Vancouver building department

The City of Vancouver Community Development Department issues building, trade (mechanical, plumbing, and electrical), fire-protection, grading, demolition, and land-use permits inside Vancouver city limits. Unincorporated areas with Vancouver mailing addresses are handled by Clark County Community Development, and the city’s virtual-appointment page asks you to confirm the property is inside city limits first.

Two systems: ePlans and the Online Permit Center

Vancouver splits permitting across two tools:

• Online Permit Center (cityofvancouver.myrelayview.com): fee payment, stand-alone trade permits (the city calls these MPE permits), permit status, and inspection scheduling.
• ePlans (Avolve, at vancouver-wa-us.avolvecloud.com): electronic plan review for building permits.

For a residential or commercial building permit, the city’s steps are:

1. Email the completed application form, without plans, to [email protected].
2. Pay the plan review fee in the Online Permit Center.
3. Accept the emailed ePlans invitation and upload your drawings to the folders provided.
4. A permit specialist prescreens the submittal, then the planning, structural, fire, and engineering reviews run at the same time.
5. Respond to “changemarks” (correction comments). Name revised sheets exactly like the originals so they version correctly.
6. Pay the final fees and download the approved set.

Card payments carry a 2.65% service fee; eCheck, check, and cash are also accepted.

File standards

ePlans prefers searchable vector PDFs, though more than 150 formats (including DWG and DGN) are accepted. The main rules:

• One page per file, with the correct orientation and a scale bar on every plan page.
• File names of 40 characters or fewer with no special characters.
• Under 100 layers, with extraneous shading removed.
• A blank stamp area in the upper right corner.

Residential drawings should be at 1/4 inch = 1 foot.

Engineering is required whenever work falls outside the prescriptive code. The city lists decks more than 9 feet above grade, dormers and second-floor additions, retaining walls over 4 feet, ICF or SIP wall systems, and pole buildings, and a geotechnical report may be required depending on soils.

Residential permits and exemptions

The residential (RES) permit covers new construction of 1 to 6 units on a lot with three or fewer floors above grade, including middle housing and ADUs. It also covers additions, remodels, garages, carports, decks, patio covers, basement, attic, and garage conversions, driveway and RV pad changes, solar, and demolition. The city publishes a separate checklist for each project type, including one for carports, decks, garages, sheds, and shops.

Vancouver’s exemptions are tighter than in many Washington jurisdictions:

Item	No permit if…
Shed	120 sq ft or less
Deck	18 inches or less above grade
Fence	6 feet or less in height

These exemptions apply only outside environmentally sensitive areas. Fences must not block access to water meters (VMC 14.04.140 H). Any detached building over 120 sq ft needs a residential building permit with a site plan and construction drawings. Electricians working under a RES permit need their own electrical permit of record (an MPE permit). For more on sheds, see do I need a permit for a shed.

Commercial permits are required for new buildings, additions and alterations, changes of use or occupancy, parking lots, and racking. Commercial fees are based on gross square footage, construction type, and use.

Codes and zoning

Code	Edition
IBC, IRC, IMC, IFGC, IFC, with Washington amendments	2021 (effective March 15, 2024)
Uniform Plumbing Code	2021
Washington State Energy Code, commercial and residential	2021
National Electrical Code	2023 (effective April 1, 2024)

Local construction provisions are in Vancouver Municipal Code Title 17, and zoning is in VMC Title 20. Vancouver’s updated Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code took effect July 31, 2026. It allows middle housing citywide, and parking is allowed but no longer required.

Inspections

Inspections can be booked up to five days ahead. Requests received after 7 a.m. are inspected the next business day. You can book:

• Online: in the Online Permit Center, by entering the permit number and choosing Look Up Permit
• IVR: (360) 487-7890, to schedule, cancel, reschedule, or leave a message
• Text: (833) 794-2003, which also returns results and inspector comments

For other inspection questions, use [email protected] or the message line at (360) 487-7801. Before- and after-hours inspections can be requested with a separate form.

Permit Center and contacts

The Permit Center is at City Hall, 415 W 6th St. In-person hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (closed 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.), with virtual appointments on Tuesday and Thursday. Virtual meetings are general-information sessions booked through a request form, and a permit specialist replies within 1 to 2 business days.

Contact	Phone	Email
Permit specialists	(360) 487-7833	[email protected]
Building plans examiners	(360) 487-7828	[email protected]
Land use planning	(360) 487-7803	[email protected]
Permit Center engineering	(360) 487-7804	[email protected]
Fire Marshal’s Office	(360) 487-7260	[email protected]
Urban Forestry	(360) 487-8332	[email protected]