requests made before 2 p.m. can be scheduled for the following business day. Have the permit number and correct inspection code ready.

To cancel an inspection or get scheduling help, call 503-742-4400.

Common Clackamas County Inspection Codes

Do not cover work that requires inspection until the applicable inspection has been completed and approved.

How to Search a Clackamas County Permit or Property Record

You can use the Citizen Access system to check permit history, application information, inspection activity and available approved documents.

1. Open Clackamas County Citizen Access.
2. Select Building and then the search option.
3. Start with the property address or known permit number.
4. If an address search produces too many or no results, simplify the search rather than filling every available field.
5. Open the matching record to review available permit, document and inspection information.

The county specifically recommends a “less is more” approach when searching—starting with the address can be more effective than entering many fields at once.

If you cannot locate an older permit or need help understanding the record, contact Building Codes at 503-742-4240.

Which Oregon Building Codes Apply in Clackamas County in 2026?

Oregon adopted several new specialty-code editions that affect 2026 construction. Which edition applies can depend on the permit date, project type and an applicable phase-in period.

During the 2026 residential code transition, do not assume the newest construction chapter automatically controls every already-filed project. Confirm the applicable code with the permit office when designing, revising or resubmitting plans.

You can review Oregon’s current editions through the Oregon Building Codes Division adopted-codes page.

For another example of how Oregon’s 2026 specialty-code changes affect a local permit department, see our Bend Building Department guide.

Clackamas County Design Criteria Worth Checking Early

Code compliance is not only about choosing the correct codebook. Site conditions can affect structural design.

Clackamas County’s published structural criteria identify:

• Seismic Design Category: D under the listed OSSC criteria.
• Wind: design speed and exposure depend on project risk category, location and whether the site is in a special wind region.
• Presumptive soil bearing: published county criteria include 1,500 psf for the listed soil condition when a project-specific geotechnical report is unavailable.
• Snow load: site-specific county snow-load criteria must be checked.
• Frost protection: minimum footing depth increases with elevation.

Use the county’s current design criteria page before final structural design. A general county value does not replace project-specific engineering where engineering is required.

Solar Permits in Clackamas County

For a photovoltaic solar installation, Clackamas County states that both building and electrical permits are required.

Prescriptive roof-mounted systems that meet county criteria follow a simpler building-permit path. Ground-mounted systems, high-wind or high-snow sites, flood-hazard locations, heavier systems and other non-prescriptive installations can require engineered design and longer review.

Before buying equipment based only on a contractor quote, check the county’s official solar permit requirements.

Common Problems That Delay a Permit

A Simple Permit Checklist Before You Start

• Confirm the property jurisdiction.
• Check zoning and land-use requirements.
• Confirm whether septic approval is involved.
• Identify structural and trade permits separately.
• Prepare an accurate site plan.
• Prepare legible, scaled construction drawings.
• Use the current Oregon specialty-code edition applicable to the project.
• Submit through the correct county system.
• Watch for plan-review corrections and fee notices.
• Do not begin regulated work until the necessary permit is issued.
• Keep approved drawings at the site.
• Schedule each inspection before work is concealed.
• Complete trade finals before requesting the building final.

If your project is actually in another Oregon city, the process can be very different even though statewide specialty codes are similar. For example, our Ashland Building Department guide explains Ashland’s separate permit and inspection system.

Clackamas County Building Department FAQs

1. What is the Clackamas County Building Department phone number?

Call Clackamas County Building Codes at 503-742-4240 for permit and building-code assistance. The automated building inspection request line is 503-742-4720.

2. Where is the Clackamas County building permit office?

The Development Services Building is at 150 Beavercreek Road, Oregon City, OR 97045. Published building customer-service hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m., excluding applicable closures and holidays.

3. Does Clackamas County issue building permits for every city in the county?

No. Clackamas County handles all building permit types in unincorporated areas, but responsibility inside incorporated cities varies by city and permit type. Check the official Building Permit Responsibility by Jurisdiction page before applying.

4. How do I apply for a Clackamas County building permit online?

For permits requiring plan review, prepare the required PDFs and use the county’s Development Direct system. Choose the correct application, upload the documents, complete each section and submit. Monitor the account for reviewer comments, payment requests and approved plans.

5. Can a homeowner apply without Development Direct?

Some basic homeowner electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits for work on the owner’s residence or home-based business do not require Development Direct when plan review is not needed. Use the county’s Basic Homeowner instructions to confirm eligibility.

6. How long does Clackamas County permit review take?

The county states that initial pre-screen or intake can take up to 10 business days. Building plan review is currently described as taking approximately three to seven weeks depending on project complexity. Corrections and additional approvals can extend the total time.

7. How much is a Clackamas County building permit in 2026?

There is no single price. Residential structural permit fees are based partly on project valuation, and plan review, trade permits and other charges can apply. The current 2026/2027 schedule starts at $123 for the lowest residential structural valuation tiers, with higher valuations calculated using the published formulas.

8. How do I schedule a Clackamas County building inspection?

Use the county inspection app, Citizen Access portal or call the 24/7 inspection request line at 503-742-4720. The current phone instructions state that requests submitted before 2 p.m. can be scheduled for the following business day.

9. How do I check a Clackamas County permit status?

Open the official Citizen Access portal, select Building and search the application or property. You can review available permit records, status information, inspections and documents. If the record cannot be found, contact Building Codes at 503-742-4240.

10. What building code is Clackamas County using in 2026?

Clackamas County applies Oregon’s current specialty-code system. In October 2026 this includes the 2025 Structural and Mechanical codes, the newly effective 2026 Electrical and Plumbing codes, and a phased transition to the 2026 Oregon Residential Specialty Code. The applicable edition can depend on project and permit timing.

Official Resources

• Clackamas County Building Codes — main building-services page
• Building Permit Responsibility by Jurisdiction — determine whether the city or county handles the permit
• Development Direct — online applications and electronic project management
• Citizen Access — records, permit status and inspection services
• Inspection Scheduling & Codes
• 2026/2027 Building Division Fees
• Building Forms & Checklists
• Clackamas County Design Criteria
• Oregon Adopted Building Codes

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