How to Apply for a Permit

Decide which permit(s) you need for your project

Contact Planning and Septic

After you decide which permit is right for you, connect with County Planning, or for our partner jurisdictions the cities of Canby, Gladstone and Molalla, to understand the land use requirements, necessary permits and submittals for your project. (You can check your jurisdiction by using CMap to search for an address). If your project will use a septic system (including revising or adding capacity to an existing system), also check with County Septic about the requirements prior to developing your project plans and documents. Failure to coordinate with Planning and Septic prior to submitting an application could substantially extend review times or lead to your submittal being rejected during Planning or Septic review.

Prepare your site plan

As part of your building permit application you must submit a site plan. The site plan can be created by the project architect, engineer, or designer, or you can use this example site plan and template to draw your proposed development then convert it to a PDF format. This plan must show all of the items listed below (where relevant).

Items to include in a Site Plan

• Applicant's name and address
• Legal description of the property (Township, Range, Section and Tax Lot) You can copy the Taxlot Number from CMap by search for the address. (Example: 32E05C 00812)
  
• Direction of north
• Driveway location and location of adjacent streets
• Proposed and existing structures
• Location of any existing wells on this or adjacent properties (if not on public water)
• Location of the septic tank, drainfield, and drainfield replacement area (if not on public sewer)
• Approximate ground slope and direction of the slope
• Proposed setbacks from all property lines
• Position of all creeks, streams, ponds, springs, or other drainage-ways
• Relative elevations at lot corners or construction area, and at the building site

Prepare your drawings and documents

You’ll need to submit project drawings and documents. The guidelines on the Development Direct webpage provide information on how to prepare and submit your project plans and documents.

Please note:  

• All documents must be sent as PDFs.  
• Plans must be legible, and to scale with correct dimensions.  
• Plans and drawings must be in landscape/horizontal orientation.  
• If you need help scanning your drawings, a local printing shop may be able to help.  
• All drawings and documents must use the County naming conventions as provided on the Development Direct webpage.

Submit and manage your project

After you determine what permits you need, connect with Planning and Septic (if needed), and prepare your drawings and documents, you are ready to submit in Development Direct. You will use Development Direct to respond to reviewer comments and monitor the progress of your project. The User Guide provides information on how to perform these tasks in the system.

• It takes up to 10 business days for initial pre-screen/intake review of your permit documents before your project is set-up in the system.
• Plan review takes three to seven weeks, depending on the complexity of the project.
• Watch your Development Direct account for information regarding payments, requests for additional information and for when to download your approved drawings.

Receive permits and download drawings

When your project is approved and your permits are ready, you will receive your permits and approved drawings directly in Development Direct. Print a color copy of all approved plans, documents, and permits, and be sure to have these documents on-site for inspections. Your plans will be permanently stored in Development Direct, so if they are lost or destroyed later on, you can log in and download them again.

Begin work and call for your inspections

There are 3 convenient ways to schedule an inspection.

Answers to common questions.
Email: bldservice@clackamas.us
Phone: 503-742-4240

Customer Service Hours 
Monday to Thursday
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Development Services Building 
150 Beavercreek Road
Oregon City, OR 97045

Decide which permit(s) you need for your project

Development Engineering Permits

Prepare your drawings and documents

You'll need to submit project drawings and documents. Detailed submittal requirements for each permit type are provided below:

• Development Permit Submittal Requirements
• Entrance Permit Submittal Requirements
• Right of Way Permit Submittal Requirements
• Utility Permit Submittal Requirements

We do not accept paper submittals. Helpful Tips:

• All documents must be sent as PDFs.
• Plans must be legible, and to scale with correct dimensions.
• Plans and drawings must be in landscape/horizontal orientation.
• If you need help scanning your drawings, a local printing shop may be able to help.
• All drawings and documents must use the county naming conventions.

Submit and manage your project

After you determine what permits you need and the submittal requirements, you are ready to apply in Development Direct. After you apply, you will be sent an email with instructions of what drawings and documents are needed.

You will use Development Direct to respond to reviewer comments and monitor the progress of your project.

