Multnomah County, OR
Multnomah County electrical permit cost
The county's electrical schedule is the City of Portland's
amount for amount: a residential square-foot wiring package at $408.00 for 1,000 square feet with $93.00 for each additional 500, services and feeders from $212.00 to $1,077.00, temporary services from $187.00, and branch circuits at $21.00 each with a service on the permit or $174.00 for the first without one. Plan review is 25% of the permit fee and the 12% state surcharge follows — the same three figures as inside the city.
How this fee is calculated
These are the components the schedule defines for this permit, as they applied on 2026-09-28. A component only applies to your project if its conditions match — read that column before assuming a figure. Want a figure for your own project? Estimate this fee with the permit fee calculator.
| Component | Formula | Applies when | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Branch circuits bought with a service or feeder, $21.00 eachPermit fee | $21.00 per circuit | electrical item is service and circuits over 0 | — |
| Branch circuits without a service fee, $174.00 for the first and $21.00 each afterPermit fee | $174.00 for the first circuit, plus $21.00 for each additional circuit | electrical item is circuits and circuits over 0 | — |
| Reconnect onlyPermit fee | $190.00 flat fee | electrical item is reconnect | — |
| Renewable energy, 15.01 to 25 kVAPermit fee | $391.00 flat fee | electrical item is renewable and kva over 15 and kva up to 25 | — |
| Renewable energy, 5.01 to 15 kVAPermit fee | $298.00 flat fee | electrical item is renewable and kva over 5 and kva up to 15 | — |
| Renewable energy, 5 kVA or lessPermit fee | $212.00 flat fee | electrical item is renewable and kva over 0 and kva up to 5 | — |
| Residential square foot wiring package, $408.00 for the first 1,000 sq ft and $93.00 each 500 afterPermit fee | $0.186 per sq ft above the first 1,000 sq ft (per 500 sq ft or fraction thereof) + $408.00 | electrical item is residential package and Project area over 0 | — |
| Service or feeder, 200 ampsPermit fee | $212.00 flat fee | electrical item is service and service amps over 0 and service amps up to 200 | — |
| Service or feeder, 201 to 400 ampsPermit fee | $298.00 flat fee | electrical item is service and service amps over 200 and service amps up to 400 | — |
| Service or feeder, 401 to 600 ampsPermit fee | $391.00 flat fee | electrical item is service and service amps over 400 and service amps up to 600 | — |
| Service or feeder, 601 to 1,000 ampsPermit fee | $588.00 flat fee | electrical item is service and service amps over 600 and service amps up to 1000 | — |
| Service or feeder, over 1,000 amps or voltsPermit fee | $1,077.00 flat fee | electrical item is service and service amps over 1000 | — |
| Signal circuits or a limited energy panel, $161.00Permit fee | $161.00 flat fee | electrical item is signal | — |
| Each sign or outline lighting, $161.00Permit fee | $161.00 per sign | signs over 0 | — |
| Temporary service or feeder, 200 amps or lessPermit fee | $187.00 flat fee | electrical item is temporary service and service amps over 0 and service amps up to 200 | — |
| Temporary service or feeder, 201 to 400 ampsPermit fee | $283.00 flat fee | electrical item is temporary service and service amps over 200 and service amps up to 400 | — |
| Temporary service or feeder, 401 to 600 ampsPermit fee | $356.00 flat fee | electrical item is temporary service and service amps over 400 and service amps up to 600 | — |
| Electrical plan review fee, 25% of the permit feePlan review | 25% of calculated permit fee | Every permit of this type | — |
| State of Oregon surcharge, 12% of the permit feeState surcharge | 12% of calculated permit fee | Every permit of this type | — |
A real permit fee is these components added together. The department’s final calculation is the one that applies — this is the schedule it will be based on.
A worked example
Follow the arithmetic by hand. Every line is produced by the engine from the rules above, so the total cannot drift away from the schedule behind it.
