Do I Need a Permit for Excavation in Portland?
A plain-language guide to Portland's permitting requirements for excavation, grading, and demolition — and how the process actually works.
Short answer: usually, yes. Most excavation work in Portland and the surrounding cities requires a permit, and skipping it can mean stop-work orders, fines, and problems when you sell. Here's what actually triggers a permit and how the process works.
Work that typically needs a permit
- Foundation excavation for a new home, addition, or ADU.
- Utility connections — water, sewer, gas, or electrical service.
- Grading that changes drainage — anything that alters how water flows across your property or onto a neighbor's.
- Tree removal above a certain diameter (often 12 inches), which many cities regulate separately.
- Demolition of structures or large concrete removal.
Work that often doesn't
Small, shallow projects — like planting beds, a short irrigation trench, or minor landscape regrading that doesn't affect drainage — frequently don't need a permit. But "often" isn't "always," and the rules vary between Portland, Washington County, Clackamas County, and the individual cities.
Before anyone digs: Oregon 811
Permit or not, every dig legally requires a utility locate. We call Oregon 811 before breaking ground so all underground lines — gas, electric, communications, water — are marked. Hitting an unmarked line is dangerous and expensive, and it's entirely avoidable.
How the process works with A&N
We handle the permitting side for you: we determine what your specific project needs, submit the applications to the right jurisdiction, and schedule inspections. You don't have to decode building-code language or stand in line at a permit office.
Planning a project and not sure what it requires? Call (503) 983-6984 — we'll tell you exactly what's needed before you commit.
