What Bend asks for
From the City's Residential Submittal Checklist (Building Safety, last revised 28 April 2026, read 23 October 2026):
| Item | What the checklist says |
|---|---|
| Site plan | North arrow, property lines, drainage and the other listed items |
| Construction drawings | Foundation plan, floor and roof framing, cross sections, floor plans |
| Beams and engineering | "Beam calculations with all beam sizes"; any engineering must carry "a current Registered Architect or Engineer signed stamp and design criteria" |
| Energy | Residential Energy, WHV, Moisture Content and Lighting Form |
| Wildfire | "For new construction permit applications, provide a completed Residential Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Checklist" |
| Erosion and stormwater | Small Project Erosion Control Template; Statement of Stormwater Management Compliance Form |
| SDCs | Mark whether SDC deferral or an SDC loan applies; financing applications "require a minimum of 7-10 business days to process" |
| Files | "File extensions must be PDF only", each under 40 MB |
Plans go in through the City's ePlans system, and permits and inspections run through the Online Permit Center. Questions: building@bendoregon.gov or (541) 388-5580 ext. 2.
What it costs
Bend sets fees each fiscal year. Resolution No. 3482 adopted the FY 2026-27 schedule, effective 1 July 2026; "all residential valuations will be determined utilizing the state mandated valuation calculation table", not your contract price. Building permit fee (section 2.2), read 23 October 2026:
| Valuation | Building permit fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $11,000 | $243.70 |
| $11,001 to $25,000 | $243.70 + $17.38 per $1,000 over $11,000 |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | $487.02 + $12.88 per $1,000 over $25,000 |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $809.02 + $8.56 per $1,000 over $50,000 |
| $100,001 and up | $1,237.02 + $7.14 per $1,000 over $100,000 |
Building plan review is listed at "65% of building permit fee". The new-house trade lines:
| Trade permit (FY 2026-27) | Fee |
|---|---|
| Plumbing, new dwelling: one / two / three baths (2.3.02a–c) | $493.10 / $851.72 / $1,060.59 |
| Plumbing, each bath over three (2.3.02d) | $150.79 |
| Electrical, dwelling with service, 1,000 sq ft or less (2.7.01) | $448.27 |
| Electrical, each additional 500 sq ft or part (2.7.01a) | $77.43 |
| Mechanical base fee + residential HVAC system (2.6.01a, p) | $93.73 + $59.09 |
Every building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permit carries a "State of Oregon surcharge of twelve percent (12%)."
A worked example, by our arithmetic: a 2,400 sq ft, two-bath house valued at $400,000 on the state table. Building permit $1,237.02 + 300 × $7.14 = $3,379.02; plan review at 65% $2,196.36; plumbing $851.72; electrical $448.27 + 3 × $77.43 = $680.56; mechanical $152.82. That is $7,260.48 before the 12% state surcharge and before system development charges.
System development charges (SDCs) are separate; the schedule notes that Parks SDCs are set by the Bend Park and Recreation District. The schedule's text we could read does not make the per-system amounts clear, so ask Building Safety for an estimate on your lot before you budget, and ask about the deferral and loan options on the checklist.
Who can build it
A licensed builder. Oregon requires a Construction Contractors Board license; a new home calls for a Residential General Contractor endorsement, bonded at $25,000 since 1 January 2024 (CCB Licensing). Check it on the CCB license search. 71.8% of Bend home builders in our file matched an active CCB license.
You, on your own land. ORS 701.010 exempts "A person performing work on a property that person owns", but not work "performed in the pursuit of an independent business with the intent of offering the structure for sale before, upon or after completion." Plumbing and electrical work have their own state licensing; ask Building Safety which trade permits an owner may take out on a new house.
