Bolthole Index

Wasco County, Oregon

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in The Dalles, Oregon

The Dalles, Oregon (Wasco County) adopts and applies its own zoning code inside city limits1, and the city's Community Development Department issues permits for land and urban development2. Septic permits come from North Central Public Health District, the state's local agent for Wasco County3. We could not confirm who issues residential building permits inside the city.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, The Dalles land use code applies inside city limits1
Planning office
City Community Development Department, 313 Court Street2
Building permit
Required statewide for homes; issuing office inside the city not confirmed4
Septic
North Central Public Health District, as DEQ's local agent3
Lot size (RL district)
5,000 sq ft minimum for a detached house5
Owner-builder
Statewide exemption from some room-size rules, with conditions6

Who to call

Planning & zoning

City of The Dalles Community Development Department

Zoning, land use ordinance questions and permits for land or urban development inside the city

313 Court Street The Dalles, OR 97058

Building permits

Wasco County Building Codes Services

County building permits, plan review and inspections; ask whether this office covers addresses inside The Dalles

541-506-2650

buildingcodes@wascocountyor.gov

2705 East 2nd St., The Dalles, OR 97058

Online permits →

Septic permits

North Central Public Health District

Septic site evaluations, permits, authorizations and inspections

(541)506-2603

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in The Dalles means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does The Dalles, Oregon have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The Dalles applies its own land use and development ordinance throughout its planning jurisdiction1, and the same title also covers the urbanizable area between city limits and the urban growth boundary under a joint agreement with Wasco County1.

In the RL Low Density Residential district, a detached single-family lot needs at least 5,000 square feet, and a duplex needs 2,500 square feet per dwelling unit5. Minimum setbacks in RL are 15 feet in front, 10 feet in back and 5 feet on an interior side7. Buildings in RL are capped at 32 feet tall, and buildings may cover at most 60% of the lot89.

These numbers are for RL only. We reviewed no other district, so confirm the zone of any parcel with the Community Development Department before you rely on them10.

Do you need a building permit in The Dalles, and who issues it?

Oregon requires building permits for construction under the statewide building code4, and a certificate of occupancy before anyone moves into a new dwelling11.

We could not confirm which office issues residential building permits and inspections for addresses inside The Dalles city limits. The city's Community Development Department issues permits for land or urban development2, and its page links to Wasco County Building Codes Services. Wasco County Building Codes Services is at 2705 East 2nd St., The Dalles, OR 9705812. Ask both offices who handles your address before you pay for plans.

How do septic permits work in The Dalles?

North Central Public Health District administers the onsite wastewater program in Wasco and Sherman Counties as the local agent for Oregon DEQ13. Installing, altering or repairing a septic system in Wasco County requires a permit14.

We could not confirm the city's own sewer connection rules, so ask Community Development whether a given lot must connect to sewer2. The district's phone is (541)506-260313.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in The Dalles?

We could not confirm The Dalles's own rules for RV occupancy, temporary camping or tiny homes; the city code sections were not reviewed. Oregon law limits when a local government may prohibit living in an RV, but it does not give a general right to live in one on any parcel15. Accessory dwelling units are allowed in the RL district, subject to the city's separate accessory development standards16. Manufactured homes on individual RL lots must meet the city's manufactured dwelling article and design standards17. Call Community Development for RV and tiny-home answers2.

Building a home in The Dalles: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district and its setbacks with the City of The Dalles Community Development Department2.
  2. Ask the city and Wasco County Building Codes Services which office issues your building permit12.
  3. If you are an owner-builder, check the statewide owner-builder exemption conditions6.
  4. Confirm sewer or septic with North Central Public Health District13.
  5. Get a certificate of occupancy before moving in11.

What stays with Wasco County, and what to check before you buy in The Dalles

Land outside The Dalles city limits falls under Wasco County's own zoning and permits; see the Wasco County page for unincorporated land18. Septic permits for Wasco County come from North Central Public Health District whether the lot is inside the city or not13.

Check whether the lot is in a floodplain; the city keeps a floodplain information hub2. Wasco County's typical home value is $407,15019 and its effective property tax rate is 0.8%20.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm who issues residential building permits and inspections inside The Dalles city limits; call the city's Community Development Department and Wasco County Building Codes Services before you buy212.
  • The Dalles zoning numbers here come from the RL Low Density Residential district only; other districts were not reviewed10.
  • Driveways onto a state highway need a state permit, separate from any city or county approval21.

