Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Umatilla County, Oregon

Unincorporated Umatilla County, Oregon requires building permits for new construction and specified alterations, and the person doing the work is responsible for obtaining them¹. The Oregon Building Codes Division provides Umatilla County with structural, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permit services, including plan review and inspections². A structural permit application accompanies the county zoning permit for additions, new structures and manufactured-home placement³. An owner may qualify to perform work without an Oregon contractor license, but that exemption does not remove building-permit or inspection requirements⁹. A separate, narrow rule lets a qualifying owner-builder depart from structural-code requirements for ceiling heights, room sizes and specified temperature levels; the building permit is still required and must record compliance¹¹. Qualifying agricultural buildings may be exempt from the structural code, while electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits still apply¹¹.

The Oregon Building Codes Division's Pendleton field office, at 800 SE Emigrant Ave., Suite 360, issues structural, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits and provides plan review and inspections for Umatilla County⁶. Umatilla County Planning, reached at 541-278-6252 or planning@umatillacounty.gov, separately handles county zoning permits, land-use applications and required pre-application meetings³. Umatilla County Environmental Health, reached at 541-278-6394, separately handles septic installation and repair permits countywide^3,4. Inside an incorporated city, confirm that city's building-permit and zoning arrangements before applying; septic permits do not shift with city building or zoning administration because Umatilla County administers onsite septic systems throughout the county^1,4,5.

Umatilla County has zoning for land under county jurisdiction; unzoned land coming under county jurisdiction is automatically assigned General Farm or Exclusive Farm Use zoning, whichever is more appropriate⁷. In unincorporated Umatilla County, new construction and additions require a zoning permit when the use is permitted outright or after land-use approval⁷. The ordinary zoning-permit fee is $100 per tax lot; the planning schedule effective July 1, 2026 does not list every application type, and postage, copies and notice publication can cost extra⁸. A county floodplain-development permit costs $250 including the zoning-permit fee, rather than adding a separate ordinary zoning fee⁸. County zoning maps identify districts by township, range, section and tax lot⁵. Inside city limits, Umatilla and Stanfield set their own zoning; Umatilla County Environmental Health remains the countywide onsite-septic authority^4,13,14. Urban growth areas can also have different zoning controls, so ask County Planning which code applies to the parcel^3,15.

Umatilla County administers onsite septic regulation under authority delegated by Oregon and enforces the applicable state statutes and environmental rules⁴. A county construction-installation permit is required for a new system; an authorization notice or alteration permit applies when a system is placed into service, its use changes or projected sewage flow increases; and repairs require a county repair permit⁴. A system may not be covered, connected or used until it has a certificate of satisfactory completion⁴. Only about 21.9% of Umatilla County soils are rated “not limited” for a conventional drain field, so establish septic feasibility before fixing the house site¹⁶. Untreated or partly treated sewage cannot be discharged onto the ground or into public waters, and plumbing cannot connect to an unapproved disposal system⁴.

In Umatilla County's Rural Residential 2 (RR-2) zone, one manufactured dwelling or mobile home may serve as the single-family dwelling option on one tax lot with a zoning permit; the lot cannot also have a site-built house as its dwelling option¹⁰. In the Mountain Residential zone, one recreational vehicle may serve as the dwelling option on one tax lot with a zoning permit, and the lot cannot also use a manufactured home or site-built house except for an approved temporary hardship home¹⁰. A temporary hardship manufactured dwelling or park model requires a qualifying care-related hardship, shares the existing septic system, receives approval for 2 years at a time and must be removed within 90 days after the need ends¹⁷. The county's separate private-campground rule allows temporary stays of up to 30 days in a consecutive 6-month period only in qualifying campgrounds on certain farm-use land; it does not create a general right to occupy an RV on any parcel¹⁷. We could not confirm a standalone county rule for a structure marketed as a tiny home, or for other zones; ask Umatilla County Planning how the unit will be classified and which zoning standards apply³.

1. Contact Umatilla County Planning to identify the parcel’s zoning and request a pre-application meeting at 541-278-6252 to confirm the zoning district and whether land-use or floodplain approval applies³.
2. If the property is not on public sewer, apply for a septic construction permit through Umatilla County Environmental Health at 541-278-6394 before finalizing the site plan³.
3. Apply for the county zoning permit with the site plan and all owners' signatures; the ordinary fee is $100 per tax lot, while other land-use reviews and notice costs can add fees^3,8.
4. Submit the building-permit applications for structural, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work to the Oregon Building Codes Division's Pendleton field office⁶.
5. Obtain a county driveway permit for a new approach onto a county road, or an ODOT highway-approach permit for access to a state highway^18,19.
6. Complete the required inspections and obtain the building official's certificate of occupancy before moving into the new dwelling²⁰.

Check septic suitability before committing: only about 21.9% of Umatilla County soils are rated “not limited” for a conventional drain field, so ask Environmental Health for a site evaluation early¹⁶. Confirm floodplain status with Umatilla County Planning because development in a flood hazard area requires a county floodplain-development permit as well as zoning approval²¹. If a landowner plans to construct, alter, convert or abandon a water-supply well without being a licensed and bonded well constructor, Oregon requires a landowner well permit, a $550 fee and a $10,000 bond or irrevocable letter of credit before work begins¹². Check access before choosing a house site: a new approach onto a county road needs a county driveway permit, while an approach to a state highway needs written ODOT permission^18,19. Umatilla County's typical property-tax bill is about $2,534 a year at an effective rate near 1% of value¹⁶.