Hillsboro building department

OpenHillsboro, the City of Hillsboro’s Development & Permit Center, handles building, trade, fire, land use, site development, and right-of-way permits for property inside Hillsboro city limits. The counter is on the fourth floor of the Hillsboro Civic Center. Staff answer questions by phone, email, or in person Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and walk-ins are welcome. Unincorporated land around the city falls under Washington County. Hillsboro takes over jurisdiction only after a property is annexed into the city.

Online tools

Hillsboro runs its permitting on four linked systems:

• Accela Citizen Access (ACA): submit and track applications, pay fees, and search records. You can search Building, Planning, Fire, Right of Way, and Major Projects records by address, record number, contact, or licensed professional.
• Inspection Scheduler: schedule inspections and view inspection history by permit number or address.
• ProjectDox: upload plans and documents for review.
• Open Counter: scope a project and estimate its permits and fees before you apply.

The city’s building-permit page also accepts applications by email to [email protected]. Staff email you a payment link. If a permit can be issued within 24 hours, it is issued shortly after you pay. Plan review fees are due before plans are submitted. Projects that need review get a ProjectDox link for uploading plans.

What needs a permit

Hillsboro’s residential page lists these common triggers:

• Building: a new home, shed, or other structure; an addition; repairing, renovating, or demolishing a structure; or changing a building’s use or occupancy.
• Electrical: new construction with electrical service, any new, changed, or relocated service or feeder, and alterations or extensions of branch circuits.
• Mechanical: AC replacement, duct installation, and gas piping.
• Plumbing: new fixtures, water heater replacement, a new or replacement shower pan, and piping inside a wall, ceiling, or floor.
• Demolition: removing an entire residential structure over 200 sq ft (commercial over 120 sq ft). Removing only part of a structure counts as an alteration and needs a building permit.
• Private utility or parking lot: underground utilities, site work, or ground disturbance of 1,000 sq ft or more, and building or altering a parking lot.

Fire alarm, fire suppression, medical gas, and manufactured-dwelling permits are also issued here. Manufactured homes are set under the 2010 Oregon Manufactured Dwelling Installation Specialty Code.

Fences

Hillsboro requires a city Fence Permit to build or change any fence or wall within city limits. Planning reviews it, the fee is $45, and in some cases you also need a building permit. You must submit a site plan and an elevation drawing showing fence materials and height. The site plan must mark utility easements and the vision clearance area at intersections. See do I need a permit for a fence.

Exempt work under the state code

Oregon’s residential code (ORSC Section R105.2) does not require a building permit for:

Project	Exempt when…
Detached accessory building	One story, nonhabitable, no sleeping or permanent cooking, 200 sq ft or less, and 15 ft tall or less (400 sq ft on parcels of 2 acres or more)
Deck, porch, or platform	Walking surface no more than 30 in. above grade within 3 ft horizontally
Patio or porch cover	200 sq ft or less and at least 3 ft from lot lines
Flatwork	Concrete sidewalks, slabs, platforms, and driveways
Reroofing	Added dead load of 4 psf or less. Not exempt for townhouses or photovoltaic roof coverings.
Doors and windows	Replacement, unless a structural member changes or the unit must be fire-rated
Other	Non-fire-rated siding, gutters, retrofitted insulation, masonry repair, aboveground pools, and finish work such as painting, tile, and cabinets

Exempt projects still have to meet the code. They may also need separate plumbing, electrical, or mechanical permits, and city zoning rules still apply.

Codes in effect

Hillsboro says it uses the most current codes adopted by the State of Oregon Building Codes Division. The Division lists these current editions:

• 2026 Oregon Residential Specialty Code: effective Oct. 1, 2026. Chapter 1 is mandatory now. Chapters 2–44 become mandatory April 1, 2027, and until then the 2023 ORSC can still be used.
• 2025 Oregon Structural Specialty Code and 2025 Oregon Mechanical Specialty Code: mandatory since April 1, 2026.
• 2026 Oregon Electrical Specialty Code (based on the 2026 NEC) and 2026 Oregon Plumbing Specialty Code (based on the 2024 UPC): effective Oct. 1, 2026.
• 2025 Oregon Energy Efficiency Specialty Code: for commercial buildings.

Submittal requirements

The city’s one- and two-family checklist asks for digital plans drawn to scale, with each sheet saved as a separate file. You also need a site plan showing setbacks, contours at 2-ft intervals, easements, impervious area, and drainage. Other required items:

• Foundation, floor, framing, and cross-section drawings
• Wall-bracing or lateral plans
• Radon control details
• Beam calculations for beams over 10 ft
• Stamped truss layouts
• The ORSC energy additional measure you chose

New homes in a subdivision need the subdivision’s final geotechnical report. A Clean Water Services site assessment pre-screen may also be required.

On the application, you state a valuation covering equipment, materials, labor, overhead, and profit. The state requires all contractors and subcontractors to be licensed with the Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) under ORS 701. CCB runs a public license search. An application expires if no permit is obtained within 180 days.

Fees

Building permit fees in the Citywide Fees and Charges Schedule (updated Jan. 1, 2026) are based on valuation:

Valuation	Fee
$1 – $500	$17.70
$501 – $2,000	$17.70 + $2.16 per additional $100
$2,001 – $25,000	$50.10 + $8.85 per additional $1,000
$25,001 – $50,000	$253.65 + $6.20 per additional $1,000
$50,001 – $100,000	$408.65 + $4.43 per additional $1,000
Over $100,000	$630.15 + $3.19 per additional $1,000

Other fees on the schedule:

• Plan review: 65% of the permit fee, or half that for a single-family reissue.
• Fire and life safety review: 40% of the permit fee.
• Reinspection: $64.90.
• Additional plan review for revisions: $55 per hour.
• Temporary certificate of occupancy: $150.
• State surcharge: 12%, added to every permit and inspection fee.
• School construction excise tax (Hillsboro and Beaverton districts): $1.67 per sq ft for residential construction.
• Erosion control: $550 flat for a new single-family home, or $190 for additions, remodels, or demolitions disturbing less than 1,000 sq ft.

Under a 2011 ordinance, Hillsboro waives permit and plan review fees for solar and other alternative energy installations.

Inspections

Your permit must be issued before you can request an inspection. Schedule online through the Inspection Scheduler, or call the automated line at 503-681-6244. Have your permit number and the right IVR code ready. Common codes include:

• 1110: footing
• 1120: foundation
• 1260: framing
• 1430: wall insulation
• 3500: rough plumbing
• 4500: rough electrical
• 1999: final building

Inspections run 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. The preliminary erosion control inspection (code 6010) must pass before footing or foundation inspections. Water Department inspections are two business days from the request, and Planning inspections are three. Every other department’s inspection must be complete before the final building inspection.

After-hours inspections cost $75 per hour plus the 12% surcharge. The minimum is two hours on weekdays and four hours on weekends and holidays. Request them at least two business days ahead. Grading and erosion control, public infrastructure, and right-of-way inspections are scheduled through Public Works at 503-681-6146.

Land use and pre-application meetings

The city offers free pre-application meetings, which last about an hour. Building, Planning, Fire, Public Works, Water, and other staff attend. To request one, email the request form, a project statement, and a site plan to [email protected].

New single detached homes, ADUs, and middle housing on existing lots go through a Zoning Review application, which costs $150. Type II land use decisions take about four to six weeks, with public notice but no hearing. Type III decisions take about three to four months and need a public hearing. Most Type III applications also require a neighborhood meeting.