Building Permits in Gresham
Building Permits in Gresham
Gresham's Building Permits and Inspections program administers permits, plan review and inspections. Applications and inspection requests are available through City online services.
Current code framework
Oregon's 2025 Oregon Structural Specialty Code (OSSC) is the current commercial structural code and is based on the 2024 IBC, IFC and IEBC. Its construction provisions became mandatory April 1, 2026 after the state phase-in period. Other Oregon specialty codes can have different editions and effective dates, so the State Building Codes Division's current adopted-code list should be checked for each project.
Permit requirements and exemptions
Gresham states that permits are required for construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving or occupancy changes and for regulated building systems.
For single-family homes, the City publishes specific exemptions. A qualifying one-story detached nonhabitable accessory structure can be exempt when it does not exceed 200 square feet and meets the City's wall-height and site conditions. On qualifying parcels of at least 2 acres with the specified setbacks, the exemption can extend to 400 square feet. Gresham also lists fences not over 7 feet among its stated exemptions, subject to the City's conditions.
Plan review and inspections
Projects requiring plan review submit plans through the online permit application system. The general City page does not publish one universal review duration, so no generic review estimate is used here.
Inspection requests submitted before midnight are eligible for next-day scheduling. Required inspections depend on the permitted work.
Official sources
- Gresham Building Permits and Inspections: https://www.greshamoregon.gov/Building-and-Permits/
- Gresham projects that do not require permits: https://www.greshamoregon.gov/projects-that-do-not-require-permits/
- Oregon adopted codes: https://www.oregon.gov/bcd/codes-stand/pages/adopted-codes.aspx
- Oregon 2025 OSSC adoption: https://www.oregon.gov/bcd/codes-stand/Pages/ossc-adoption.aspx
Disclaimer: Verify the applicable specialty code, fees, zoning conditions and project-specific inspection requirements with Gresham and Oregon BCD before filing.