Portland Civic Lab
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Performance MeasureMeasure #100716952Value #104211868

PLANS REVIEWED

Percentage of commercial and residential building permits reviewed on time (meeting scheduled targets)

A complete source packet for this Performance Portland measure: current value, official scale, history, narrative notes, context, and links.

1

Start with value

Use the latest official value and current trend as the first read.

2

Check why it matters

Portland Permitting & Development promotes safety, livability and economic vitality through efficient and collaborative application of building and development codes.

3

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Continue to the chart, official notes, topic links, source URLs, and full history table.

History

Official values

This chart uses the official actual values cached from ClearImpact. The latest point is highlighted; the table below preserves every raw row.

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Latest

96%

FY 2024 - 25

First shown

76%

FY 2020 - 21

Change shown

20%

Within visible history

0%25%50%75%100%FY 2176%FY 22FY 23FY 24FY 2596%X-axis: reporting period. Y-axis: official actual value on the ClearImpact scale.

Full source history

Every cached ClearImpact row for this measure.

PeriodActualTargetTrend
FY 2024 - 2596%—1
FY 2023 - 2492%—1
FY 2022 - 2387%—1
FY 2021 - 2283%—1
FY 2020 - 2176%—0

Narrative Tabs

Official Performance Portland notes

Why Is This Important?

Portland Permitting & Development promotes safety, livability and economic vitality through efficient and collaborative application of building and development codes. The percentage of commercial and residential building permits reviewed within the scheduled end dates shows how efficient and timely building plans are being reviewed and approved. Timely and efficient building plan review in Portland is crucial for ensuring public safety by thoroughly checking designs against building codes before construction. This proactive approach promotes safety, livability and economic vitality through efficient and collaborative application of building and development codes. These permits include: Additions: These are permits that involve extensions or increases in the floor area, number of stories or height of a building or structure. Alterations: These are permits for any construction or renovation of an existing structure other than repairs or additions. New Construction: These are permits for the development of new structures.

What Do The Numbers Show?

The trend shows a steady increase in the percentage of plans reviewed on time. This indicates that bureaus are becoming more efficient in their review processes. This improvement likely comes from process improvements, using consistent review methods, and setting clear expectations. A focus on tracking key metrics, using internal dashboards, also helps monitor progress and ensure things stay on track.

How Did We Arrive at These Numbers?

Permitting data is collected in the City of Portland's software system that manages the entire permitting lifecycle, from application submission to final inspection. Both the applicant and the City play crucial roles in the time it takes to get a building permit. City staff (plan reviewers) have designated goals for each review round depending on the type of project (like an addition, remodel, or new building) and whether it's residential or a business. Each "review round" is a stage in the building permit process where City staff check submitted plans and documents. Reviewers look for completeness, code compliance, design details, and safety. After each round, the city will either approve the plans or request revisions. A permit may go through multiple review rounds before approval. This data shows how well City reviewers are meeting these goals for all review rounds for commercial and residential building permits. Our goal is to have the first review completed within the timeframes listed below. Timeframes can be impacted by the current workload and staffing. Review timeframes based on project types. Type of Work Commercial Projects Residential Projects Alterations 10 Days 7 Days Additions 20 Days 15 Days New Construction 20 Days 15 Days The first review may result in approval or a checksheet to address missing information or additional requirements.

Where Can I Find More Information?

The average and median number of business days review groups take by review round for the last 90 days is available on Permit Review Dashboard under the Commercial & Residential Review Snapshot tab. This dashboard is updated weekly . To check the status of your building permit, trade permit, or other residential and commercial permits, visit the Check permit status webpage. Project status reports are updated daily. For instructions on applying for a residential or commercial permit, visit the Apply for permits webpage. Not sure if you need a permit? Visit the Do you need a permit? webpage.

updated weeklyCheck permit statusApply for permits Do you need a permit?