Electrical Permit in Beaverton, OR
Permit Summary
Who Can Do the Electrical Work?
Homeowner Eligibility Rules
Under ORS 479.540, a person may perform electrical work without an electrical license on residential or farm property owned by the person or an immediate family member when the property is not intended for sale, exchange, lease or rent; the work remains subject to applicable permit and code requirements. For a residence intended for rent, lease, sale or exchange, the owner exemption is limited to maintenance of existing installations and does not cover new installations or substantial alterations. Residential property-owner permit applicants who are not Construction Contractors Board licensed must sign the state-required homeowner construction-responsibility statement.
Contractor Rules
Except where a statutory exemption applies, a business making electrical installations must hold the applicable Oregon electrical contractor license and the work must be performed or supervised by appropriately licensed persons. For a contractor permit, the contractor's general supervising electrician of record must sign as required before inspection, and the contractor or supervisor must promptly request inspection. A homeowner who hires electrical subcontractors must use properly licensed contractors.
Permit & Plan Review
Electrical Work Covered
Beaverton's Electrical Trade Permit covers non-complex electrical work, including services and feeders, branch circuits, limited-energy work, utility reconnects, re-grounding, signs, pumps, temporary services and smaller solar photovoltaic systems. Complex structures use the Electrical Permit path. Oregon requires permits for nonexempt installation or alteration of permanent wiring or electrical devices and for many low-voltage systems.
Plan Review Rules
Beaverton classifies work meeting OAR 918-311-0040 as Electrical Permit (1E) work requiring plan review. Current triggers include certain service or feeder fault-current conditions beginning at 400 amps; a 150 kVA or larger separately derived system; a new motor load of 100 horsepower or more; fire pumps; emergency systems; services or feeders rated 600 amps or more; supply voltage over 600 volts nominal; renewable-energy systems over 25 kVA; buildings over three stories; six or more residential units in one structure; Assembly, Educational, I-2 or I-3 occupancies; specified special occupancies such as hazardous locations and patient-care areas; and new, added or altered recreational vehicle parks. Other electrical work generally uses the 1ET trade path.
Quick / No-Plan Permit Rules
Beaverton's no-plan-review path is the Electrical Trade Permit (1ET), which applies to electrical work that is not a complex structure under the City's current schedule. Applications are submitted online through BEPS. Work meeting the Electrical Permit (1E) complex-structure criteria is not eligible for this path and requires plan review. The City does not separately brand 1ET as an expedited permit program.
Service, Panel & Utility Requirements
Service / Panel Rules
Installation, alteration or relocation of a service or feeder is permit work and Beaverton's current fee schedule prices it by ampacity. A service or feeder beginning at 400 amps enters complex-plan-review status when the listed available-fault-current threshold is exceeded, and services or feeders rated 600 amps or more are complex. For detached one- and two-family dwellings, conversion from a fuse box to circuit breakers requires a permit.
Service Reconnect Rules
Beaverton's current Electrical Trade schedule includes a $125.66 utility-reconnect fee item. Under ORS 479.570, an electric utility generally may not energize an electrical installation until an authorized inspector approves it, subject to statutory exceptions such as a qualifying written request by a licensed supervising electrician with the appropriate permit. Installations energized under specified exceptions still require final inspection where the statute requires it.
Low-Voltage Rules
Oregon requires permits for installation or alteration of many low-voltage systems, including security alarms, stereo systems and computer systems, and Beaverton's current Electrical Trade schedule includes limited-energy/low-voltage fees. For detached one- and two-family dwellings, state guidance lists no-permit pathways for low-voltage garage-door-opener wiring, properly listed phone wiring, properly listed CATV coaxial cable and replacement of an existing doorbell. ORS 479.540 also exempts cable-television installations from electrical permit and licensing requirements.
Utility Coordination Rules
Utility coordination is needed when work affects service energization or reconnects. Oregon law generally bars a person selling electricity from energizing an electrical installation before inspector approval, subject to specified exceptions. Oregon's permitting workflow also provides for notifying the serving utility after a reconnect inspection is approved.
Inspections & Permit Life
Electrical Inspection Stages
Inspection stages depend on project scope. Oregon's standard electrical inspection categories include temporary power, grounding/bonding, UFER ground, underground and underslab electrical, reconnect, electrical service, feeder, branch circuits, rough electrical, limited energy, renewable energy and final electrical. Beaverton's BEPS portal is used to request inspections.
Permit Expiration / Inspection Interval
For detached one- and two-family residential permits, Oregon Building Codes Division guidance states that a permit expires if work is not started within 180 days of issuance or, after work begins, if work is suspended or abandoned for 180 days or more. A permit holder who cannot continue within that period must request an extension from the local building official.
What You Need Before Applying
Requirements
Apply through the Beaverton Electronic Permitting System (BEPS) before starting nonexempt electrical work. Use the Electrical Trade Permit path for non-complex work and the Electrical Permit path for complex structures requiring plan review. Electrical installations must comply with the 2026 Oregon Electrical Specialty Code, effective October 1, 2026. The permit applicant must be a qualifying property owner or properly licensed electrical contractor as applicable, and required inspections must be requested.
Exemptions
For detached one- and two-family dwellings, Oregon Building Codes Division guidance lists several no-permit repair or maintenance activities, including like-for-like replacement of broken or damaged outlets, light fixtures and switches; replacement of approved fuses and defective breakers; replacement of bulbs or fluorescent tubes; replacement of an existing garbage disposal, dishwasher or similar appliance of 30 amps or less; low-voltage garage-door-opener wiring; properly listed phone or CATV wiring; and replacement of an existing doorbell. Oregon law also contains specific permit and licensing exemptions for certain activities. Exempt work remains subject to applicable safety requirements.
Required Documents
Provide the BEPS application information describing the job site, applicant and electrical scope. Residential property-owner applicants who are not licensed with the Construction Contractors Board must sign the Property Owner Statement Regarding Construction Responsibilities. For complex projects requiring electrical plan review, the plans must include items such as installation address and owner information, preparer identification and signature, grounding details, feeder and one-line diagrams, panel or load-center information, occupancy, load calculations, fixture schedule and layout, and available fault current.