Process Management - Phased Permitting

The City of Portland recognizes that schedule challenges and design timelines for private property construction can warrant the City’s consideration of allowing construction activity to start before the completion of the full construction documents.

To accommodate this need, the City may, under certain circumstances, allow phased permitting.

Generally, phased permitting is suitable for complex projects with one or more below-grade levels and five or more above-grade levels.

Process for obtaining approval for phased permits

Portland Permitting & Development must approve a phased permit approach. Please contact the Process Management Team early in the design phase of the project to start the process for phased permit application.

An early assistance meeting will be required for all projects valued over $10 million to specifically discuss project schedules and the possibility of phased permits.

For smaller projects that wish to explore phased permitting, an early assistance meeting may not be required, but agreement from Portland Permitting & Development and other development review bureaus must be reached.

Please provide the Process Management team with the following:

• A copy of the proposed project schedule
• A summary of the project, including a building code summary, and a narrative describing each proposed phase of work.
• Schematic plans and site plans (if available)
• A list of the development team members that includes the architect, structural engineer, owner, and contractor.
  • If an early assistance meeting is required, the developer’s team will need to attend the early assistance meeting.

To be considered for phased permits, the phased permit work must be clearly defined:

• The construction schedule for the proposed partial permit work must show sufficient construction time to allow for the city review and permit approval of the next phase of the work, generally a minimum of eight weeks.
• The partial permit submittal schedules propose that only one partial permit package is in for City review at a time.
• The phased permit documents must meet the minimum submittal requirements.
• All members of the developer’s team and the City review team agree to the schedule.

Phased permit fees

The main building permit fees and a phased permit fee must be paid at the time of the first permit submittal. An additional phased permit fee is paid at the time of each phased permit submittal.

Submittal requirements for phased permitting

The guidelines below list the minimum information necessary for review of each phase permit package. Since every project is unique, some of the information may not apply to your project, or you may be asked to provide additional information that is not listed here.

Drawings showing work to be constructed under the partial permit are to be marked “For Construction.” Drawings showing work that is to be completed under a different package are to be marked “For Reference Only.”

Types of phased permits

Please see the Commercial Permit Application Requirements web page for more information on the types of documents and plans that you may need to submit with your permit application.

Grading

• Provide a completed building permit application.
• Provide a site plan showing existing conditions, property lines, vicinity map, pedestrian protection, and erosion control plans.
• Include 100% construction drawings for the proposed work.
• Provide all supporting documentation for the work to be done under the phased permit, including specifications and a geotechnical report.
• Mark basic foundation plans “For Reference Only.”
• Include a tree protection plan.

Excavation and shoring

• Provide a completed building permit application.
• Provide a site plan showing existing conditions, property lines, vicinity map, pedestrian protection and erosion control plans.
• Include 100% construction drawings for the proposed work.
• Provide all supporting documentation for the work to be done under the phased permit, including specifications, soils report, special inspection and structural observation program.
• Complete a Fire Life Safety Code Summary.
• Label structural drawings that affect the shoring design as “For Reference Only.”
• Include a tree protection plan.

Foundation

• Provide a completed building permit application.
• Provide a site plan.
• Include 100% complete construction drawings for the work under the foundation permit, including any under-slab utilities, as well as 100% structural calculations for the work under the foundation permit.
• Provide all supporting documentation for the work to be done under the phased permit, including specifications; soils report; special inspection, storm, sanitary, and water calculations; and structural observation program that has not already been submitted.
• Mark 70% complete structural shell drawings “For Reference Only.”
• Mark 50% complete building shell drawings “For Reference Only.”
• Complete a Fire Life Safety Code Summary and Building Code Summary.

Demolition

• Provide a completed building permit application. (Please note: the demolition phase would cover select interior demolition of an existing building. A separate demolition permit is required to remove most commercial structures over 120 square feet.)
• Include a demolition plan.
• Provide a site plan showing existing conditions, property lines, vicinity map, pedestrian protection, and erosion control plans.
• Include 100% construction drawings for the proposed work.
• Include a tree protection plan if any exterior or site work is included.

Structural shell

• Provide a completed building permit application.
• Provide a site plan. If site work was done under previous phased permits, please mark site plans “For Reference Only.” Please reference building permit number for prior work
• Include 100% complete construction drawings for the work covered under the structural shell phased permit.
• Provide 100% complete structural calculations.
• Provie all supporting documentation for the work to be done under the phased permit including specifications, soils report, special inspections and structural observation program.
• Mark 70% complete building shell drawings, including building elevations, “For Reference Only.”
• Complete a Fire Life Safety Code Summary and Building Code Summary.

Building shell

Review the list of Commercial Building Permit Application Requirements for more information.

Revisions

Please discuss all proposed changes with your field inspector and Process Manager. Revisions to phases may be required to be submitted before future phases may be submitted.

Please note: Changes to work approved under an earlier phase must be submitted as a Revision to that phase and cannot be shown or updated in future phases of work. For example, plans approved in the Foundation phase cannot be updated in the Building Shell permit (the “main permit”). They would be required to be submitted as a Revision to the Foundation phased permit.