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Building & Permitting Services
Welcome to Building and Permitting Services, a division of Community Development.
The City of Ridgefield is committed to providing a modern and efficient process for receiving, reviewing, and issuing building, land use, and engineering permits.
Apply - Permit & Development Portal
NEW ELECTRONIC COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY INSPECTION AND SIGNOFF PROCEDURE:
The City of Ridgefield is excited to announce that we have now implemented an electronic Certificate of Occupancy inspection and approval process for Commercial Permits. These approvals will be electronically recorded within the online permit verses physically obtained on a signature card.
View the 'Schedule an Inspection' tab below for more information.
Effective April 1, 2025: To meet Ridgefield City Council’s 100 percent cost recovery policy, applicants will be billed for the cost of any third-party plan review required for permit applications submitted April 1 or later. This change will not impact permit review timelines.
Getting Started with Online Permitting
View for clear, printable instructions (PDF).
Step 1: Sign up for a portal account on the City of Ridgefield Permit and Development Portal (you will receive an email confirmation with your access code)
- After logging in, go to
My Account
from the dropdown next to your name to manage your email (PDF) and notification preferences.
Step 2: Apply for your permit.
Step 3: Follow the process, pay and issue your permits online when ready.
Step 4: Schedule inspections (PDF).
During the permit process, projects are Reviewed for Compliance with:
Inspection request deadline is 11:59 PM the day prior to the requested inspection date.
To schedule an inspection, please request inspections through the Permit and Development Portal. View a step by step guide (PDF) of how to schedule an inspection.
View a general guideline of required building inspections (PDF).
- All engineering permit inspection requests must be received no later than two business days before the inspection(s) requested. Stormwater and water inspection requests received after 4 PM on non-holiday Thursdays will be treated as if they were received the following Monday business day.
- Engineering permits approved after January 1, 2025, re-inspection fees will be assessed on the third failed inspection for all required inspection items or for any inspections that must occur outside of City business hours per the current Master Fee Schedule.
NEW ELECTRONIC COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY INSPECTION AND SIGNOFF PROCEDURE:
The Commercial Occupancy Checklist signature card is being replaced with a Commercial Occupancy Checklist Inspection Contact List which provides specific inspection contact information and guidance for the applicant on the new process. This Contact List will be provided with the permit at the time of issuance.
The applicant will still need to schedule and coordinate inspections specifically with the external agencies i.e., Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue, Clark Regional Wastewater District and Clark County Health District directly. Once approved, each agency will then record their specific approvals within the online permit.
Advantages of this new process:
- No longer will the applicant need to track the paper copy of the signature card during the routing process.
- Provides the ability, at any time, for the applicant and other authorized users to view the status of Occupancy Inspections via the online permit portal “Inspections” tab within the permit and all Approved inspections from the external agencies as they occur.
Note: Portal Access Number is required to schedule inspections electronically. Please obtain the Portal Access Number from the permit applicant.
The City of Ridgefield provides a range of municipal services to the community including public safety, planning and zoning regulation, building inspection and regulation, water, wastewater, and stormwater management services, street maintenance, and parks and recreational activities.
The Master Fees and Charges document consolidates all City of Ridgefield fees and charges, adopted by Council resolutions, for the various services that the City provides.
The information contained in this site is for general information only. Public information documents should not be used as substitutes for codes and regulations. Details of your project, including various development and permit fees, should be reviewed for specific compliance and conformity with codes and ordinances with staff.