What 1,849 Bend new-home permits show
| Measure | Bend new homes |
|---|---|
| Permits, October 2023 to September 2026 | 1,849 |
| Builders | 149 |
| Builders with a permit in the 12 months to September 2026 | 80 |
| Usual filed value | $384,616 |
| Middle half of builders' usual value (3+ permits) | $294,223 to $554,896 |
| Finaled (a year or more old) | 97.9% |
| Usual days from issue to final | 220 |
| Share held by the busiest builder / five busiest | 25.2% / 54.0% |
| Builders with a single permit | 64 (43.0%) |
| Busiest / quietest month for filing | April (index 131) / February (86) |
Nearly every Bend house reaches final (97.9%), so finished share will not separate builders; the value range will. The middle half of builders' usual house runs from $294,223 to $554,896. The busiest builder alone filed 25.2% of Bend new homes, while 64 builders filed one. Prices by home value: Bend new home cost; national ranges: new home construction cost; counts by year: Bend permit statistics.
See every Bend home builder by permits filed →
Check it in five minutes
- Look up the builder's CCB license and endorsement on the CCB search (how).
- Find the builder's past Bend houses in the Online Permit Center (Bend building permit search).
- Compare builders on the Bend new-home builder list. Rules elsewhere: do I need a permit to build a house.
What this does not tell you
Filed values are the project value Bend records per application, not the state-table valuation the fee uses. Our builder is the contractor on the permit; owner-built houses may list none. The fee example is ours; the permit tech's invoice is the final word, and SDCs are not in it.
How we know this
Submittal items are quoted from the City of Bend's Residential Submittal Checklist (rev. 28 April 2026); fees from Resolution No. 3482 and its FY 2026-27 Exhibit A, effective 1 July 2026; the owner exemption from ORS 701.010, all read 23 October 2026; bond amounts from the CCB Licensing page, read 22 October 2026. The fee example is our arithmetic. Our counts are City of Bend new single-family permits, October 2023 to September 2026.
Numbers come from City of Bend building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits on homes, data through October 16, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to build a house in Bend, Oregon?
Yes. A new house in Bend takes a City building permit plus separate plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits, applied for with plans that meet the City's Residential Submittal Checklist, including a wildfire hazard mitigation checklist for new construction.
- How much is a building permit for a new house in Bend?
Under the City's FY 2026-27 fee schedule the building permit fee is $1,237.02 for the first $100,000 of valuation plus $7.14 per $1,000 above it, with valuation set by the state table, plus plan review and a 12% State of Oregon surcharge. A $400,000 valuation is $3,379.02 before plan review and surcharge by our arithmetic. Trade permits and system development charges are extra.
- How much are the plumbing and electrical permits for a new house in Bend?
The FY 2026-27 schedule charges $851.72 for new-dwelling plumbing with two baths ($493.10 for one, $1,060.59 for three), and $448.27 for electrical on a dwelling up to 1,000 sq ft with service, plus $77.43 for each additional 500 sq ft. Each carries the 12% state surcharge.
- Can I build my own house in Bend without a contractor license?
Oregon's ORS 701.010 exempts a person performing work on a property that person owns, but not work done in pursuit of an independent business with the intent of offering the structure for sale. A builder for hire needs a CCB license, a Residential General Contractor endorsement for a new home.
- How long does it take to build a permitted house in Bend?
In our file the usual Bend new-home permit finaled 220 days after issue, and 97.9% of new-home permits a year or more old finaled.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Albuquerque building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Building a casita in Albuquerque: the 750 sq ft limit, rear-yard rule, parking, free plans, and who builds them
- Do I need a permit to build a house in Albuquerque? GB-2 or homeowner, the plan set and the fee
- Arlington's 2,500-square-foot rule: when an addition or new house needs a Land Disturbing Activity and stormwater permit
- Do I need a permit to build a new home in Cary, NC? Review time, the three fee parts, the owner rule and the CO
- Do I need a permit to build a new house in Chicago? Yes: Standard Plan Review, an architect-filed application and the GC license limits
For one city
- Resolution No. 3482, Fiscal Year 2026-27 Fee Schedule (effective 1 July 2026) — City of Bend (accessed 2026-10-23)
- BLDG Residential Submittal Checklist (rev. 4/28/2026) — City of Bend Building Safety (accessed 2026-10-23)
- ePlans — City of Bend (2026-10-23)
- Online Permit Center — City of Bend (2026-10-23)
- ORS Chapter 701 Construction Contractors and Contracts (ORS 701.010) — Oregon Legislature (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Licensing (bond amounts) — Oregon CCB (2026-10-22)
- Oregon CCB License Search (2026-10-22)