Receive permits and download drawings

When your project is approved and your permits are ready, you will receive your permits, approved drawings, and permit conditions in Development Direct. You are responsible for ensuring compliance with these documents, and should have them on-site for inspections. Your documents will be permanently stored in Development Direct, so if they are lost or destroyed, you can log in and download them again.

Start your application

Start your application or visit Using Development Direct for further guidance.

The quality of your submittal can greatly affect timelines.

Typical permit review timelines (subject to workload and staffing):

Begin work and call for your inspections

There are 3 convenient ways to schedule an inspection.

Email: engineering@clackamas.us
Phone: 503-742-4691

Customer Service Hours 
Monday to Thursday
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Development Services Building 
150 Beavercreek Road
Oregon City, OR 97045

Go to Development Direct

All licensed contractors who need permits for mechanical, electrical or plumbing work can apply online through Development Direct Self Service Permits. These permits do not require a plan review.

• Applications submitted through Development Direct with payment by credit card or echeck have the shortest turnaround time.
• Applications may also be submitted in-person at the Development Services Building or by emailing the appropriate permit forms to bldservice@clackamas.us if paying by cash, money order, cashier’s check or business checks that cannot be processed online.

Begin work and call for your inspections

There are 3 convenient ways to schedule an inspection.

Answers to common questions.
Still have questions or need further assistance: 
Email: bldservice@clackamas.us
Phone: 503-742-4240

Customer Service Hours 
Monday to Thursday
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Development Services Building 
150 Beavercreek Road
Oregon City, OR 97045

Verify your property zoning and allowable uses

You can verify property zoning on CMap by performing a search for an address.

Look up the zone designation in the County Zoning and Development Ordinance to learn more about zoning and the allowable uses.

Download the land use application(s) that best fits your project

This is the land use application process for residential, commercial and industrial development. Our most common land use applications are listed below, additional forms can be found on the Planning and Zoning webpage.

• Accessory Dwelling in Conjunction with Farm Use – for a second accessory dwelling to house farm workers.
• Accessory Historic Dwelling – for turning a historic dwelling in to a second accessory dwelling.
• Appeal Form – appeal a Planning Director decision, or conditions of approval, to the Land Use Hearings Officer. Specific timelines apply; please work with our staff prior to submitting.
• Conditional Use  – request to use your property in a way that is not outright permitted in your zone. A Pre-Application Conference is required.
• Design Review – review of proposed site development and structures for commercial, industrial and multifamily projects.  A Pre-Application Conference is required.
• Dwelling in Conjunction with a Farm Use on High or Low Value Farm Land – a single-family dwelling on Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) or Agricultural/Forest (AG/F) land when the land is currently being farmed and when a certain amount of income has been generated from the sale of crops and livestock grown/raised on the property.
• Farm Stand – approval to operate a farm stand in AG/F or EFU zoning district.
• Forest Dwelling – for lot of Record Dwelling, Forest Template Dwelling, 160 Acre Minimum Forest Dwelling, or 200 Acre Noncontiguous Dwelling on land zoned Timber District (TBR) or AG/F.
• General Land Use Application -  to request County land use approval when Planning and Zoning has no other application form for the type of request.
• Home Occupation – to seek approval to use your home for your business.
• Nonconforming Use – to request verification, restoration, replacement or a change of an existing use that does not comply with current zoning.
• Partition – to split your property in to two or three lots.  A Pre-Application Conference is required.
• Pre-Application Conference – a meeting to provide project specific information on Clackamas County development policies, procedures, fees, and environmental regulations.
• Property Line Adjustment – to relocate a common property line between two abutting lots.  No new lots can be created with this application.
• Subdivision – request to divide your property into four or more lots.  A Pre-Application Conference is required.
• Temporary Dwelling for Care – for a temporary manufactured dwelling or recreational vehicle to house a person who requires assistance from another person with daily activities as well as their caregiver.
• Temporary Dwelling While Building – for a temporary second dwelling while constructing the primary residence.
• Temporary Emergency Shelter – for a temporary manufactured dwelling or recreational vehicle to live in while constructing the primary residence.
• Time Extension – to request additional time to implement an approved land use.
• Variance – to request an exception to a dimensional standard, such as a minimum setback, that typically applies in your zone.
• Vested Right Determination – determine whether an existing use is legal, based on the regulations that were in place when it was started/built.
• Zone Change – a request to change the zone of your property. A Pre-Application Conference is required.

