Is an Engineer Stamp Required for My ADU Project in Oregon?

Oregon's municipalities — Portland, Eugene, Salem, Gresham — review structural drawings for accessory dwellings under the Oregon Residential Specialty Code, and the PE seal is the standard requirement. The seal must show the engineer's name, Oregon PE number, and date, and the engineer must be in responsible charge of the engineering. Detached ADUs, garage conversions, and in-law additions are treated the same at the structural level. Owner-builders don't escape the requirement: the building department asks for the seal regardless of who drafted the plans.

The engineer reviews the floor plan and elevations, designs the foundation for wet clay soils and the high water table, sizes beams, headers, and the lateral system, and checks Cascadia seismic, wind, and snow design per the Oregon Residential Specialty Code. Portland's seismic design category gets extra scrutiny. Garage conversions get extra attention because the existing slab was rarely designed as a dwelling foundation. Bring the site survey, the geotechnical report, and the architectural plans. Seismic design is the item most ADU plans miss.

Use this checklist before engaging an engineer for your ADU: • Engineer of record holds an active Oregon PE license, verifiable on the state roster • Dimensioned floor plan and elevations ready for structural review • Site survey showing setbacks, easements, and existing structures • Cascadia seismic design verified for the site's seismic design category • Foundation designed for wet clay soils and the high water table • Garage conversions: existing slab evaluated for dwelling loads • Engineer confirms they'll respond to plan-check corrections on sealed sheets • Seal shows name, Oregon PE number, and date on every sealed sheet