Building permits in Washington, DC

Short answer: In Washington, permits are issued by District of Columbia Department of Buildings (DOB); of the 6 common projects we checked, 3 always need a permit, 0 do not, and 3 depend on the details.

Permitting authority: District of Columbia Department of Buildings (DOB). Covers the District of Columbia. Historic districts remove most exemptions. Work in public space (including many front yards and alleys) needs a separate DDOT public space permit.

Permit rules in Washington
Project	Answer	Verified
Deck	Permit required Yes. Porches and decks, including alterations to existing ones, need a permit.	2026-10-19
Fence	Permit required Yes for a new fence. Only in-kind repair of an existing fence is exempt; in-kind replacement of a fence under 7 ft wholly on your property c…	2026-10-19
Interior / bathroom remodel	Depends on your project Tiling, cabinets, countertops and similar finish work need no permit outside historic districts. Interior alterations and new plumbing fixtu…	2026-10-19
Roof replacement	Depends on your project In-kind roofing replacement needs no building permit unless you are in a historic district. Structural roof changes need a permit.	2026-10-19
Shed	Depends on your project Only one small garden shed is exempt: 50 sq ft or less, under 10 ft tall, accessory to a house, with no other exempt shed on the lot. Larger…	2026-10-19
Water heater replacement	Permit required Yes. New and replacement gas appliances and new electric appliances need permits; trade permits are pulled by DC-licensed contractors.	2026-10-19

Fee schedule: https://dob.dc.gov/page/get-permit

All District of Columbia cities · All cities · Permit guides

Not legal advice. Always confirm with your local building department. Rules change, and your parcel's zoning, HOA, historic district, floodplain or utility work can change the answer. We show the official source and the date we last checked it so you can verify for yourself.