Norman building department

The City of Norman Development Services Division, part of the Planning and Community Development Department, handles plan review, permit issuance, fee collection, and field inspections for construction inside Norman city limits, and closes out every building permit with either a Certificate of Occupancy (CO) or a Certificate of Completion (CC). Cleveland County does not issue city building permits for incorporated Norman addresses, so confirm the parcel is inside the city before applying.

Applying through the Norman e-portal

Norman permits are applied for online through the city’s E-Permitting portal. The portal takes the project from application and document upload through plan review, fee payment, permit issuance, and inspections to the CO. You must register for a portal account before applying; if the registration email does not arrive, check spam folders and then call Development Services at (405) 366-5339.

A few portal features matter on multi-trade jobs:

• A general contractor can share the building permit with electrical, mechanical, and plumbing subcontractors so each trade can pull its own permit under the project.
• When a project carries trade fees that belong to someone else, applicants can uncheck those fees at checkout and pay only their own.
• Inspection results are posted in the portal after the inspector’s visit.

The city’s Documents & FAQs page publishes Norman-specific submittal aids, including a residential site plan checklist, permit-area example, Manual J and S design values, a 2018 prescriptive energy worksheet, slab-on-grade footing detail, solar electric checklist and roof assessment, a CO checklist, a Statement of Special Inspections form, and FAQs for ADUs, carports, manufactured homes, storm shelters, and swimming pools.

Adopted codes

Norman moved from the 2015 to the 2018 family of codes effective June 22, 2023 (Ordinance O-2223-41). The adopted set is:

• 2018 International Building, Existing Building, Residential, Plumbing, and Fuel Gas Codes, with state and local amendments
• 2020 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), with state and local amendments
• 2018 International Property Maintenance Code, with local amendments
• 2006 International Energy Conservation Code

State amendments come from the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission (OUBCC); the city posts its local building and property maintenance amendments on the Building Codes page.

Roofing: Norman does not require a permit for asphalt-shingle roofing, but the work must still meet adopted code. Roofing contractors must be registered with the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board. Under the 2018 IRC as amended by the OUBCC, only one layer of asphalt shingles is allowed, so shingles cannot be installed over an existing asphalt-shingle roof. See also do I need a permit to replace a roof.

Fees

The Development Services fee schedule (revised August 2026) prices most building permits by project area:

Item	Fee
Building permit (new, addition/alteration, shell, interior finish, accessory building, carport, manufactured home)	$0.14 per sq ft of project area
Plan examination	20% of building permit fee, $50 minimum, paid at application
State (OUBCC) fee	$4.50 on most building permits
Erosion control	$80 (lots under 2 acres adding over 500 sq ft of impervious area)
Residential pool or storm shelter	$50 each
Electrical, mechanical, or plumbing minimum permit	$35
Re-inspection	$35 each
Demolition	$20 first story, $12.50 each additional story
Temporary occupancy	$100 residential, $250 non-residential

New homes also pay community and neighborhood park fees ($75 each per dwelling unit), a $30 sidewalk and drive approach fee, water and sewer connection and meter fees based on meter size ($1,500 water connection, $275 sewer connection, and $250 meter for a 5/8- or 3/4-inch meter), and a wastewater excise tax of $850 for the first 1,200 sq ft of living area plus $2.00 per sq ft above that. Additions with plumbing pay $1.00 per added sq ft. The plan review fee is non-refundable and is credited to the full permit.

Trade contractor licensing

Norman requires city licenses for electrical, mechanical, and plumbing trade contractors, sign contractors, and structure movers, all applied for through the e-portal.

• Trade contractors must hold an active Oklahoma Construction Industries Board license and a current driver’s license or state ID.
• Sign contractors must file a $2,000 sign contractor bond on the city’s form.
• Structure movers need at least $100,000 in casualty insurance and proof of Unified Carrier Registration or an intrastate license.

Licenses renew annually. Notices go out in mid-February and renewals are due March 31, at $25 per license category (a plumber with plumbing and natural gas piping categories pays $50).

Inspections and certificate of occupancy

Inspections are requested by the permit holder, and results are given on site, posted online, and available through the automated phone system. Development Services lists (405) 366-5333 for inspections. The city’s one- and two-family inspection checklist runs in this order:

1. Engineering pad inspection (Public Works)
2. Footing (or post-tension footing and slab)
3. Underground plumbing, water service, sewer service, slab conduit, and under-slab duct
4. Pre-pour slab
5. Plumbing top-out, mechanical, and electrical rough-ins, which must all be done before the frame inspection
6. Frame, then wall insulation
7. Trade finals, then the building final
8. Engineering approach/sidewalk and engineering final
9. Tree inspection for new homes

A new single-family home cannot be occupied until all finals are approved, any re-inspection fees are paid, and the CO is issued. For the full sequence, see building inspection stages.

Location and hours

Current Development Services handouts list the Building Permits and Inspections office at 225 N. Webster Ave., Norman, OK 73069, phone (405) 366-5339, email [email protected]. City offices are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Zoning, Board of Adjustment, and Historic District questions go to the Planning and Zoning division of the same department.