Worked example
A 1,700-square-foot house on unincorporated Multnomah County land rewired under the residential square-foot package, service included.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project area | 1,700 sq ft |
| Electrical item | residential_package |
Example total
$813.78
An estimate, not an official fee. It is calculated from the published fee schedule as it applied on 2026-09-28. The permit office’s own calculation is the one that applies, and your project may fall under rules this schedule does not describe.
Fee schedule as of 2026-09-28Rules applied 3Rules considered 19
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Residential square foot wiring package, $408.00 for the first 1,000 sq ft and $93.00 each 500 afterPermit fee"Residential Square Foot Wiring Packages for New and Remodels: Single or multi-family, per dwelling unit. Include garage. Service included. — 1,000 square feet or less — $408.00; Each additional 500 square feet or portion thereof — $93.00". The schedule adds that for a building of three or more apartments the fee is computed on the largest apartment and each additional apartment pays half the first unit fee. Modelled on the area, so a package price is charged per dwelling unit entered.
$93.00 per 500 square feet is $0.186 a square foot, so the row is carried as that rate above the published first 1,000 square feet, with the $408.00 the document prints as a base charge and its 500-square-foot step as the rounding increment. Both figures are the schedule's own: the rate is the published row restated in the unit the engine charges in, exactly as the 30% remodel rate is carried as $0.282 on Scottsdale's page. A 1,700-square-foot unit is $408.00 + two steps of $93.00 = $594.00.Show the working
| $0.186 per sq ft above the first 1,000 sq ft, or fraction thereof, rounded up in 500 sq ft steps + $408.00 | $594.00 |
Electrical plan review fee, 25% of the permit feePlan review"Plan Review Fee — 25% of total electrical permit fee - Maximum number of allowable checksheets: 2", with an additional checksheet fee of $324.00 and an additional-review row at $228.00 per hour above the first half hour. Read on the `permit_fee` basis, so it is computed from the electrical permit fee this run produced. The building permit's review is 65% of its permit fee, so the two percentages are different in the same jurisdiction.Show the working
| 25% of calculated permit fee | $148.50 |
State of Oregon surcharge, 12% of the permit feeState surchargeThe Building Codes Division's own backgrounder: "A state surcharge fee of 12% is applied to all building permit types issued in the State of Oregon" and "Surcharge fees are calculated by using the total permit fee: Total permit fee × 0.12 (12%)", for building, mechanical, plumbing (including fixtures), electrical (including services) and structural permits. It implements ORS 455.210(4), which imposes four surcharges on "the total permit fees": 4% for state administrative costs, 2% for state inspection costs, up to 1% for administering and enforcing the state building code, and 4% for the electronic building codes information system. Read on `permit_fee` — the figure the permit fee table produces — and not on plan review, which is itself a percentage of that figure; the alternative reading is stated on the pages with its size.Show the working
| 12% of calculated permit fee | $71.28 |
| Total | $813.78 |
Fees that do not apply here
Listed so you can see what was considered and left out, rather than wondering whether something is missing. A rule can also be left out because it is not published for this permit at all, and that is stated where it matters.
- Branch circuits bought with a service or feeder, $21.00 each — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Branch circuits without a service fee, $174.00 for the first and $21.00 each after — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Reconnect only — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Renewable energy, 15.01 to 25 kVA — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Renewable energy, 5.01 to 15 kVA — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Renewable energy, 5 kVA or less — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Service or feeder, 200 amps — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Service or feeder, 201 to 400 amps — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Service or feeder, 401 to 600 amps — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Service or feeder, 601 to 1,000 amps — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Service or feeder, over 1,000 amps or volts — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Signal circuits or a limited energy panel, $161.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Each sign or outline lighting, $161.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Temporary service or feeder, 200 amps or less — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Temporary service or feeder, 201 to 400 amps — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Temporary service or feeder, 401 to 600 amps — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 3 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
"Residential Square Foot Wiring Packages for New and Remodels: Single or multi-family, per dwelling unit. Include garage. Service included." The first 1,000 square feet are $408.00 and the remaining 700 are two chargeable 500-square-foot portions at $93.00 — $594.00 for the permit fee. Plan review is 25% of that, $148.50, and the state surcharge is 12% of the same $594.00, $71.28. Total: $813.78.
