The City of Portland welcomes the opportunity to work with you on your residential dormer or upper story addition project. Learn more about what's required for a residential dormer and upper story addition. You can also schedule an appointment to discuss your project.
Building a dormer or a new second story to a single-family dwelling or duplex changes the building envelope (the interior and exterior of the building) and requires a building permit. Any project such as building a dormer or a new second story is an addition. Depending on the scope of work, your project will most likely need electrical, plumbing and/or mechanical permits.
What you need for a residential dormer and upper story permit- plan drawings
You will need a completed building permit application, a site plan (often called a plot plan) and architectural plans. Review the plan drawings requirements:
- Drawings, drawn to scale where necessary to verify compliance with code.
- Drawings may be handwritten/drawn if clear and legible. Text or note shall be in print.
- Minimum drawing size: 11x17. All required information is to be clear and legible. Minimum printed text is to be 3/32” or the equivalent 12-point font.
- Only use a professional's drawings with the permission of the professional who signed the original drawings. For example, an architect’s stamped plan set can't be used without their permission.
Depending on the scope of work, you may also need structural calculations.
If your project qualifies as a Major Residential Alteration and Addition (MRAA)
There are more requirements, including a delay period and notification to neighbors and neighborhood associations. Check out the MRAA webpage for more information.
If you are applying for a combination permit you will also need to submit the trade permit applications (Electrical, Mechanical, and Plumbing). Read more about what to include with the application.
Who can do the work
Contractors must have a license to work in Oregon. The Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) issues licenses to contractors. The permit application and their company materials must list the license number.
Need help finding a contractor? The CCB website has good tips on how to search for one. Plumbing and Electrical contractors have additional license requirements.
If you are a homeowner doing the work yourself, then you can sign the trade permit applications. You can only do the electrical work if you own and occupy the home and are not planning on selling or renting within six months. The State of Oregon has some helpful information for homeowners:
Building permit application and important forms and information
The following information is part of the application. This is everything you might need when applying for a permit. Since every project is unique, there may be some situations where you will be asked to provide additional information. Things you need to apply for this permit may include some or all of the following.
If you aren't sure what you need, contact the Permitting General Information phone number. You might also want to read our step-by-step guide for completing a building permit application. Permit forms and information include:
Architectural plans
Building permit application
Completeness checklist: residential additions and alterations for Life Safety and Structural Review (fillable)
Download the Word document and save a copy to use this Life Safety completeness checklist:
Lateral bracing requirements for minor additions and dormers
Major Residential Alterations & Additions permits have additional requirements
Sample site plan
Structural plans and calculations (if applicable)
Submittal guidelines for dormers and second floor additions
Submittal guidelines for dormers and second floor additions has more information:
Energy efficiency additional measures requirements
W-3 form: small meter sizing worksheet
If project will result in more than three bathrooms on site:
Additional applications for combination permits (if applicable)
Step 1: Research your property and what you need for your new addition
Residential dormer and upper story code and rules
Permits are reviewed under multiple city and state codes including:
When converting unfinished areas to living space, the code requires that the remodeled area conform to current code. Development Services has established alternative standards for conversion projects. Read more about Attic, Basement or Garage Conversion Residential Building Permits.
Other codes may apply based on the scope of work. The City and State Codes, Administrative Rules, Code Guides and Program Guides webpage has the codes, administrative rules, code guides and program guides.
How to check the permit history for a house
Depending on the age of your house, we may have inspection cards or microfilmed plans that show the permit history. It is important to verify the permit records, not rely on the tax information from the county assessor’s office.
If an existing finished attic or basement was not permitted, it will need to be legalized through a new permit. To be considered living space, you need to apply for conversion permits as if the work was not already done.
Some records are available online, visit our How to Request Public Property Records page.
Major Residential Alteration and Additions (MRAA)
A major alteration means removing 50% or more of the exterior walls above the foundation. Major Residential Alterations and Additions have a notification rule. There is also required delay period. (Portland City Code Section 24.55.210). For more information, visit the Major Residential Alteration and Addition permit (MRAA) webpage.
Attic conversions
You must determine if the existing attic floor structure is strong enough to carry the weight of people and furniture.
If converting attic space to living space would mean raising the roof, the Zoning Code height regulations may affect your project. Contact Planning & Zoning at the General Inquiries phone number in the early design stages.
When you need a building permit and trade permits for a project (combination permits)
The Bureau of Development Services sells a "Residential Combination" permit package. This allows you to call for all inspections using one Building Permit (RS) IVR number. You can also pay for all the permits at one time. If you choose a combination permit, you will need to submit the trade (mechanical, electrical, and/or plumbing) applications with your plans. If you hire subcontractors to do the trade work, they must sign their trade permit application.
