Adult care home inspection permits

We do electrical and housing inspections for Multnomah County's Adult Care Home Program (ACHP).

Step 1. Apply for a permit with Multnomah County Adult Care Home Program

To apply for the City’s adult care permit, first contact Multnomah County Adult Care Home Program.  Call (503) 988-3000 ext. 27123, contact them by email or visit how to become an adult care home operator.

Step 2. Send requirements to Portland Permitting & Development

• Fill out the Statement of Understanding document. This comes with a packet of materials from the Multnomah County Adult Care Home Program.The property owner of record must sign the statement of understanding.
• Complete the Inspection Request for Adult Care Home Form. This also comes with a packet of materials from the Multnomah County Adult Care Home Program. 
• Email both PDFs (not scanned images) to Portland Permitting & Development Trade Permitting. Please include your full name and phone number in the email. 

Step 3. Pay for your permit

Starting July 1, 2024, the adult care safety inspection fee is $445.00.

We will call or email you the IVR number for your permit and instructions on how to pay.

Pay your permit fee one of two ways:

• Call the Cashier to pay with a credit card.
• Or mail a check made out to City of Portland
   
  Portland Permitting & Development
  Attention: Trades
  1900 SW 4^th Ave; Suite 5000; 
  Portland, OR 97201

Once we receive payment, we will issue your permit. You can call for an inspection after the permit is issued.

Step 4: Request an inspection

Complete the following steps to get an inspection. An inspector will not come until you’ve completed these steps:

1. Call the Request for Inspection and Inspection Results phone number. 
2. Enter the IVR number given to you when you purchased the adult care permit. 
3. Enter the three-digit inspection code, 440, for Adult Care License inspection.

IMPORTANT:  On the day you request your Adult Care inspection, an inspector will call you to schedule an inspection appointment. Currently, we are not able to perform your inspection on the same day you request it. Please do not plan on an inspection before you receive a call from the inspector.

Step 5: Get ready for your inspection 

The inspector will check for safety and maintenance issues in your home to ensure all occupants are safe. We also check for any work in the house that was done without required building permits.   

On the day of your inspection, please make sure that the inspector has access to:

• All rooms in the house, including utility closets, garages, basements, and outbuildings such as sheds. 
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in all areas. 
• Test all electrical outlets and view the electrical panel, furnace, and water heater. 

If the inspector cannot access areas to complete the inspection, we will need to reschedule the appointment and your Adult Care Home Inspection Permit approval may be delayed. 

Step 6: Adult care home safety inspection and corrections

After the inspection is approved, the inspector will send an approval email to the applicant and the Multnomah County Adult Care Home Program. 

If the inspector finds any violations, the homeowner and applicant will get a Housing Violation letter. They will need to make corrections within a specific time (usually 30 days). Some violations require a licensed contractor to complete the corrections. The licensed contractor must get a separate permit(s) for these corrections. If corrections are not made in time, the City will add fees or fines to the total charges.

For questions about Adult Care Home Permit inspections, please contact the Property Compliance Help Line.