Update for Week of May 18, 2020 - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

The Bureau of Development Services is committed to protecting public health during the COVID-19 emergency. We have moved most of our service delivery online to keep projects and construction moving while the Development Services Center is temporarily closed to walk-in customers. We will keep this section of our website updated with the latest news.

What's New for the Week of May 18

• Permit applications continue to be accepted for projects in all Tiers (1-7)
• Payments to the Water Bureau may now only be made online via Development Hub PDX or by calling 503-823-5161.
• Payments for Commercial (CO) and Residential (RS) permits can now be made online via Development Hub PDX (when they are at specific points in the review process).

We thank you for your patience during this extraordinary time.

SERVICES ACCESSIBLE ONLINE

Many of our services are available to you online.Using Development Hub PDX, you can apply online for electrical, mechanical, or plumbing permits that do not require plan review. You can also schedule inspections for trade permits obtained online, pay a variety of fees and download billing statements all from a computer or mobile device. BDS also offers a Remote Video Re-inspection service for simple on-site inspections involving minor corrections.

Process for Receiving Permits and Plan Review Priorities

Our staff can accept your electronic plans and get started on our review process via scheduled appointments while the Permit Center is temporarily closed to the public. Appointments consist of uploading plans through a secure link and are not in-person meetings. Applicants must upload a completed permit application along with all submittal materials.

To schedule an appointment to submit your plans electronically (one permit per appointment), or for general questions, please email BDS@portlandoregon.gov or call 503-823-7300 and leave a message that includes the following information that is necessary for setting up an appointment:

1. Applicant's name
2. Applicant's phone number
3. Applicant’s email address
4. Description of work
5. Project’s address
6. Permit number or IVR number if available

Calls will be returned as soon as possible, or you will receive an email confirmation of your appointment. We ask that you please do not call and send an email as it can cause staff to book multiple appointments for the same customer. We are experiencing a high volume of calls and emails. Please wait at least a week before sending a follow up call or email. Contact us if you cannot create electronic plans and we will work with you. We continue to refine our procedures so please check back for updates.

BDS continues to accept permit applications for projects in all Tiers (1 through 7):

For the week of May 11, BDS is accepting electronic permit applications for projects described in all Tiers (1 through 7):

• Tier 1 - Hospitals and clinics responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, essential infrastructure and services such as heat, shelters and transitional housing projects, essential facilities such as the PDX terminal upgrades and BES wastewater treatment plant, and fire escape testing.
• Tier 2 - Projects that are working with BDS Process Management/Major Projects Group, wireless facilities that are subject to Federal Communications Commission timeline requirements, city infrastructure and facilities projects not covered by Tier 1, food supply related projects essential to the COVID-19 pandemic, submittals associated with projects that have an issued building permit and are under construction (this includes revisions, deferred submittals, and HVAC and electrical trade permits). This is to allow active job sites to continue to function and move these construction projects toward completion.
• Tier 3 - Portland Housing Bureau affordable housing projects (that are not working with BDS Process Management/Major Projects Group), and empowered Community Projects (Small Business Empowerment, Arts Empowerment, Empowered Neighborhoods).
• Tier 4 - Regulated affordable housing projects with associated grant funding (that are not working with BDS Process Management/Major Projects Group), and Facility Permit Program (FPP) permits.
• Tier 5 - New single family residential (NSFR) permits and demolition permits that are a requirement of an active Land Use case or are associated with development of a new structure on the same site.
• Tier 6 - Commercial and residential new construction, alterations, and additions that are not listed in any of the above tiers (Anticipate plan sets consisting of 20 pages or less to be submitted as a PDF while larger plan sets may be required to be submitted via ProjectDox. A determination will be made at the time of your intake appointment.), and mechanical permits that require plan review.
• Tier 7 - Permits for all other projects, Zoning Permits, etc.

If you have questions about which tier your project might belong to, please email BDS@portlandoregon.gov or call 503-823-7300 and leave a message, and a staff member will respond at their earliest opportunity.

Submitting Corrections

Corrections to permits currently Under Review are being accepted in the format originally submitted to the City.

Permits with reviews in progress cannot be checked out at this time. Prior to contacting Permitting Services to schedule an appointment to submit corrections, please check www.Portlandmaps.com to ensure all reviews are complete. For real-time updates, please call the BDS General Line at 503-823-7000 and select Option 4 for an immediate permit status fax.

Paper Corrections: Permitting Services will accept checksheet corrections of updated plans, along with completed checksheet response forms. To pick up plans to make corrections to, or to drop off corrected plans, please call 503-823-7357 and leave a message, including your permit or IVR number, the first and last name of the person picking up/dropping off the plans, and their phone number. Omitting the permit or IVR number will result in a delay to setting up an appointment time. BDS asks that customers submit checksheet responses to as many reviews as possible with each submittal.

If your plans require corrections or updates as noted on checksheets, please take your plans off-site and update them according to these instructions.

Single PDF Corrections: Please follow the steps outlined in the Single PDF Process.

Approved to Issue

Paper Plans: To pick up “Approved to Issue” plans, please call 503-823-7357 and leave a message including your permit or IVR number, the first and last name of the person picking up the plans including their phone number.

Electronic Plans: You will be contacted by Permitting Services Technician with instructions on how to download your approved set of plans, inspection card, and suplemental documents.

Please remember, if you need to pick up or drop off plans in the lobby at the Development Services Center, located at 1900 SW Fourth Avenue, including plans that need to be taken off-site and updated, please follow the instructions listed above.

For the latest information on the availability of other services at BDS, please click on the links below:

1. Facility Permit Programs and Field Issuance Remodel Programs
2. Inspections
3. Land Use Services
4. Questions about Property, Projects and Records
5. Trade Permits
6. Payments
7. Property Compliance - Enforcement and Liens
8. Permitting and Inspections Services from Other Bureaus