Sources

  1. The Dalles Code Chapter 10.1 General Provisions (Land Use and Development Ordinance) (The Dalles), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of The Dalles Community Development Department (thedalles.gov)
  3. Septic Systems — North Central Public Health, quoted and re-checked
  4. About Oregon residential building permits, quoted and re-checked
  5. The Dalles Code Article 5.010 RL Low Density Residential District (The Dalles), quoted and re-checked
  6. 2023 Oregon Residential Specialty Code — Chapter 1, quoted and re-checked
  7. The Dalles Code Article 5.010 RL Low Density Residential District (The Dalles), quoted and re-checked
  8. The Dalles Code Article 5.010 RL Low Density Residential District (The Dalles), quoted and re-checked
  9. The Dalles Code Article 5.010 RL Low Density Residential District (The Dalles), quoted and re-checked
  10. The Dalles Code Article 5.010 RL Low Density Residential District (The Dalles), quoted and re-checked
  11. 2023 Oregon Residential Specialty Code — Chapter 1, quoted and re-checked
  12. Wasco County Building Codes Services (wascocountyor.gov)
  13. North Central Public Health District (ncphd.org)
  14. Septic Systems — North Central Public Health, quoted and re-checked
  15. Oregon Revised Statutes, ORS 197.493, quoted and re-checked
  16. The Dalles Code Article 5.010 RL Low Density Residential District (The Dalles), quoted and re-checked
  17. The Dalles Code Article 5.010 RL Low Density Residential District (The Dalles), quoted and re-checked
  18. Zoning & Permits, quoted and re-checked
  19. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Access Management (Oregon statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 14, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for The Dalles

The Dalles’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside The Dalles city limits

    • Title 10 also applies to the urbanizable area between city limits and the UGB per the city/Wasco County joint management agreement
    • Title effective June 11, 1998; amendments effective 30 days after adoption
    “this title shall be effective throughout the city's planning jurisdiction.”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Zone districts in Chapter 10.5 of The Dalles code; only the RL district was opened

    • Only RL Low Density Residential article reviewed; other districts not opened
    “this district implements the rl - low density residential comprehensive plan designation.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    RL Low Density Residential district inside The Dalles city

    • Attached row house 3,200 sq. ft. minimum with density transfer
    • Minimum density 3 units per net acre; maximum 8.712 units per gross acre

    single-family detached lot size: >= 5000 sq ft · duplex lot area per dwelling unit: >= 2500 sq ft · lot width: >= 50 ft (duplex 25 ft per dwelling) · lot depth (average): >= 65 ft

    “standard lot size single-family detached 5,000 sq. ft. minimum duplex 2,500 sq. ft. per dwelling unit”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    RL Low Density Residential district inside The Dalles city

    • Zero lot line option: 8 ft minimum on one side with zero setback opposite
    • Corner lot street side yard 10 ft minimum
    • Garage/carport entrances facing streets 20 ft minimum

    front yard: >= 15 ft · rear yard: >= 10 ft · interior side yard: >= 5 ft · exterior side yard: >= 8 ft (20 ft for garage entrance)

    “setback front yard 15 ft. rear yard 10 ft. side yard (interior) 5 ft. minimum side yard (exterior) 8 ft., except 20 ft. for garage entrance”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    RL Low Density Residential district inside The Dalles city

    maximum lot coverage: <= 60 % of lot area

    “building height 32 ft. maximum lot coverage 60% of lot area maximum”
  • Building heightSpecified

    RL Low Density Residential district inside The Dalles city

    maximum building height: <= 32 ft

    “building height 32 ft. maximum lot coverage 60% of lot area maximum”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured dwellings on individual lots in RL district inside The Dalles city

    • Must meet Article 6.120 manufactured dwellings (not reviewed) and RL design standards (6 or more design features)
    “manufactured dwellings located on individual lots are subject to all of the provisions of article 6.120: manufactured dwellings.”
  • Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

    Accessory dwelling units in RL Low Density Residential district inside The Dalles city

    • Subject to Article 6.030 accessory development, whose standards were not reviewed
    “accessory dwelling units, subject to the provisions of article 6.030: accessory development.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Driveway locations in RL district inside The Dalles city

    • Governed by Article 6.050 access management, not reviewed
    “driveway locations see article 6.050: access management minimum density 3 units per net acre*”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask The Dalles or Wasco County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits inside The Dalles city
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside The Dalles city
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside The Dalles city
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside The Dalles city
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside The Dalles city
16 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that The Dalles publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Wasco County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Wasco County: county rules, score and offices