Columbia County, Oregon Building Department and Permits

Columbia County, Oregon building department and permit records in one place. See the issuing agency, the search portal, and what the record can miss.

Wildfire code, section R327

No adoption record found checked 2026-08-06

Verified fields

Permit authority

authority: Columbia County Building Division, Land Development Services
scope: TRADE BY TRADE, CITY BY CITY.
headline: The county retains ELECTRICAL COUNTYWIDE, minus Vernonia and Clatskanie.
columbia city: Columbia City states verbatim that electrical permits are only handled by Columbia County. Its own department is CONTRACTED TO THE CITY OF ST. HELENS.
vernonia: Vernonia contracts to NORTHWEST CODE PROFESSIONALS.
lbdd corroboration: State directory lists "Columbia County", building official Don VanDomelen, phone 503-397-1501.

Contact

address: Temporarily at 445 Port Avenue, Port Business Center, St. Helens OR 97051. Mailing 230 Strand St.
phone: 503-397-1501
email: [email protected]
hours: 08:30-17:00

Permit search

system: Oregon ePermitting Accela, no login, address searchable, verified live
older records: By records request. Custodian of Records, 230 Strand Rm 331, 503-397-4322.
date floor: None published.

Design criteria

basic wind: 97 mph
special wind region: 97 mph, NO UPLIFT. The only county in this set without a 120 mph special wind region.
frost in: 12
weathering: Moderate

Lbdd directory

bcd administered: No
jurisdictions serving this county: Clatskanie, Columbia City, Columbia County, Scappoose, St Helens, Vernonia
jurisdiction count: 6

This county runs its own building department, listed under its own name with no BCD suffix.

The record is half the picture

A permit search shows what was filed, not what was built. The gap between the two is what a general home inspection exists to find.

Anyone inspecting in Columbia County must hold a live state certification. Verify an inspector before the report is ordered, not after.

Neighboring counties in Portland metro