The arithmetic is worth checking at the boundary, because "or portion thereof" is what makes this row different from a rate. At 1,000 square feet the fee is $408.00 and at 1,001 it is $501.00, not $408.19 — one square foot past the allowance buys a whole 500-square-foot portion. At 2,001 square feet it is $687.00, and the third portion is the last one the row needs until 2,500.
The county's electrical permit costs exactly what the city's does for this job: every amount in the two schedules matches, as does the 25% plan review and the 12% surcharge. The Development Services Fee that separates the two jurisdictions on a building permit does not apply to electrical work, because it is charged on building, site development and zoning permits.
What is different in Multnomah County
Every dollar figure in the county's electrical schedule appears in the city's as well, which was checked by extracting the amounts from both documents and comparing the two sets: they are identical. That makes this page short by this site's standards, because there is no local quirk to explain — only the rows a reader needs.
A residential square-foot wiring package is "1,000 square feet or less — $408.00; Each additional 500 square feet or portion thereof — $93.00", per dwelling unit, with the garage and the service included. "Portion thereof" matters: 1,501 square feet is three chargeable 500-square-foot portions, and the row is modelled as $0.186 a square foot above the published first 1,000 square feet, rounded up in 500-square-foot steps, with the $408.00 as the base charge. A 1,700-square-foot unit is $408.00 plus two $93.00 steps, $594.00. For a building of three or more apartments, OAR 918-309-0030(5)(b) applies: the fee is computed on the largest apartment and each additional apartment pays half of the first unit's fee.
Services and feeders run $212.00 at 200 amperes, $298.00 at 201 to 400, $391.00 at 401 to 600, $588.00 at 601 to 1,000 and $1,077.00 above, with reconnect-only at $190.00; temporary services are $187.00, $283.00 and $356.00 over the same bands. Renewable energy is $212.00 to $391.00 up to 25 kVA, and above 25 kVA the schedule changes method to $15.52 per kVA for solar and flat bands of $587.00 and $1,077.00 for wind.
The branch-circuit row is the one that decides most small permits: "with the purchase of service or feeder fee — $21.00", and "without the purchase of service or feeder fee: First branch circuit — $174.00; Each additional branch circuit — $21.00". Six circuits are $126.00 on a permit that also paid for a service and $279.00 on one that did not.
Plan review is 25% of the electrical permit fee, capped at two allowable checksheets with $324.00 for each additional one — a different percentage from the 65% the building permit pays, in the same department. Then the 12% state surcharge, on electrical permits "including services", which is the state's and identical on both sides of the city boundary.
What this figure does not include
Impact fees, utility connections and other departments’ permits are the usual omissions, and in some jurisdictions they are larger than the permit fee itself.
Not included in these figures
This estimate is the electrical schedule's item fee, plan review at 25% of that fee and the 12% state surcharge. It excludes:
- The $324.00 additional checksheet, and additional plan review at $114.00 for half an hour or less and $228.00 an hour beyond.
- Solar generation above 25 kVA at $15.52 per kVA, wind generation from $587.00, and any temporary service above the bands modelled.
- The per-unit rows not modelled: borderline neon at $309.00 per elevation, wall washing at $1.23 per square foot, pumps and irrigation circles at $161.00, manufactured and modular dwelling services at $239.00, and limited energy installations at $93.00.
- Appeal fees of $346.00 for one- and two-family dwellings and $721.00 for all other occupancies, plus $176.00 for each item over two.
- Inspections outside normal business hours at $308.00 an hour, investigation fees at $161.00 an hour with a one-hour minimum, and other inspections at $228.00 an hour.
- Programme fees: the Field Issuance Remodel Program's $640.00 registration and $423.00 hourly rate, and the master permit programme's registration and hourly rates.
