Permit Prep / Washington / Clark County
Verified jurisdiction — rules read from the department's own published sources
Clark County ProjectDox Drawing File Naming & Plan Splitting
Clark County Community Development publishes filename rules for plans uploaded to ProjectDox (Clark County LMS). Permit Prep splits your combined plan set into one PDF per drawing sheet and names each file in that pattern, in your browser.
Unincorporated Clark County, not Vancouver
Clark County Community Development reviews permits for unincorporated Clark County. Vancouver, Camas, Battle Ground and the other cities inside the county run their own permit systems, so confirm which authority is reviewing your project before you apply this naming convention.
Single-page PDFs are a hard requirement here
Clark County rejects multi-page plan files outright — every plan sheet must arrive as its own single-page PDF, and plan files may not be zipped for upload. Supporting documents work the opposite way: calculations, reports and narratives stay multi-page in the Documents folder and are named for what they are, with no leading order number.
The leading order number comes from your index, not the page order
Filenames start with a numeric order value matching the order listed on the title sheet, cover sheet or table of contents. To slot a page in between 001 and 002, name it 001.1 and leave the existing numbers alone. Permit Prep numbers sheets in page order, which is usually but not always the same as the index order — check the leading numbers before you export.
Clark County's character list is stricter than most
Dashes are prohibited here, which trips up teams used to other ProjectDox jurisdictions. Do not use - _ & % ? / # * $ ! @ ^ + = { in file names, and keep names to 40 characters or less (the county's own tip, with abbreviations acceptable). Plan sheets must be landscape, 11"x17" to 24"x36", smart/vector PDFs that are text searchable with layers and saved calibration — scanned raster plans from design professionals are not accepted.
Naming pattern
Template
{order} {sheetNumber} {sheetTitle}
Example
003 A101 Reference site plan.pdf
Correct Clark County filename examples
| Designer-prepared sheet | 003 A101 Reference site plan.pdf |
|---|---|
| No designer, index or cover sheet | 001 Site plan.pdf |
| Page inserted between 001 and 002 | 001.1 Revised site plan.pdf |
| Supporting document (Documents folder) | Structural calculations.pdf |
- All plan files must be uploaded as single-page PDFs. Multi-page plan files are rejected.
- Every plan filename starts with a numeric order value so the sheets display in the right order — the order listed on the title sheet, cover sheet or table of contents.
- Plans prepared by a designer or design professional: order number, sheet number, then sheet name / brief description, e.g. "003 A101 Reference site plan".
- Plans without a designer, index or cover sheet: order number then a brief description of the page, e.g. "001 Site plan".
- Do not include dashes or these special characters in the file name: - _ & % ? / # * $ ! @ ^ + = { [
- The county's tip: keep file names to 40 characters or less — abbreviations are acceptable.
- To insert a page between two existing pages, start the name with a decimal order value, e.g. 001.1 between 001 and 002.
- Plan sheets must be uploaded in landscape orientation; incorrect orientation is rejected.
- Supporting documents — calculations, reports, narratives — stay multi-page in the Documents folder and are named by what they are, with no leading order number.
Submission requirement summary
Requirements last verified: 2026-09-07. Blank rows mean the published source we read does not state that rule — it does not mean anything goes.
| Submission platform | ProjectDox (Clark County LMS) |
|---|---|
| One PDF per sheet or combined set | One single-page PDF per plan sheet — multi-page plan files are rejected |
| File naming format | {order} {sheetNumber} {sheetTitle} — e.g. 003 A101 Reference site plan.pdf |
| Maximum filename length | 40 characters or less (county tip, abbreviations acceptable) |
| Spaces in filenames | Not specified in the verified source |
| Prohibited characters | Do not use - _ & % ? / # * $ ! @ ^ + = { [ |
| Sheet number requirements | Numeric order value first, matching the title sheet, cover sheet or table of contents, then the sheet number and sheet name. Insert a page with a decimal order value, e.g. 001.1. |
| Drawing orientation | Landscape only — incorrect orientation is rejected |
| Page size | 11"x17" minimum to 24"x36" maximum |
| PDF security | Not specified in the verified source |
| Color / grayscale | Not specified in the verified source |
| Other published requirements | Smart/vector PDFs, text searchable, with layers and saved calibration. Supporting documents stay multi-page in the Documents folder with no leading order number. |
How PDFOnCall Permit Prep helps
- Splits your combined plan set into one PDF per drawing sheet, in your browser — the format Clark County Community Development asks for.
