Ridge Pointe

Building Permits Required in Tulsa

Permitting process helps ensure public safety

Building permits ensure safe construction inside and outside of floodplains.

The City of Tulsa’s permitting process is designed to ensure that all construction in Tulsa is safe. A permit is required for all new construction and, most of the time, you must obtain a permit for repairing or replacing existing features. Before you begin construction or add on to your existing building, find out which permits are required by contacting the Permit and Licensing Center.

In addition to regular building permits, special regulations apply to construction in floodways and the Regulatory Floodplain. No construction, including filling, is allowed in the mapped floodway without an engineering analysis that shows the project will not increase flood damage elsewhere. Any activity outside the floodplain but within a natural or man-made watercourse also requires a permit.

A floodplain watershed development permit must be obtained from the City of Tulsa before commencing construction, landfill, or excavation in the floodplain New buildings in the floodplain must be protected from flood damage, so our building code requires that new buildings be elevated at least one foot above the elevation of the City of Tulsa Regulatory Floodplain.

Homeowners planning substantial improvements should contact the Permit and Licensing Center for a residential building permit. Elevation or floodproofing may be required if you want to construct a substantial improvement (the cost of the improvement or add-on is 50 percent of the value of the existing building). Permits also are required for a repair if it’s more than just cleanup after a storm. If your property is substantially damaged (50 percent of the value of the building), federal regulations may require you to elevate or floodproof before you can rebuild.

To report illegal floodplain development or to verify that proper construction permits have been issued for a project, contact the Mayor’s Action Center. An inspector will investigate.

The Permit and Licensing Center is open Monday thru Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 111 S. Greenwood Ave. The phone number is 596-9456. The FAX number is 699-3500.

Tulsa On-Line: Access services and contact City departments via the Internet at: http://www.cityoftulsa.org.

(Reprinted from CITYLife, A Community Publication from the City of Tulsa, NOV 2006.)