How to apply for a trade permit

How to start a permit application

First, make sure you are logged in to your registered account in order to apply for a permit. Once logged in, hover your mouse over the orange Apply box across the top of the website, then click on the “Building Dept Application” link.
Read and agree to the terms and conditions by clicking the checkbox, then click on the “Continue Application” button.
Enter the Work Site Location. For best results enter information into ONLY the two fields highlighted in green below, Street Number and the first three characters of the Street Name, leaving all the other fields blank, then click on the “Search” button.

Tips: If you are looking for a numbered street it could be in the system several ways, could be "first" or "1st". If searching for Highway it may be listed as HWY or Highway.

Note: if you are not able to find the address or if the address is new - please contact the local building department where you are pulling the permit (issuing jurisdiction) - for contact information visit the Local building department directory web page.
Select Address and Services. Any address that matches the search criteria will now be displayed. In this case, after clicking on “Select” next to the first address in the highlighted area we see that there are services available in Columbia County which is the issuing jurisdiction. Click on the issuing jurisdiction name, and finally click in the checkbox below it to select the type of permit you are wanting to pull. In this case we have selected a residential mechanical permit.

Note: If there are no services available or services are missing be sure to check that you have associated your license(s) to your account. You must have a license associated to your account to pull a permit. Visit How to Add a License to Your Registered Account.

Note: Often there will be multiple addresses that match your criteria. It’s extremely important to note that even the address you are searching for may have multiple identical results. If this is the case, start by clicking on the blue “Select” link to the left of the address to see if there are any available services. If that address does not work, a blue error box will appear (see below) at the bottom of the page, you will want to click on the next identical address until you see an issuing jurisdictions name appear. If no services are available please check your “Account Management” section to ensure you have your professional license(s) associated to your account.
Choose Licensed Professional(s) Next, you will need to select the licensed professionals you want to have associated to THIS application. It is important to note that you may only have one license associated to your account or you may have multiple like in the image below. If you have multiple licenses, or if you have multiple sub-contractors or others added to your account, you can choose to delete the licensed professional from the application. This will not remove the license or professional from your account, only from this application.

Note: There might be some extra steps if you have multiple Signing Supervisor connected to you Electrical License. Follow this link for a step-by-step walkthrough: https://www.oregon.gov/BCD/epermitting/Documents/aca/select-signing-supervisor-citizen-access.pdf.
For this residential mechanical application we only want to have our CCB license associated to the application. To remove a license click on the green “Delete”. You will be prompted to confirm removing the license form the application. Do so by clicking “OK”. This will delete the license from this application only. Repeat this step to remove multiple licenses from this application.
Once you have the license(s) you want for this permit application click “Continue Application.”
Site Address (Read-only): Next, you will be asked to review the site address, parcel, and owner information. This page is for verification only and no changes can be made. If you notice information that is incorrect or out-of-date, contact the issuing jurisdiction to notify them so they can make appropriate changes. For contact information visit the Local building department directory web page.

Scroll to the bottom of the Site Address page and click “Continue Application.”
Choose Applicant & Site Contact: Next you will be asked to add an applicant. Click the “Select from Account” and choose your professional license, you as an individual or any of your contacts. For information about how to add contacts to your account. If you would like to manually add the applicant click “Add New”.

Note: You can save and resume your application at any time during the application process by clicking the “Save and Resume Later.” Your progress will be saved and you will be able to pick up where you left off to resume the application later.
If you chose “Select from Account” you will see a list of all the associated contacts and license(s) on your account. Select the contact or license you wish to have as the applicant by clicking the radio button (circle) next to your choice and then click “Continue.”
If all of the required information is not saved on the license or contact you choose then you will be prompted to add any missing information (see below). To correct this issue click on “Account Management” after completing your application and edit the information for the contact you selected.
After choosing the permit applicant you will see a green check mark with a message saying the contact has been added successfully. Next, add the site contact in the same way. After adding the Applicant and Site Contact information choose “Continue Application.”

Note: If you do not have a site contact upon application you may continue the application without it and add it when you request inspections.
Project Details: Next, you will be asked to provide details about the project. Please add a job value and select a category of construction that best describes your job. For example, if you are doing a building alarm system in a commercial building you would choose “6-Building Alarm or Sprinkler System”. If you are working on an apartment complex you would choose “4-Multi-Family.” If you are unsure about the Category of Construction, please contact the issuing jurisdiction for assistance. For contact information visit the Local building department directory web page.

The next required section is the Description of Work. Project name and cross street directions are optional. Provide a detailed description of work as the local jurisdiction may not be able to process you permit application if it is unclear or missing information. When finished entering the required information, then click the “Continue Application” button
Select Services: You will now be asked to complete the application by selecting the services or work you are going to perform. Please pay close attention to each section even if it does not have a red asterisk next to it indicating it is required. For most applications Category of Construction and Type of Work are required. After choosing your services click “Continue Application.”

Note: If you are installing one air handling unit, enter a value of '1' in the air handling unit field, not the BTUs of the unit. If you miss a section or fail to provide complete information the local jurisdiction may not be able to process your permit. Also screen fields will vary based on what type of permit you are applying for.
Attachments: At this point you are able to upload attachments if you have them and if the local jurisdiction you are working in accepts them. If you are working in a jurisdiction that accepts online documents and plans you can upload any PDF document you have saved to your computer’s hard drive or network drive attached to your computer. To add a document click the “Add” button.

Note: You can attach documents after the application has been submitted. If you need to add multiple or large documents, we recommend adding them after you have submitted the application.
File Upload Box: In order to access your computers local and network drives to upload a document click “Add.”
Locating the File. Locate the file(s) you wish to upload by navigating to their saved location on your local or network drive. Once you have selected the file(s) you wish to upload click “Open.”
After choosing the file(s) you wish to upload to the application you will see the file name along with a status bar of the upload. You can now continue your application or add more files. When ready click “Continue.”
Saving Attachments: After selecting the file(s), Description and Type is required. When ready click "Save".
Attachment(s) Successfully Attached: Now click "Continue Application."
Review: At this point in the process you have completed filling out the application and are ready to review everything before submitting. In this section you can edit any section simply by clicking the “Edit.” This will take you back to the specific page you wish to edit. When you are finished and click “Continue Application.” you will be taken back to the review page.

Note: You can always choose “Save and resume later” at any time during the application process to save your progress.
After making any necessary edits to your application scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Continue Application."

Note: At this point your application will either be submitted or you will continue to the fees page.
Fees: If your application does NOT require plan review (like in this example) the fees and state surcharge will be calculated and you will be able to pay. Click “Continue to payment.”
Payment: Enter your credit card information and billing information for the card holder. You can auto-fill the card holder information by choosing a contact from the dropdown. Click “Submit Payment”.

* For security reasons credit card information is not saved or collected by the ePermitting website or local jurisdictions so users will have to enter their card number each time they pay for a permit.
Completion: You have now successfully completed your permit application. You can click "View Record" or "View Receipt" to generate the permit and receipt. To schedule an inspection directly from this page, click the permit/record number to be taken to the record details page or use our How to Schedule Inspections walkthrough web page.