Portland
Portland Permitting & Development
In short
Portland Permitting & Development issues 5 permits we publish for Portland, last verified 2026-09-09. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoning Confirmation Letteronly if it applies to you | Portland Permitting & Development | $100–$1,706 Tier 1 (e.g. a DMV new/renewal auto dealer license, or an OLCC non-conforming-use confirmation) is $100; Tier 2 (a DMV auto-dismantler license, a Land Use Compatibility Statement, a bank letter, or an ODOT outdoor advertising sign permit) is $409; Tier 3 (documenting a non-conforming situation, complex zoning analysis, review or release of covenants, or an archaeological evaluation) is $1,706 | one-time, per request | 2026-09-09 |
| Sign & Awning Permit | Portland Permitting & Development | Non-illuminated fascia/freestanding/projecting sign: $275 up to 20 sq ft, rising in bands to $647 over 180 sq ft. Illuminated (electric) sign: $357 up to 20 sq ft, rising in bands to $812 over 180 sq ft. Wall painted or adhered sign (vinyl, paper, or similar): $1.79/sq ft, $59 minimum. Awning without a sign: $14.49 per linear foot; a sign-and-awning combination is $2.45/sq ft of sign area. A structural plan review fee (65% of the permit fee, $228 minimum) is added for any projecting sign, any freestanding sign over 6 feet, a pitched-roof sign, a fascia sign over 400 lbs, or an awning. A Portable Sign (A-Board) Registration is priced separately: $120 for 1 year, $214 for 2 years, or $383 for 4 years. | one-time per permanent sign permit; A-Board portable-sign registration runs 1, 2 or 4 years | 2026-09-09 |
| Contractor Licensing — State CCB License Applies (Portland)only if it applies to you | Portland Permitting & Development | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-09 |
| Commercial Building Permit | Portland Permitting & Development | Calculated from total construction valuation in stacked tiers: $1-$500 is a flat $167 minimum; $501-$2,000 is $167 for the first $500 plus $3.59 per additional $100; $2,001-$25,000 is $220.85 plus $13.91 per additional $1,000; $25,001-$50,000 is $540.78 plus $10.26 per additional $1,000; $50,001-$100,000 is $797.28 plus $6.81 per additional $1,000; over $100,000 is $1,137.78 plus $5.63 per additional $1,000. A separate, additive Development Services Fee - Commercial applies to every building, site-development or zoning permit on the same stacked-tier structure at roughly one-sixth the size of the building permit fee ($26.49 minimum). A Zoning Permit Fee (commercial minimum $159) and a Zoning Inspection Fee (the greater of 20% of the building permit fee or a $125 minimum) also apply to new construction and any permit requiring Planning/Zoning review. New-construction valuation is set using the ICC Building Valuation Data Table as required by Oregon Administrative Rule 918-050-0100, not simply the applicant's stated cost. | one-time, per project | 2026-09-09 |
| Change of Occupancy / Certificate of Occupancy Reviewonly if it applies to you | Portland Permitting & Development | $701 flat — Change of Occupancy or Use Review Fee, charged when a space's occupancy classification or use changes without a concurrent new building permit | one-time, per issuance | 2026-09-09 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Zoning Confirmation Letter
Not every business needs this — the fee schedule's own Tier 1/2 examples are largely third-party license support (an auto dealer or auto dismantler license application, for instance) or documenting a legal nonconforming use. A prospective tenant can get a free preliminary zoning read from Portland Maps or the Zoning information line before paying for a formal letter.
Sign & Awning Permit
Per the City's Sign, Awning Permit and Registration Fee Schedule (effective July 10, 2026), a non-illuminated sign runs $275 to $647 and an illuminated sign $357 to $812 by area, and an A-board registration is $120 for one year. A food cart or vending cart is separately limited to exactly one portable A-board sign per cart under Title 32.30.030, registered the same way as any other portable sign.
Contractor Licensing — State CCB License Applies (Portland)
PP&D's own Contractor License Requirements page states that it sells permits in line with State of Oregon requirements set by the Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) and the state Building Codes Division, and lists no separate city contractor license: it requires a valid CCB license — and, for electrical work, the state Building Codes Division's electrical contractor and supervising-electrician licenses — to pull a permit. That page lists no city fee beyond the state credential; a contractor still owes the general Business License Tax / MCBIT recorded above like any other business.
Commercial Building Permit
Issued by Portland Permitting & Development (PP&D) — the bureau many local guides still call by its former name, the Bureau of Development Services (BDS). Plan review is billed separately at 65% of the building permit fee for the original submittal (two checksheets included, $336 per additional checksheet). Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire-alarm/sprinkler work are permitted and fee'd separately under related tables in the same schedule.
Change of Occupancy / Certificate of Occupancy Review
Portland's fee schedule has no standalone 'Certificate of Occupancy' line for a brand-new building — where a business occupies a space that already required its own building permit, the occupancy sign-off is folded into that permit's final inspection rather than billed again. The $701 fee applies specifically to a change-of-occupancy or change-of-use review requested without a concurrent building permit, such as a new tenant moving into an existing space with no construction planned.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Portland
- Phone
- (503) 823-7300
- Website
- www.portland.gov/ppd
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Building and Other Permits Fee Schedule, City of Portland, effective July 10, 2026Portland Permitting & Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-09
- Contractor License RequirementsPortland Permitting & Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-09
- Land Use Services Fee Schedule, effective July 10, 2026Portland Permitting & Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-09
- Sign, Awning Permit and Registration Fee Schedule, City of Portland, effective July 10, 2026Portland Permitting & Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-09
Other offices serving Portland
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
Industry permit lists that include this agency
Oregon jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.