Vancouver, WA building permit search: Online Permit Center and records

Which addresses this covers

The City of Vancouver Community Development Building Division permits property inside city limits. Unincorporated Clark County, Camas, Battle Ground and the other Clark County cities run their own permit offices. Vancouver, British Columbia is a different city with a different system.

How to look up the permits on a Vancouver address

1. Open the Online Permit Center and look for the property or the permit number on your paperwork.
2. For trade permits since 2023, you can also filter the City's Permit Data layer by the address field (PRIM_ADDR) and read each case's status.
3. Expect a remodel to show several permits: electrical, mechanical and plumbing work are permitted separately from the building permit.
4. If a permit is not there, or you need the plans, file a public records request (below).

What the statuses mean

The City's public file has three statuses:

The file has no final inspection date, so we show no time to final. Of the trade permits issued September 2024 to August 2025, 23.9% were Closed and 76.1% were still Open by our 19 October 2026 snapshot. Many trade permits stay open in the file long after the work is done, so an Open status alone does not mean the job failed; ask the contractor whether the final inspection was called in.

When the record is not online

The City's Public Records Request page says it "complies with the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56)" and that "Anyone may make a request for records online, mail, fax, in person or verbally". Requests go through its online records portal, to citypdr@cityofvancouver.us, or to 360-487-8480. "We do not charge for retrieval or inspection of public records"; black and white copies are $0.15 per side, and the City may ask for a deposit of up to 10 percent of the estimated cost (read 24 October 2026).

What our Vancouver pages add

Our Vancouver page shows what the City's trade-permit file says, September 2024 to August 2026:

Plumbing permits rose 20% between the two 12-month halves. The permit statistics page has the year, month and season breakdown, and browse permits lists the rows without owner names or street addresses. To check a contractor's registration, use How to check a contractor's license in Washington.

What this does not tell you

Building permits (new homes, remodels, additions, roofing) nearly vanish from the City's public file after 2024, so we count only electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits. The file names no contractor, carries no job value and does not say whether a permit is for a home or a business.