11 permits · verified 2026-10-09
What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Multnomah County?
In short
A contractor or trade in Multnomah County, OR has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Oregon Construction Contractors Board charges $400 for two years, plus a $60 examination for the construction contractor license. 4 of the 11 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-09 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Multnomah County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Contractor License | Oregon Construction Contractors Board | $400 for two years, plus a $60 examination | 2 years | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Multnomah County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multnomah County Business Income Tax (MCBIT) Registration and Return | City of Portland Revenue Division (administering Multnomah County taxes) | Varies — formula on the Multnomah County page | annual; the return is due by the fifteenth day of the fourth month after the end of the tax year (MCC 12.510(A)) | 2026-10-09 |
| Preschool for All Personal Income Tax: Employer Withholdingonly if it applies to you | City of Portland Revenue Division (administering Multnomah County taxes) | Varies — formula on the Multnomah County page | ongoing, through payroll | 2026-10-09 |
| Building Permit for Unincorporated Property (Issued by Portland, Gresham or Troutdale)only if it applies to you | City building permit offices serving unincorporated Multnomah County (Portland, Gresham, Troutdale) | Varies — formula on the Multnomah County page | per permit, under the issuing city's rules | 2026-10-09 |
| Zoning Plan Check and Sign Permit (Unincorporated Multnomah County)only if it applies to you | Multnomah County Department of Community Services, Land Use Planning | Varies — formula on the Multnomah County page | per application | 2026-10-09 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
OR registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Identification Number (payroll)only if it applies to you | Oregon Department of Revenue | No fee | one-time registration, with quarterly reporting after that | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Oregon Secretary of State, Corporation Division | $100 one-time filing | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-03 |
| Corporate Activity Tax Registrationonly if it applies to you | Oregon Department of Revenue | No fee | one-time registration, with annual returns after that | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Oregon Secretary of State, Corporation Division | $100 one-time filing | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Oregon Secretary of State, Corporation Division | $100 a year for a domestic entity; $275 for a foreign one | annual — due on the anniversary of the original filing date | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — Oregon position (local, not state)only if it applies to you | Oregon Secretary of State, Corporation Division | No fee | set by the city or county | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
How much does it actually cost to permit a contractor or trade in Multnomah County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 11 records listed for a contractor or trade in Multnomah County, OR, 2 apply to every business of this type and 9 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
Of the 2 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $400.00. That is a floor, not a total. 4 of the 11 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 3 have no fee published at all.
The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Multnomah County permits page and the OR state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Multnomah County?
Permits for a contractor or trade in Multnomah County, OR come from 6 separate offices: City of Portland Revenue Division (administering Multnomah County taxes), City building permit offices serving unincorporated Multnomah County (Portland, Gresham, Troutdale), Multnomah County Department of Community Services, Land Use Planning, Oregon Department of Revenue, Oregon Construction Contractors Board, Oregon Secretary of State, Corporation Division. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- City of Portland Revenue Division (administering Multnomah County taxes)Issues 2 permits on this page: Multnomah County Business Income Tax (MCBIT) Registration and Return, Preschool for All Personal Income Tax: Employer Withholding503-823-5157www.portland.gov/revenue/business-tax
- City building permit offices serving unincorporated Multnomah County (Portland, Gresham, Troutdale)Issues 1 permit on this page: Building Permit for Unincorporated Property (Issued by Portland, Gresham or Troutdale)www.multco.us/landuse/service-providers-and-regional-land-use-partners
- Multnomah County Department of Community Services, Land Use PlanningIssues 1 permit on this page: Zoning Plan Check and Sign Permit (Unincorporated Multnomah County)503-988-3389multco.us/info/land-use-planning-fees
- Oregon Department of RevenueIssues 2 permits on this page: Business Identification Number (payroll), Corporate Activity Tax Registration955 Center Street NE, Salem, OR 97301 · (503) 945-8005www.oregon.gov/dor/programs/businesses/Pages/corporate-activity-tax.aspx
- Oregon Construction Contractors BoardIssues 1 permit on this page: Construction Contractor License201 High Street SE, Suite 600, Salem, OR 97301 · (503) 378-4621www.oregon.gov/ccb/pages/ccb%20license.aspx
- Oregon Secretary of State, Corporation DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Annual Report, General Business License — Oregon position (local, not state)255 Capitol Street NE, Suite 151, Salem, OR 97310 · (503) 986-2200sos.oregon.gov/business
What does a contractor or trade need in Multnomah County that other businesses do not?
1 of the 1 permit particular to a contractor or trade here applies to no other business type we cover in Multnomah County: Construction Contractor License.
Construction Contractor License
Four hundred dollars for two years, raised from $325 — for renewals from July 2024 and new applications from July 2025 — plus sixteen hours of pre-license training and an eighty-question examination passed at seventy per cent. The license fee is the smallest part of the cost, because the endorsement you choose sets a bond and an insurance floor: a residential general contractor posts a $25,000 bond and carries $500,000 of liability cover, a residential specialty $20,000 and $300,000, a commercial general at level one $80,000 and $2 million. The split turns on the structure rather than the customer — a residential endorsement also reaches small commercial work, meaning a non-residential building under ten thousand square feet and twenty feet high, or any size of structure where the whole contract is $250,000 or less. Large commercial always needs the commercial endorsement, and holding both means two bonds but a single insurance policy at the higher limit. Commercial endorsements also require certified key employee experience, eight years at level one and four at level two, with substitutions for apprenticeships and relevant degrees. Treat the fee and bond figures on the state's general license directory as stale — it still shows the superseded $250 and $20,000.
The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Multnomah County, OR; what each one involves is set out on the Multnomah County permits page. The 6 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across OR and are covered on the OR state page.
How does a contractor or trade compare with other businesses in Multnomah County?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs Construction Contractor License. A auto repair shop needs Automotive Repair Shop — Oregon license directory position, which a contractor or trade does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a contractor or trade | Only a contractor or trade needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 6 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 7 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Restaurants | 6 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Retail stores | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Sources
Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Multnomah County permits page and the OR state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Oregon Construction Contractors Board — the fee increase from $325 to $400, effective for renewals in 2024 and new applications in 2025Oregon Construction Contractors Board · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Oregon Construction Contractors Board — license requirements, pre-license training and examinationOregon Construction Contractors Board · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Oregon Construction Contractors Board — endorsement chart with bond and insurance amounts by endorsementOregon Construction Contractors Board · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.