| Permits
Whether you're modifying a structure, putting up a fence or building a house, you're responsible for getting the right permits before you start work. Select the links below to learn more.
'Skip the Trip' to DCRA
The new Virtual Permit Center offers a popular District online service, DCRA’s “Postcard Permit” for home improvements. The Center is located at a site that is a Mecca for home improvement professionals and do-it-yourselfers—the District’s The Home Depot store at 901 Rhode Island Avenue, NE. The Home Depot is highly Metro-accessible, right next to the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station on the Red Line.
For the first time, District residents and licensed contractors planning home improvement projects can get both the materials they need, and the required permits, all in one trip. Permit applicants can also take advantage of Home Depot’s extended, seven-day-a-week service hours: 6 am -10 pm Monday-Saturday and 8 am - 7 pm Sunday.
Or select the buttons below to obtain your permit now!

Roofing Notice
Inspections Notice
What is the Status of My Application?
Do I Need A Building Permit?
Read Applicable Laws and Regulations
Tower Crane Permit Information
Raze Permit Information
Read Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Building or Renovating in Chinatown? You Need a Design Special Review.
How Do I Apply For A Building Permit?
Can I Apply For A Building Permit Online?
How Much Will It Cost?
How Long Does It Take to Get A Permit?
Do I Need An Inspection?
If you need an inspection of completed work you did under structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fire protection, elevator, or boiler permits, or you need a zoning inspection, please call (202) 442-9557.
New Federal Law Regarding Lead Safety
Beginning December 22, 2008, anyone paid to renovate residential housing or child-occupied facilities (such as daycare centers) built before 1978 must provide a new EPA pamphlet, entitled Renovate Right, to the owners and occupants. Both DCRA and the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) have already begun making the Renovate Right brochures available to the public.
If you are a contractor, feel free to download the new EPA pamphlets below in English and Spanish. DCRA is also providing sample renovation checklists and pre-renovation confirmation forms.
The brochure requirement begins the national implementation of a sweeping set of EPA regulations called the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, otherwise known as RRP. The rule establishes requirements for training and certifying individual renovators and renovation firms, to ensure that the work they do in properties that may contain lead paint is done safely, without generating lead hazards. The rule also establishes cleanup requirements for those whose work disturbs paint in these properties. The use of lead-based paint was not restricted nationally until 1978, and the bulk of the District’s housing was built before lead paint was banned.
 * This document is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF). A PDF reader is required for viewing. Download a PDF Reader or Learn More About PDFs.
|