What's Required in Portland
- A building permit is required to move, remove or add walls or to cut or resize a window or door opening; cabinets, counters, coverings and same-size window replacement are exempt.
- A plumbing permit is required to repair, replace, relocate or add piping, to install new fixtures, and to replace fixtures with concealed plumbing connections.
- An electrical permit is required for any new wiring, outlet or light fixture, even when no building permit is needed.
- A mechanical permit is required for a vented range hood, ductwork, and gas piping between the meter and an appliance.
- Trade permits are priced per item ($63 per plumbing fixture, $174 first circuit, $167 mechanical minimum) plus a 12 percent state surcharge; building permits are valuation-based with 65 percent plan review.
- Building permit applications need floor plans showing existing and proposed walls, a building section, fixture and electrical layouts, and framing plans where supports are removed.
- Contractors must hold an Oregon CCB license; homeowners may do plumbing and mechanical work, and electrical work only in an owner-occupied home not for sale or rent within six months.
- Rough-in inspections are required before covering work, and a permit expires if more than 180 days pass between inspections.
Do you need a permit to remodel a kitchen in Portland?
It depends on what moves. Portland Permitting & Development (PP&D) needs no permit for installing shelving and cabinets, replacing interior wall, floor or ceiling coverings, or replacing an existing appliance such as a dishwasher on its existing hookups. Permits start when you touch the systems. A plumbing permit covers repairing, replacing, relocating or adding piping, installing new fixtures such as sinks and dishwashers, and replacing existing fixtures when the replacement involves concealed plumbing connections. An electrical permit covers any new wiring, outlet or light fixture. A mechanical permit covers a vented range hood, gas piping between the meter and the range, and any ductwork change. A building permit is required when you move, remove or add walls, or cut or resize a window or door opening. Replacing a window in its existing opening needs no permit.
How much does a kitchen remodel permit cost in Portland?
Trade permits are priced per item. On the plumbing schedule a sink, dishwasher and garbage disposal are $63 each, so a same-layout remodel with those three fixtures pays $189 plus the 12 percent Oregon surcharge = $211.68. Two new circuits for the range and counter outlets pay $174 for the first branch circuit plus $21 for the second = $195 plus 12 percent = $218.40. A vented range hood ($24) and a gas line of up to 4 outlets ($25) fall under the mechanical schedule's $167 one- and two-family minimum, $187.04 with surcharge. That trade-only remodel totals about $617. Add a building permit when a wall comes out. PP&D values a residential alteration at 33.3 percent of the ICC Building Valuation Data figure for one- and two-family Type VB construction times the area, or your stated value if it is reasonable. A $45,000 remodel pays: building permit $540.78 for the first $25,000 plus 20 x $10.26 = $745.98; plan review at 65 percent = $484.89; Development Services fee $121.76 plus 20 x $2.81 = $177.96; surcharge $89.52. That is $1,498.34, and with the three trade permits (four circuits this time, $265.44) the project runs about $2,163.
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| New cabinets, countertops, backsplash and flooring in the same layout | No permit | Shelving, cabinets and interior wall, floor and ceiling coverings are on PP&D's no-permit list |
| Replacing the dishwasher or disposal on existing hookups | No permit | Replacing an existing appliance such as a garbage disposal or dishwasher needs no electrical permit |
| New sink, dishwasher and disposal in the same spot | Plumbing permit | Fixtures with concealed plumbing connections are permitted work; $63 each, $211.68 for three with surcharge |
| Moving the sink to an island | Plumbing and electrical permits | Relocating piping needs a plumbing permit; new island outlets need an electrical permit, $174 for the first circuit |
| Adding a vented range hood or a gas range line | Mechanical permit | Vented hoods, gas piping and ductwork are mechanical work; $167 minimum, $187.04 with surcharge |
| Removing the wall between kitchen and dining room | Building permit plus trades | Moving, removing or adding walls needs a building permit; about $1,498 at a $45,000 valuation |
| Enlarging the window over the sink | Building permit | Cutting a new opening or widening an existing one is a listed permit trigger; same-size replacement is exempt |
What do you submit for a building permit?
PP&D's interior remodel submittal guide asks for a site plan, dimensioned floor plans showing existing and proposed walls and openings, the use of each room, a building section, the plumbing fixture layout, light fixtures, smoke detectors and fans, and framing plans when walls, beams or other supports are removed. Removing 50 percent or more of the exterior walls above the foundation makes the job a Major Residential Alteration with neighbor notification. Unpermitted work in the house's permit history must be legalized through the new permit, so check PortlandMaps first. Trade-only permits are bought on Development Hub PDX (DevHub), issued within 24 hours of payment, and you can add fixtures later.
Who can do the work?
Contractors must hold an Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) license; electricians also need a Building Codes Division electrical license and plumbers a State Plumbing Board license. A homeowner who is the recorded owner, not an LLC, may do their own plumbing and mechanical work. Electrical work is allowed for an owner who lives in the home and is not selling or renting within six months; otherwise ORS 479.540 requires a licensed electrical contractor. Rough-in inspections come before drywall, and all rough trade inspections must pass before a framing inspection. Every permit closes with a final inspection and expires if more than 180 days pass between inspections. Starting work early adds an investigation fee of at least $161 on a trade permit or $167 on a building permit.
How to Get a Kitchen Remodel Permit in Portland
List what moves
Separate cosmetic work from plumbing, wiring, venting and wall changes. Check the house's permit history on PortlandMaps so unpermitted past work does not surface mid-project.
Buy trade permits on DevHub
For a same-layout remodel, apply for the plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits on Development Hub PDX; they issue within 24 hours of payment.
Apply for the building permit if walls change
Submit the building permit application with floor plans, a section and framing plans through DevHub, bundling the trade applications as a Residential Combination permit.
Clear review and pay
Respond to checksheets; building permit, plan review, Development Services fee and surcharge are due before issuance.
Get rough-in and final inspections
Call 503-823-7000 with your IVR number for plumbing, electrical and mechanical rough-ins before drywall, the framing inspection, and the finals that close each permit.