Lighting cut sheets come first
Planning wants fixture cut sheets at application for every structure that will ever have exterior lighting (Planning page).
You bring the plans; we file and respond to Crook County. A real person calls you within 24 business hours.
Building permit package submittals: from $750. Includes a SiteFacts Report. The site plan is not included.
Submitted within 5 business days of complete information, including your SiteFacts Report. Every correction round is at no added fee.
In unincorporated Crook County, building permits for a new home come from the Crook County Building Department, which also issues them inside Prineville. Outside city limits, Planning approval comes first, and where a lot needs septic, a soil evaluation comes before that. Confirm with Crook County.
| Permit | Office | Apply |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit, new home | Building Department | Oregon ePermitting |
| Residential site plan review (land use), except exclusive farm use and F1 zones | Planning | |
| Septic: site evaluation, installation | Onsite program | |
| Road approach (driveway connection) onto a county or public road | Planning | Road approach application |
| City or community | Building permits issued by | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Prineville (the county's only incorporated city) | Crook County Building Department. The City of Prineville does planning, zoning and system development charges. | Prineville permit guide |
| Powell Butte and other rural communities (not cities) | Crook County Building Department. Crook County Planning does planning. | Oregon BCD directory |
Dig test holes first (evaluation guide).
The county assigns or verifies the address (Development Checklist).
Submit it with planning or before (application).
Onsite won't sign the septic application's land use statement until Planning approves (construction guide).
It needs the land use approval copy (Residential Applications).
Septic must be approved before the final building inspection (checklist). The road approach final comes before the certificate of occupancy (application).
Without it, the certificate of occupancy waits (form).
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Structural plan review | 75% of the structural permit fee |
| State surcharge | 12% on building permit fees |
| Road approach, new residential | $330.00, plus a code compliance fee |
Fees change. Confirm current amounts with Crook County before you budget.
Planning wants fixture cut sheets at application for every structure that will ever have exterior lighting (Planning page).
Where a lot needs septic, the county accepts no evaluation application until three or more test holes are dug, and says to wait for thaw (evaluation guide).
Planning uses the approved site map throughout. Unapproved changes cause delays and could add fees (Planning page).
Confirm with Planning: (541) 447-3211.
Every structure needs planning approval, the county's accessory structure form says. In our experience, on a recent Crook County project a shop with living quarters couldn't go on vacant land in the county's R-5 zone as an accessory building, because accessory use needs an existing house.
Before you buy in Crook County, order a SiteFacts Report on the lot's zoning, soils, utilities and environmental findings, with every claim sourced.
In our experience, septic capacity can cap a whole property. On one Crook County lot, the septic approval capped total bedrooms at 4 across all structures, so another building meant a new evaluation or shared system.
In our experience, covenants can set the real limits. One Crook County subdivision's CC&Rs required 50, 25 and 50 foot setbacks, against 20, 20 and 25 in the county zone.
Some Crook County communities, IronHorse in Prineville among them, have a design review committee. Our Central Oregon HOA design review guide explains them. Confirm with your HOA.
We file building permits in Crook County, unincorporated and inside Prineville. We do not file major land use applications, such as non-farm dwellings, conditional use or partitions.
Basic site plans for unincorporated lots: from $500. The county's residential site plan review is a separate land use step with its own fee: $1,124.00 plus a code compliance fee. Our basic site plan is the drawing.
Before we file in Crook County, plan for:
"I am so grateful Don was available to assist us with the permitting process for our new home and shop."
Builders who work with us: Simplicity Homes, HiLine Homes and JF Homes.
Permit fees are paid to the county or city.
Sand and Sage SolutionsTerrebonne, OR(541) 316-0371Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PMLast reviewed: October 2026
Fees and rules change. Confirm with Crook County Community Development, (541) 447-3211.