Owner-Builder Permits in Oregon and Washington: What You Can Build and Draw Yourself

Owners in Oregon and Washington can pull permits and do work on their own property without a contractor license. The exemption is about who does the work. It does not change what the permit needs: drawings, engineering where required, and inspections.

Oregon

• Work on your own property. ORS 701.010 exempts a person performing work on a property that person owns, or as the owner's employee, and work on the person's residence.

• Not for building to sell. The exemption does not apply to work in pursuit of an independent business with the intent of offering the structure for sale. If the builder does not occupy the structure after completion, that is prima facie evidence of intent to sell.

• Hiring licensed contractors. An owner who contracts with licensed contractors is exempt, with limits for owners working on more than three existing residential structures in the same calendar year.

Washington

• Work on your own property. RCW 18.27.090 exempts any person working on his or her own property, whether occupied or not, but not someone doing contractor work on the property to sell, demolish or lease it.

• Owner contracting with registered contractors. That exemption does not apply to leasing or selling improved property the owner has owned for less than twelve months.

• Electrical work. RCW 19.28.261 limits owner electrical work on a new unit built for rent, sale or lease, and allows the exemption only once every twenty-four months.

What the permit still requires

• Drawings that meet the jurisdiction's submittal standards, at scale, with existing and proposed work clear.

• Structural engineering where the code or the reviewer requires it.

• Energy code compliance documentation.

• Every inspection, called in sequence. Inspectors do not skip steps for owners.

Where owner-builders lose time

• Drawings that are not to scale or leave out details the reviewer needs.

• Missing structural calculations for beams, shear walls or foundations.

• Correction responses that do not answer every item.

• Inspections failed for work covered before it was inspected.

Common questions

Can I pull my own building permit in Oregon?

Yes, for work on property you own or your residence, as long as you are not building in pursuit of a business with intent to sell. Not occupying the finished structure is prima facie evidence of intent to sell.

Can I build a house myself in Washington and sell it?

RCW 18.27.090 does not exempt owners doing contractor work to sell or lease the property. Talk to the Department of Labor and Industries or an attorney before building to sell.

Do I still need drawings as an owner-builder?

Yes. The permit requires the same drawings, engineering and inspections whether an owner or a contractor does the work.

Can I do my own electrical work in Washington?

Owner electrical work is allowed with limits. For a new unit built for rent, sale or lease, the exemption is limited to once every twenty-four months under RCW 19.28.261.

How SASHKOV handles it

• Confirms the owner exemption fits the project and the owner's plans for the property.

• Prepares the permit set to the jurisdiction's standards and brings in engineering where required.

• Answers corrections and tracks review to issuance.

• Gives the owner an inspection sequence so nothing is covered before it is inspected.

Where a building requires a licensed architect or engineer of record, SASHKOV brings them into the contract.

Need the drawings while you build? See Permit and Construction Documents. For who signs what, read Who Does What on a Permit.

Building on your own property? Send the address and scope, and SASHKOV will scope the drawings, engineering and timeline in business days.