Portsmouth building department

Portsmouth’s Inspection Department at City Hall reviews building, electrical, plumbing, gas, septic, and mechanical plans. It issues building permits and change-of-land-use permits, and it runs the City’s land use boards jointly with the Planning Department. Office hours are longer on Mondays and shorter on Fridays:

Day	Hours
Monday	8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Tuesday – Thursday	8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Friday	8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

You can talk with inspectors without an appointment during walk-in hours: Mondays 8–10 a.m. and 5–6 p.m., and Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays 8–10 a.m. There are no walk-in hours on Wednesdays.

Applying online

Portsmouth’s permits run on OpenGov (formerly ViewPoint Cloud). Old viewpointcloud.com links now redirect to portsmouthnh.portal.opengov.com. Since January 1, 2019, the City has used one Building Permit application for:

• new structures and additions
• exterior and interior renovations, including fit-ups
• changes of use or ownership
• temporary uses and structures

Demolition, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas, septic, sign, and fire suppression or alarm permits each have their own application. To get a certificate of occupancy for a new business, apply for a Building Permit and choose Tenant Fit-up. For help applying in person, use the kiosk at City Hall.

Historic District projects go to Planning first

For new construction, additions, or exterior renovations in the Historic District, you must file a Land Use Review application with the Planning Department before applying for a building permit. Exterior changes that trigger Historic District Commission (HDC) review include windows and window treatments, doors, trim, and any building element that changes in kind, form, or shape. The HDC application needs drawings or photos plus manufacturer cut sheets, submitted in eleven copies. The Commission meets once a month, so expect it to add at least a month. Repairs to a historic façade also need Planning review, even when the same repair elsewhere in the city would need no permit.

When a permit is required

• Roofing always needs a building permit, residential or commercial.
• Ordinary repairs, such as painting, floor and trim repair, or patching windows, siding, masonry, or roofing material, don’t need a permit unless their total cost exceeds $3,000.
• Kitchen and bath renovations, dormers, structural repairs, new rooms, and any addition need a permit.
• Signs fall under Article 12 of the Zoning Ordinance and go through Planning, (603) 610-7216.
• An accessory dwelling unit needs an annual certificate of use from Planning, issued after the Inspection Department’s certificate of occupancy, to confirm the owner-occupancy requirement.

Scheduling inspections

How you schedule depends on the permit type. Have your permit number ready.

Permit type	How to schedule
Building, residential or commercial	Phone only, (603) 610-7243, with permit number, address, and inspection type
Plumbing, mechanical, gas	Online only, through the portal. The requested time isn’t guaranteed; the portal confirms the slot.
Electrical	Portal or phone

All cancellations and reschedules must be called in. The contractor is responsible for every required inspection: a rough-in before any work is covered, and a final when the work is done. The owner of record of an owner-occupied single-family home may do their own plumbing. Otherwise plumbers need a New Hampshire license to pull a permit.

Fee highlights

The fees are set by City Ordinance Chapter 1, Article XVI. Every fee is rounded up to the nearest $5.

Item	Fee
New construction, additions, renovations, one- and two-family	$8 per $1,000, $75 minimum
Commercial construction and renovations	$11 per $1,000, $150 minimum
Demolition up to 2,000 sq ft / over 2,000 sq ft	$75 / $10 per $1,000
Residential electrical, plumbing, mechanical, or gas permit	$75 minimum
Re-inspection	$100 each
After-hours or emergency inspection	$60 per hour, including travel
Work started without a permit	200% of the fee or $300, whichever is greater

When homeowners supply their own labor, the permit is valued at twice the cost of materials. For example, $10,000 of materials is treated as a $20,000 job, for a $160 fee. Projects that use an outside third-party plan review agency get a 20% credit.

Inspection and fire contacts

Role	Direct line
Inspection Department main line	(603) 610-7243
Chief Building Inspector	(603) 610-7261
Electrical Inspector	(603) 610-7265
Plumbing/Mechanical Inspectors	(603) 610-4232, (603) 610-7250
Fire Prevention	(603) 610-7354, [email protected]
Planning Department	(603) 610-7216