Enlarging the building footprint
This webpage is for work that expands the envelope of the structure building up. If you do additional work building out that enlarges the footprint of the house, then there are more requirements. Visit the Addition to Enlarge the Building Footprint- Residential Building Permits webpage.
Evaluating existing space
Unfinished areas may not meet current building code requirements for living space. This includes:
- Ceiling height
- Stairs
- Emergency egress windows or emergency exit windows
- Insulation and Ventilation
These conditions could make it expensive, difficult or even impossible for you to convert into living space. The Bureau of Development Services allows special standards for existing situations. These standards are covered in the Attic, Basement or Garage Conversion Residential Building Permits webpage.
Floodplains
If your house is located in a floodplain, there are restrictions that may limit your ability to add or to significantly improve your house. The work may require retrofitting your house to be flood resistant. Flood plain information is available on Portland Maps Flood Hazard gallery. If the property is located in a flood plain, talk to Site Development Permits and Inspections in the early stages to find out what you need.
Permit fees
Permit fees are based on the type of permit, the work proposed, the valuation of the work, and the staff that need to review the work. Learn more about permit fees.
Residential engineering
Your project must be designed to meet all structural requirements in the Building Code. The construction drawings must show how both gravity and lateral (wind and earthquake) loads will be resisted. The Structural Engineering webpages have more information on these requirements.
A "minor" addition does not require plans and calculations to show that a structure will resist wind and earthquake loads. The Lateral Bracing for Minor Additions and Dormers form has a definition of minor addition. Even if a dormer is considered minor for engineering purposes, it may still be considered a “major addition” per City Code.
When the scope of work will change the structural load in the house, it is important that you submit engineering calculations that show the continuity of the load path from floors or other affected members all the way to the foundation of the house. It is very common that when tracing floor loads from the converted attic, it is the beam in the basement that will be overstressed. Situations like this are required to be resolved as part of the permit application.
Step 1b: Still need help? Schedule a 15-minute appointment
This is an optional step. If you still need help, we are here for you if you have questions about the information and materials you need to apply. You can schedule a free 15-minute appointment with any of these reviewers:
- Meet with a City Planner to receive information about planning and Zoning and Tree Code requirements that apply to your property.
- Meet with a Building Code and Engineering Reviewer to get help with building code and engineering requirements.
- Meet with a Permit Technician if you have questions about the permit process or if you need help with application requirements.
If you need help, these are experts we recommend you meet with for this project. Not all review groups are listed. The groups listed above will help get you started.
Step 2: Apply for a residential dormer and upper story permit and check the status of your permit
You can submit your permit application request online via Development Hub PDX.
Get step-by-step instructions for submitting a permit application request online. If you need to submit paper plans, you can set up an appointment to pick up plans or drop off plans in person. Or, please call us and we will work with you.
For most projects, electronic plans are submitted through the Single PDF process. Large scale projects such as commercial new construction are submitted though PDX E-plans and ProjectDox. If you are unable to create electronic plans, please call us and we will work with you.
You can check the status of a permit review on Portland Maps permit/case search.
Step 3: The plan review process and making corrections to your application (checksheets)
Many people might review a single permit. The Permit Review Process web page has more information about the groups who review permits.
A checksheet is sent to the applicant when a reviewer needs additional information or a correction has to be made to the plans. Read more about how to send us corrections and how to prepare corrected paper plans.
Step 4: Get your residential dormer and upper story permit
When the last technical review is approved, your permit will be pre-issued. Pre-issuance is the last permit check. This step ensures all required reviews took place, all required approval stamps are on the plans, and the fees are charged correctly.
We'll contact you when your permit is ready, and notify you of any fees due. You'll get instructions for how to get your approved permit and pay your fees. Your permit is not issued until all fees are paid.
Step 5: Start building and get ready for inspections
The inspection card lists all the inspections you will likely need during your construction project, and what work needs to be done first. Anything having to do with walls, floors, ceilings, stairs, roofs is structural. These need to be inspected before they are covered in any way, or before pouring any concrete.
For combination permits including electrical, mechanical and plumbing, visit the trade permit webpages for information on the order of inspections.
All permits need a final approval inspection to be complete.
Step 6: Schedule an inspection, get inspection results and make corrections
To schedule an inspection, call the automated Requests for Inspections phone number. You will need your IVR or permit number and the three-digit code for the inspection. Get the results of the inspection on Portland Maps permit/case search the next day.
Read more about why work does not get approved and how to schedule a reinspection.
Contact residential inspectors about your permit inspections
If you have questions before or after your inspection, you can talk to an inspector.
Read more about converting attics, basements and garages
Read more about converting attics, basements and garages: