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Your Jefferson County, OR Building Permit, Filed for You

You bring the plans. We research what your county or city requires, file the application and respond to the county or city.

Building permit packages from $750.

Start my permitRequest a quoteCall (541) 316-0371
Hand unrolling a residential site plan on a wooden desk

Lots outside city limits in Jefferson County follow Jefferson County code. Lots inside Madras or Culver follow each city's own zoning and development code. For lots outside city limits, approval is the county's decision. Inside city limits, the city decides. Access from a state highway needs approval from the Oregon Department of Transportation (JCZO 17.401).

3 things that hold up permits in Jefferson County

County fire standards for new construction

The county's own fire safety standards apply to new construction in unincorporated Jefferson County. Among other things, they cover roofing, a fuel break and emergency access (JCZO 17.426).

Driveway connection permit before building the driveway

A driveway connection permit is required before building any new driveway onto a county or local access road (JCZO 17.401.5).

Setbacks change with the zone

Minimum setbacks: farm and range zones (EFU A-1, EFU A-2, Range Land) 30 ft front, side and rear; Rural Residential 30 ft front, 15 ft side and 15 ft rear (JCZO 17.301.10, 17.304).

Dirt driveway leaving a gravel road into a sagebrush lot, with snow-capped Mount Jefferson in the distance.

How it works

  1. We start with an intake review to confirm your project fits our services. If it needs a planning application, HOA architectural review, or anything else outside our services, we flag it early.
  2. We research what your county or city requires, prepare the application from your plans and submit it electronically. Every building permit package starts with a SiteFacts Report on your lot.
  3. We track it through review. If the county or city asks for something else, we respond and resubmit.
Start my permit

We file in unincorporated Jefferson County and inside Madras and Culver; each city's own zoning and development code applies; we confirm the requirements for your lot before we file.

"He was great with communication and got our permits submitted, keeping an eye on where we were at through the whole process."
Heather, five-star Google review

Builders who work with us: Simplicity Homes, HiLine Homes and JF Homes.

Couple reviewing papers on a high desert lot in Central Oregon.

Questions about Jefferson County permits

Does wildfire hardening (R327) apply to my new home?
Under ORS 455.433 (Senate Bill 83, 2025), R327 applies only where the local government has adopted it. As of October 16, 2026, Jefferson County is not on the Oregon Building Codes Division's list of local governments that have adopted it, so confirm with the county building department.
What applies on a Crooked River Ranch lot?
Those lots are in unincorporated Jefferson County, so county code applies. JCZO 17.318 allows one single-family dwelling or manufactured home in the Crooked River Ranch Residential Zone, plus one accessory dwelling unit under JCZO 17.434 with its own size and siting limits. Your lot may sit in a different zone.
Can I build a shop before the house?
A non-habitable accessory structure is allowed only after the primary use is established, except where a zone specifically allows one without it (JCZO 17.434). Rural Residential zones permit shops outright when accessory and subordinate to an existing residence on the same parcel (JCZO 17.304.A.8). Confirm with the county.
Do you file minor permits, and what don't you file?
Minor permits for a driveway, fence, roofing, erosion control and similar work are quoted. Ask us. We don't do rezoning, partitions, subdivisions or conditional use applications, and we don't provide engineering or surveying.
Who approves a dwelling on farm or range land?
In the EFU A-1, EFU A-2 and RL zones, the Planning Director approves dwellings under administrative review, and only through listed dwelling types (JCZO 17.301.6). That is a county planning decision, not a building permit. If your project needs a planning application, we flag it early.
Does a rim near my lot change the setback?
Near a rim, the setback is one third of the rim's height or 30 ft, whichever is less, from the edge (JCZO 17.412.1 to 17.412.3). The code applies only to rims above a height and slope threshold; confirm with the county.

Hand off the permit work.

Tell us what you need. A real person responds within 24 business hours.

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 PM