- Applies the pattern {order} {sheetNumber} {sheetTitle} to every sheet, so filenames are consistent across the whole set.
- Reads the sheet number and title from each title block and flags anything it is unsure about for you to correct before export.
- Warns on filenames that break the length or character rules published above, instead of letting the upload fail at the portal.
How to name plan files for Clark County ProjectDox
- Put your sheets in the order listed on the title sheet, cover sheet or table of contents — the leading number follows that index order.
- Split the set so every plan sheet is its own single-page PDF. Clark County rejects multi-page plan files, and plan files may not be zipped.
- Start each filename with the order number, then the sheet number when your set has one, then the sheet name or a brief description: 003 A101 Reference site plan.pdf. Without a designer's index, order number plus description is enough: 001 Site plan.pdf.
- Leave out dashes and the county's listed special characters ( - _ & % ? / # * $ ! @ ^ + = { [ ) and keep the whole name to 40 characters or less.
- To insert a page between 001 and 002, name it 001.1 — the existing page numbers stay as they are.
- Upload plan sheets landscape, 11"x17" to 24"x36", as smart/vector PDFs with layers and calibration intact, and keep the upper-right stamp area clear.
Permit Prep does the splitting and the filename pattern. You still confirm the items under "Check these yourself" — those are not things software can verify for you.
What applies where
- Scope: Permits reviewed by Clark County, Washington Community Development. Cities inside the county, including Vancouver and Camas, run their own permit systems and rules.
- Stage: Plan upload for electronic plan review. Revised sheets are re-uploaded under the same plan page.
- Upload portal: ProjectDox (Clark County LMS)
Check these yourself
- Reserve the county's electronic approval stamp area in the upper-right corner of every drawing: 2" x 2" on 8.5"x11" and 11"x17" sheets, 3" x 3" on 22"x34" and 24"x36" sheets. Permit Prep never scales, crops or covers a drawing to create that space.
- Sheet size must be 11"x17" minimum to 24"x36" maximum for plan sheets.
- Plans must be smart/vector PDFs — text searchable, with layers and saved calibration. Clark County does not accept scanned raster plans from design professionals.
- Each sheet needs an independent, clearly labeled scale, and the file must carry its saved calibration. Permit Prep does not change scale, calibration, layers or drawing content.
- Keep the layer count under 100 and purge extraneous layers before you export the PDF.
- Match the leading order numbers to your own sheet index — Permit Prep numbers sheets in page order, which is usually but not always the same.
What the source does not say
- Clark County's pages state a 40-character tip, not a hard maximum, so Permit Prep warns instead of blocking.
- The pages do not state a maximum file size for plan files.
Where this came from
- Clark County — File naming convention
- Clark County — Electronic file requirements
- Clark County — Best practices
Read on 2026-09-07. Building departments change their rules without notice — open the links above and confirm before you submit.
Frequently asked questions
Does Clark County accept multi-page plan PDFs?
No. All plan files must be uploaded as single-page PDFs — one PDF per plan sheet — and plan files may not be zipped. Multi-page plan files are rejected.
Which characters are prohibited in Clark County file names?
The county lists - _ & % ? / # * $ ! @ ^ + = { as characters to avoid, dashes included. Its tip is to keep names to 40 characters or less; abbreviations are acceptable.
What order number do I put in front of each Clark County sheet?
A numeric order value matching the order listed on the title sheet, cover sheet or table of contents — for example 003 A101 Reference site plan. Insert a page between two others with a decimal, such as 001.1.
What page size and orientation does Clark County require?
Plan sheets run 11"x17" minimum to 24"x36" maximum and must be uploaded in landscape orientation; incorrect orientation is rejected. Reserve the upper-right stamp area: 2" x 2" on 8.5"x11" and 11"x17" sheets, 3" x 3" on 22"x34" and 24"x36" sheets.
Does PDFOnCall upload my plans anywhere?
No. Your plan PDF is read and split in your browser on your device. Sheet text, thumbnails, and filenames stay local.
Is this approved by Clark County Community Development?
No. PDFOnCall is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by any building department or portal vendor. These rules were read from the sources listed on this page on 2026-09-07; confirm them before you submit.
Other places in Washington
Verified jurisdictions
These are the places whose published filename rules we have read end to end.
Related tools and guides
PDFOnCall summarizes publicly available permit submission requirements for convenience. Building department requirements can change. Always verify current requirements with the issuing jurisdiction before submission. PDFOnCall is an independent tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by any building department or permit portal vendor.
