The Portland City Council approved increases in service fees for Portland Permitting & Development for the fiscal year that begins on July 1, 2025. These fee increases are due to increased labor, materials, and service costs. Most fees will increase by 5%.
These fee increases are intended to cover cost increases and help maintain service delivery. Ninety-eight percent of the bureau’s revenues are derived from service fees.
Permitting & Development also provides permitting and land use review services for properties located in some unincorporated areas of Multnomah County, and those fees are subject to review and approval by the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners.
For the complete details of the approved and proposed changes, please review the fee schedules listed below.
Public discussions held on fees proposal
These proposed fee increases that apply to properties located within the City of Portland were discussed with the City Council’s Finance Committee at its meeting on April 7.
Learn more about the April 7 Finance Committee meeting.
The proposed fee increases were discussed with the Development Review Advisory Committee (DRAC) at its meeting on April 17. DRAC is a community advisory body representing those with interests in the outcome of policies, budgets, regulations, and procedures that affect development review processes.
Learn more about the April 17 DRAC meeting.
The fee changes were discussed with the City Council's Homelessness and Housing Committee at its meeting on May 13.
Learn more about the May 13 Homelessness and Housing Committee meeting.
The Portland City Council considered and adopted the fee increases in a public hearing on May 21.
Learn more about the May 21 City Council meeting.
What comes next
The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners will likely consider and vote on the proposed fee increases for properties in unincorporated areas in a hearing on Thursday, July 17, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Please consult the Multnomah County Board Clerk’s website for information on how to provide testimony.
If the fee increases for unincorporated Multnomah County are approved as proposed, they will apply to all new applications for permits or other services received on or after the date of adoption.
What about System Development Charges?
The fees listed below are different from System Development Charges (SDCs). SDCs are charged by bureaus that provide utilities and other public facilities such as the Portland Bureau of Transportation, the Portland Water Bureau, the Bureau of Environmental Services, and Portland Parks & Recreation.
If you have questions about whether particular SDCs may increase on July 1, please contact those bureaus directly. General contact information is provided below. For more detailed information, please visit the SDC information page.
- Portland Bureau of Transportation: 311@portlandoregon.gov
- Portland Water Bureau: waterpermit@portlandoregon.gov
- Bureau of Environmental Services: BESDevelopmentReview@portlandoregon.gov
- Portland Parks & Recreation: parks.sdc@portlandoregon.gov
Adopted fee schedules for the City of Portland
| Permit or Service (listed in alphabetical order) | Adopted Fee Schedule |
|---|---|
| Building and other permits | |
| Electrical permit | |
| Enforcement and penalties | |
| Environmental review | |
| Land use services | |
| Land use services for the Hearings Office | |
| Life safety review on land use cases | |
| Marijuana regulatory license | |
| Mechanical permit | |
| Noise variance | |
| Plumbing permit | |
| Sign, awning permit and registration | |
| Site development | |
| Site development for land use reviews | |
| Transportation review | |
| Urban Forestry review | |
| Water review |
Proposed fee schedules for Unincorporated Multnomah County
| Permit or Service (listed in alphabetical order) | Proposed Fee Schedule |
|---|---|
| Building and other permits | |
| Electrical permit | |
| Enforcement and penalties | |
| Land use services | |
| Mechanical permit | |
| On-site sewage disposal | |
| Plumbing permit | |
| Sign, awning permit and registration | |
| Site development |