Salem Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

The City of Salem Building and Safety Division operates the Permit Application Center (PAC) for construction and remodeling inside Salem city limits. Marion County and neighboring cities may have different permitting authorities; a Salem mailing address alone should not be used to select the agency.

Salem building permits and PAC Portal

Salem’s PAC Portal is the central online hub for submitting, viewing, paying, and managing building permits and related planning or development actions. The city’s permit search service covers building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, land-use, and other records issued after July 1, 2005, including permit status and inspection dates or results.

Prepare the site address, scope of work, valuation, plans, contractor information, and any planning or fire documentation requested by the city. Building and Safety plan review is coordinated with Salem’s planning and development functions when the project requires zoning, site, or land-use review.

Inspections, code compliance, and certificates of occupancy

Inspections are requested through the PAC Portal and are also supported by the Permit Application Center at 503-588-6256. Salem’s quality-assurance program says next-business-day inspections are the goal when possible and same-day inspections may be available when requested by 5 a.m.

Salem states that a building requiring a Certificate of Occupancy cannot be used or occupied until the Building Official issues one. A temporary certificate of occupancy may allow a safe portion of a project to be used for a limited period while approved work is completed.

Official contact information

The Permit Application Center lists 555 Liberty Street SE, Room 320, Salem, Oregon 97301, and 503-588-6256. Use Salem’s PAC record rather than county records when the project is within Salem’s municipal boundary.