Permit guides › Washington, D.C. › DC-TR-34

Building Permit — New Building (ground-up construction): Washington, D.C. restaurant guide

Department of Buildings (DOB)

What it is

The DOB permit for a brand-new building, priced by volume rather than construction cost, with extra agency reviews that an interior alteration never sees (DC Water connections, DDOT public space, DOEE soil/stormwater, HPO or Commission of Fine Arts, WMATA near Metro).

When a restaurant needs it

Ground-up construction or a new addition. Interior build-outs use the Alteration & Repair permit instead (DC-CR-01).

How to apply

File the commercial application on Citizen Access as 'New Building', upload the full sealed set plus the surveyor's plat to ProjectDox, and clear each discipline and outside agency; the WSAC from DC Water must be in hand before issuance.

Documents you’ll need

Fee
New construction: $0.03 per cubic foot of construction plus Green Building Fee of $0.002 per square foot, plus 10% enhancement fee; filing deposit 50% of the assessed fee (max $20,000)
Processing time
Varies; DOB's 30-business-day review target applies per cycle and multi-agency routing adds months
Renewal
Keep active until final inspection and C of O
Who files
Filed by the owner or expediter; drawings sealed by DC-licensed design professionals.

Good to know

New buildings also need a foundation-to-grade or sheeting-and-shoring review by DC Water and a wall check before the C of O.

Official source

DOB: how to get a permit (permit types, new building requirements) · DOB fee schedule (new construction)

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Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Guidance only, not legal advice.