New Homeowner Path for Online Building Applications

Beginning January 6, 2025, the “OWNER” licenses (OWNER-PLUMB, OWNER-ELEC, OWNER-STR/MECH), that were configured for homeowners to use to apply online on Citizen Access for building permits, will be retired and no longer available for homeowners to use.  They will be replaced with a new “Homeowner Path” for the online Building application process where the user must certify that they are the homeowner by entering contact information and uploading a Homeowner Acknowledgement Form for every online application.  The new Homeowner Path is available in our Staging environment for you to preview.  This new process should be more user-friendly and streamlined for homeowners!  More important notes:

• All participating OSM jurisdictions are required to allow homeowners to apply online using the new homeowner path.
• Homeowners will only be able to apply online for the following residential permit types.  Commercial property owners will need to apply over the counter since this new online application process only applies to residential homeowners.
  Note: These are only available to homeowners if your jurisdiction already offers them online.
  • Residential – 1 & 2 Family Dwelling
  • Residential – Electrical
  • Residential – Mechanical
  • Residential – Plumbing
  • Residential – Structural
  • Residential – Manufactured Dwelling Placement
  • Residential – Demo

 

• Homeowner applications will always be submitted with a status of App Submitted; they will never auto-issue, even when there is no plan review.
• Fees will be assessed but not invoiced.
• There will be no changes to the online building application process for licensed professionals.
• This does not apply to any other module; it only applies to the Building module.
• Homeowners will not be required to enter a licensed professional on their online account or on the permit application.
• There is a newly revised Homeowner Acknowledgement Form that was created as a joint effort between the Building Codes Division and Construction Contractors Board.  It can be found here: https://www.oregon.gov/BCD/epermitting/Documents/aca/homeowner-acknowledgement.pdf.
  
  

Please prep for this change by:

• Removing any published documentation for the current owner application process that uses the OWNER licenses by January 6, 2025.
• Consider replacing the current CCB Owner Affidavit Form with the new Homeowner Acknowledgement Form.
  
  

Homeowner User Experience:
These are the high level steps a homeowner will take to submit an online Building application.
New training documentation for homeowners can be found here: https://www.oregon.gov/bcd/epermitting/howto/homeowners/Pages/index.aspx

1. Create online registration on Citizen Access without adding a licensed professional.
2. Click Apply > search for their address.
3. The homeowner will only see residential permit types to apply for.

4. Once the permit type is selected, the homeowner will have a new screen where they will certify that they are the homeowner by 1) adding their contact information; and 2) uploading a copy of the Homeowner Acknowledgement Form.

• The homeowner will not be required to associate a licensed professional to the online application.
• The remainder of the screens are identical to the current application process except that payment is not required.
• The homeowner will receive a confirmation email that their online application was submitted along with a direct URL to the record on Citizen Access where they can track and manage their application.

Jurisdiction User Experience:

1. Jurisdictions will receive an alert that an application was submitted through the Alerts page or by email (if the jurisdiction is configured to receive emailed alerts).
2. Homeowner online applications will have the following traits:
   ​   a. The Record Status = App Submitted.

b. Fees are assessed but not invoiced.

c. A Notice Condition stating that the application was initiated through ACA as a homeowner.

d. Owner contact information located under Contacts.  The homeowner is required to enter their Phone and Email.
​
Note: The contact information entered by the homeowner will NOT overwrite the Property Owner information on this record nor will it overwrite the jurisdiction reference Owner.

e. Homeowner Acknowledgement Form is available under Documents.

f. The Owner (Property) licensed professional will automatically be added via scripting to help align online applications with applications that are entered from the back office product.

• The jurisdiction now has the opportunity to review the online application and move it through the permitting lifecycle like normal.
• Aside from the above, homeowner applications will display and function the same as any other record or online application.

Changes to Citizen Access Wrapper:
A new main navigation button will be added with information that is specific for homeowners: