The Building Safety Division enforces building safety codes, improves neighborhood quality of life, and boosts citywide economic prosperity. We achieve this through comprehensive permitting, plan reviews, and inspections. Our efforts ensure a safe-built environment, promote fire prevention, improve conservation, and support emergency response.

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Permitting

In the City of Bend, in most cases we require a building permit for the majority of construction projects. This includes new construction as well as additions and remodels to existing structures, like structural, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical modifications.

Our Building Safety Division manages all building permits. We handle everything from processing applications to reviewing plans to approving and issuing permits. If you’re planning a project, a great place to start is our Development & Permitting page. It outlines the process and will help guide you through submitting building permit applications.

Plan Reviews

Building permit applications are reviewed in a collaborative effort between our Building Safety, Planning, and Private Development Engineering Divisions. These teams work closely together to help Bend grow in a way that’s safe, well-planned, and beneficial for everyone.

Our State of Oregon-certified plan examiners carefully review each application, whether it’s for a simple home project or a complex commercial plan. Throughout the review process, we focus on the following goals:

1. Safety First: We make sure all construction projects follow building codes and safety standards. This keeps everyone and everything safe, from the structure itself to fire safety measures.
2. Staying Compliant: We check that projects meet all local, state, and federal regulations. This helps avoid legal issues and ensures buildings are up to the latest standards.
3. Quality of Life: By enforcing building codes, we help maintain the quality and character of our neighborhoods. This includes proper zoning, environmental impact, and how the buildings look.
4. Efficiency: Our thorough review process can catch potential issues early, preventing costly delays and changes during construction.
5. Supporting Growth: Ensuring buildings are safe and compliant supports economic growth by creating a reliable and attractive environment for businesses and residents.

Inspections

At the City of Bend, our building inspectors are dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of our community. They visit construction sites to inspect general construction and specialized systems, including structural, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical. Our team is here for you, overseeing the reconstruction, alteration, and repair of buildings, as well as the installation of various systems and equipment, to ensure everything meets safety standards.

All of our Building Inspectors are certified through the State of Oregon.

Records Requests

Need to try and find information on old permits, blueprints, etc. for your house or property? The Building Safety Division is here to help! You can submit a records request through our online system.

Records requests are fulfilled as soon as we can, but no later than 10 business days after we acknowledge receiving your request, we will:

1. Complete your public records request; or
2. Let you know in writing that we’re still working on it and give you an estimated date for when we expect to finish, based on the information we have.

Contractor Registrations

To ensure your company is easily selectable by residents and businesses in Bend when they submit applications or permits, you need to complete a Contractor Registration. This registration is required for you to be listed as the contractor of record on either your own permit or a customer's permit. Without it, you cannot perform any work related to the permit. During the registration process, you must provide your State Contractor Board License number, which is essential for submission.