Paying for your permit

• Email the rest of your completed application forms to: zoninginfo@clackamas.us.
  • Application(s)
  • Required additional documents
  • Credit card authorization
• The subject line must read:
  • New [TYPE OF APPLICATION] Application; YOUR ADDRESS (unless the site has no address)
  • Example: New Non-Conforming Use Application; 150 Beavercreek Rd

Please note:

• We can only accept .PDF file types.
• Send the Credit Card Authorization as a separate PDF so we can delete it after use.
• Staff will review for completeness.
• We can accept attachments of up to 40MB total per email. If attachments are larger than that, please split the package into separate emails with one consistent subject line.
• If you are unable to submit your plans electronically, please contact us. You can reach us by phone at 503-742-4500, via email at zoninginfo@clackamas.us, or you can stop by to obtain in-person assistance at our counter during our business hours

Customer Service Hours 
Monday to Thursday
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Development Services Building 
150 Beavercreek Road
Oregon City, OR 97045

Submit all documentation and payment

• Email the rest of your completed application forms to: zoninginfo@clackamas.us.
  • Application(s)
  • Required additional documents
  • Credit card authorization
• The subject line must read:
  • New [TYPE OF APPLICATION] Application; YOUR ADDRESS (unless the site has no address)
  • Example: New Non-Conforming Use Application; 150 Beavercreek Rd

Please note:

• We can only accept .PDF file types.
• Send the Credit Card Authorization as a separate PDF so we can delete it after use.
• Staff will review for completeness.
• We can accept attachments of up to 40MB total per email. If attachments are larger than that, please split the package into separate emails with one consistent subject line.
• If you are unable to submit your plans electronically, please contact us. You can reach us by phone at 503-742-4500, via email at zoninginfo@clackamas.us, or you can stop by to obtain in-person assistance at our counter during our business hours

Customer Service Hours 
Monday to Thursday
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Development Services Building 
150 Beavercreek Road
Oregon City, OR 97045

Decide what type of septic application is right for you and prepare your documents

Septic permits and projects are for homes and businesses located in areas of the county not served by community sewer systems.
These applications cover installations, updates, and repairs you make to your septic system, as well as connecting to an existing system or adding bedrooms to your home. There are several kinds of applications depending on the work you are doing, so you may need more than one application type for your project.

Prepare your drawings and documents

You’ll need to submit project drawings and documents electronically. We use electronic plan review, and do not accept paper or email submittals. The guidelines on the Development Direct webpage provide information on how to prepare your project plans and documents.

• All documents must be sent as PDFs.  
• Plans must be legible, and to scale with correct dimensions.  
• If you need help scanning your drawings, a local printing shop may be able to help.  
• All drawings and documents must use the county naming conventions.

Submit and manage your project

After you determine what permits you need and prepare your drawings and documents, you are ready to apply. The Development Direct webpage and User's Guide provide information on how to perform these tasks.

• It may take up to 4 business days for initial pre-screen/intake review of your permit documents before your project is set-up in the system.
• Project review times vary depending on the type and complexity of the project, as well as the number of applications currently under review.
• Watch your Development Direct account for information regarding payments, requests for additional information and for when to download your approved drawings and documents.

Receive permits and download drawings

When your project is approved and your permits are ready, you will receive your permits and approved drawings directly in Development Direct. Print a color copy of all approved plans, documents, and permits, and be sure to have these documents on-site for inspections. Your plans will be permanently stored in Development Direct, so if they are lost or destroyed later on, you can log in and download them again.

Begin work and call for your inspections

There are 3 convenient ways to schedule an inspection.

Answers to common questions
Email: soilsconcern@clackamas.us
Phone: 503-742-4740

Customer Service Hours 
Monday to Thursday
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Development Services Building 
150 Beavercreek Road
Oregon City, OR 97045