Getting a permit in the District involves numerous steps. Depending on the project, you may be required to get approvals or services from agencies besides DOB.

DOB's Building Permit Fee Schedule provides information on the costs associated with permitting your project, so be sure to consult that as you are planning your project. You may also view DOB's Plan Review and Permitting Timelines to get a feel for how long the anticipated review time is for your plan review and permitting process from start to finish.

Pre-application
The development standards outlined in Title 12 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR) regulate the use of land, the height and size of buildings, the size of lots, provision of yards, parking requirements, and more. 

Before you submit your permit application

• Find out if development restrictions apply to your project. It is important to ensure that any work you intend to take complies with zoning regulations. Additional development restrictions are administered by other agencies, such as Historic Preservation, the National Capital Planning Commission, the US Commission of Fine Arts, or other preliminary reviewing organizations. For more information and a complete list of overlays, visit the DC Office of Zoning website.
• Learn if you need to get Office of the Surveyor documents to submit with your permit application. These may include plats, subdivisions, or street and alley closing forms. A building plat is a scaled drawing of a lot, showing lot lines and record dimensions. Plats are required for all exterior work and must show all existing structures drawn to scale. The plat must be certified by the DC Surveyor. You can obtain a plat here. Please note that plats are not required for jobs that only consist of interior work (e.g., bathroom remodeling). 
• Find out if you need the issuance of a new address. If you do, submit a completed application through our Kustomer portal. Schedule a Preliminary Design Review Meeting (PDRM) if you are submitting a large-scale project, such as the construction of a new residential or office building. 
• Set up other pre-application meetings with DC Water, DC Department of Transportation (DDOT). and the Department of Health (DOH). These meetings can help eliminate unforeseen obstacles during the review of permit applications.

Environmental Review Process
DC Public Law 8-36, the Environmental Policy Act of 1989, requires that all District government agencies consider the environmental impact of all proposed major actions before issuing any approvals for them.
Permit applicants are required to submit an Environmental Intake Form (EIF) with their application to determine if an Environmental Impact Screening (EIS) is required. If an Environmental Impact Screening is required, an interagency review team will look over the applicants' Environmental Impact Screening Form (EISF) and make a determination. This process takes approximately 30 days.

Preparing Your Permit Application
When preparing your permit application:

• Make sure all required information is provided and all applicable boxes are checked
• Include a valid address
• Collect and submit the required supporting documentation

Intake/Completeness Check
All applications are reviewed electronically once submitted through the Citizens Access portal.

Certificates of Occupancy
A Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) is a document that certifies that the use of a building complies with Zoning regulations and Building Codes.

A new C of O is required when new construction or alteration has occurred—or there have been changes in:

• Ownership
• Occupancy Load
• Use

You must get a Certificate of Occupancy before occupation and use of the building, and post the C of O for public view.

Please note that single-family homes, individual units in an apartment building, and individual suites in an office building do not require Certificates of Occupancy. Please view the Certificate of Occupancy process to get started.