Do You Need a Permit for Siding, Windows, Roofing or a Deck? Every City in the Portland Metro and Southwest Washington
Permit rules for exterior work are the question homeowners ask most before a project, and the answer depends on which side of the Columbia River you live on. This page lists what each jurisdiction VResh serves requires for siding replacement, same size window replacement, roof replacement and decks, read from the official page of each building department and linked so you can check it yourself.
Oregon: one statewide list
The Oregon Building Codes Division sets what is exempt for every city and county. Siding, same size windows and most reroofing need no building permit; a deck over 30 inches does.
Washington: it depends on the city
Clark County, Camas and Longview require permits for siding, windows and roofing. Ridgefield exempts same size windows. Woodland has piece and square thresholds. Vancouver's current page is silent.
No permit is not no rules
Code, zoning, historic overlays, HOA approval, trade permits and the federal lead safe rule for pre 1978 homes all still apply.
Verified September 20, 2026
Every row links to the official source it was read from. Rows marked not yet verified had no published rule we could confirm.
Permit requirements by city
| City or area | Siding replacement | Windows, same size | Roof replacement | Deck | Who to ask |
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Sources: Oregon Building Codes Division, residential permit exemptions (applies to every Oregon city on this page); City of Portland Permitting & Development; Clark County; City of Vancouver; City of Camas; City of Ridgefield; City of Woodland; City of Longview. All read on September 20, 2026. This page is a summary for planning purposes; the building department's answer for your address and project governs. Download the table as CSV.
What the pattern means for a project
In Oregon, the permit question for exterior work is usually easy: siding, same size windows and a standard reroof are exempt everywhere from Portland to Salem, and the work is governed by the building code, the contractor's CCB license and, on a pre 1978 home, the EPA lead safe rule. The exceptions are structural: a new or enlarged window opening, a deck over 30 inches, a full tear off that also replaces all the sheathing, or in Portland a reroof in a Wildfire Hazard zone.
In Southwest Washington the same siding job can need a permit and two inspections in Clark County or Longview, a same day over the counter permit in Camas, no permit at all for a small repair in Woodland, and a call to confirm in Vancouver. The practical effect is that a Washington exterior project should start with a jurisdiction check on the parcel, because a Vancouver mailing address often sits in unincorporated Clark County, where the county's stricter rules apply.
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Questions about permits
Why do Oregon and Washington differ so much?
Oregon adopts one statewide residential code and the Building Codes Division publishes one list of exempt projects that every local building department follows. Washington adopts the state building code but lets each city and county decide which small projects need a permit, so Clark County, Camas and Longview require permits for reroofing, siding and windows while Ridgefield exempts same size window replacement and Vancouver's current page does not list them at all.
Does no building permit mean no rules?
No. Work that is exempt from a building permit must still meet the building code. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work almost always need their own permits, zoning and setback rules still apply, historic or design overlay zones can require review of exterior changes, and homeowner associations can have their own approval process. In both states the contractor must hold the proper state license (Oregon CCB, Washington L&I), and any home built before 1978 falls under the EPA lead safe renovation rule regardless of permits.
How was this page verified?
Every yes or no on this page was read from the jurisdiction's own website on the date shown, and the source is linked in each row. Where a city's page does not list a project type, the row says so instead of guessing. Cities marked not yet verified had no clear published rule at the time of review; call them before starting work.
Why are permit fees not listed?
Fees change every budget year and depend on project valuation, so a fee printed here would be wrong within months. Each row links to the office that quotes fees for a specific project.
Who pulls the permit, the homeowner or the contractor?
Either can apply, but when a licensed contractor does the work the contractor normally pulls the permit and schedules inspections. VResh handles permits, inspections and documentation on every job that needs them.
Planning exterior work in any of these cities?
VResh Construction is licensed in Oregon (CCB #241979) and Washington (#VRESHCL776ND) and EPA Lead Safe Certified. We confirm the permit requirement for your address before the estimate, pull the permit when one is needed, and handle every inspection.