- The building, plumbing and mechanical permits on the same project, which are separate permits with their own schedules — the building permit's plan review, for instance, is 65% of a much larger fee.
- The electrical work itself: the schedule prices the permit, not the installation, and utility connection charges are not permit fees.
What you need before applying
- The county's electrical schedule is the city's, amount for amountRequired
The two documents were compared by extracting every dollar figure from each and diffing the sorted multisets: no difference. So a 200-ampere service is $212.00 in the county as in the city, the residential square-foot package is $408.00 for the first 1,000 square feet, a branch circuit is $21.00 on a permit that bought a service and $174.00 for the first one without, and plan review is 25% of the electrical permit fee in both. What differs between an address in the county and one in the city is the building permit, not the electrical one.
Common questions
Is a Multnomah County electrical permit cheaper than a Portland one?
No — it costs exactly the same, because the two schedules are identical in every amount. A 200-ampere service is $212.00 in both, a residential square-foot package is $408.00 for 1,000 square feet plus $93.00 per additional 500 in both, and plan review is 25% of the electrical permit fee in both. The fee that separates the two jurisdictions, the Development Services Fee, is charged on building permits rather than on electrical ones.
How much is an electrical permit for a 1,700-square-foot house?
$813.78 under the residential square-foot wiring package: $408.00 for the first 1,000 square feet plus two $93.00 portions, which is $594.00, then 25% plan review of $148.50 and the 12% state surcharge of $71.28. The package price includes the service and the garage, and it is charged per dwelling unit.
Why does 1,001 square feet cost more than 1,000?
Because the row says "each additional 500 square feet or portion thereof" — one square foot past the 1,000 allowance buys a whole 500-square-foot portion, so the fee steps from $408.00 to $501.00 rather than rising smoothly. The same rounding puts the fee at $594.00 for 1,501 to 2,000 square feet and $687.00 at 2,001.
What does a branch circuit cost?
$21.00 if the permit also bought a service or feeder fee, and $174.00 for the first circuit if it did not — then $21.00 for each additional one. So six circuits are $126.00 on a service permit and $279.00 on a circuits-only permit, which is the schedule's own pricing rather than a penalty for filing separately.
How much is a solar permit?
$212.00 up to 5 kVA, $298.00 at 5.01 to 15 kVA and $391.00 at 15.01 to 25 kVA. Above 25 kVA the schedule changes method and charges $15.52 for each kVA over 25.01 up to 100, with no additional fee at 100.01 and above, and plan review is required. Wind systems over 25 kVA are priced at $587.00 and $1,077.00.
Does the county's electrical permit carry the 12% state surcharge?
Yes: 12% of the electrical permit fee, because the Building Codes Division applies it to "all building permit types issued in the State of Oregon" and lists electrical permits including services. On a $594.00 package that is $71.28. It is the same amount the city charges for the same work, since the surcharge is the state's rather than either jurisdiction's.
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- Fee schedule (PDF)CountyPrimary source
Electrical Permit Fee Schedule, Unincorporated Multnomah County, effective July 10, 2026
Three pages, sha256 beginning ab23308d3994, read in three modes. Every dollar amount in it matches the City of Portland's electrical schedule — checked by extracting the amounts from both documents and comparing the two sorted multisets, which came out identical — and so do the plan review percentage and the rows that are not fee figures. The county's electrical permit therefore costs exactly what the city's does for the same work.
- State agencyStatePrimary source
State of Oregon Permit Surcharge Fee — BCD backgrounder
The same 12% the city's pages carry, because it is the state's and not either jurisdiction's: "A state surcharge fee of 12% is applied to all building permit types issued in the State of Oregon", applied as "Total permit fee × 0.12", and it implements the four surcharges of ORS 455.210(4) — 4% for state administrative costs, 2% for state inspection costs, up to 1% for administering the state building code and 4% for the electronic building codes information system. It covers building, mechanical, plumbing including fixtures, electrical including services and structural permits, so it is on all three permits this page prices.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.