Kennewick's Building Safety: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles building safety a little differently. In Kennewick, Washington, there are 3 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Building Permits

Kennewick exempts low decks, patios, and walkways from a building permit only if they sit 30 inches or less above grade and aren't built over a basement or story.

Key details: Exempt height: 30 inches or less above grade. Not exempt: Over a basement or story. Permit trigger: Above 30 inches high. Citation: KMC 15.08.060(1)(e).

Building a deck or patio above 30 inches without a permit is unpermitted construction under KMC 15.08.050, subject to the Building Official's stop-work and enforcement authority.

Kennewick is more permissive than most cities when it comes to building permits. That said, there are still limits.

Plumbing Permits

Kennewick adopts the Uniform Plumbing Code, as amended by Washington State, to govern plumbing permits inside city limits. Every plumbing job requiring a permit must pay the fee set under UPC Section 103.4, plumbing installed before the code's effective date keeps its lawful status if unchanged and free of hazard, and every basement needs at least one floor drain. Violations are prosecuted as misdemeanors under Title 15's general penalty section.

Key details: Governing code: Uniform Plumbing Code as amended by Washington State. Permit fee: Set by UPC Section 103.4, Table 1-1. Floor drain: Required in every basement, KMC 15.40.060. Grandfathered systems: Pre-code plumbing kept if unchanged and hazard-free. Excluded chapters: UPC Chapters 12 and 15 not adopted.

Working without a plumbing permit, or ignoring UPC Section 710.0's cross-connection requirement regardless of when the system was installed, is a Title 15 violation. KMC 15.04.070 makes any violation of Title 15 a misdemeanor, and under the citywide penalty schedule at KMC 1.12.010 a misdemeanor carries a fine of up to $1,000, up to 90 days in jail, or both.

Electrical Permits

Kennewick does not issue its own electrical permits. Under KMC 15.48.010, the city has ceded electrical permitting and inspection to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, whose electrical code and rules govern wiring, equipment, and systems inside city limits, per KMC 15.08.130's scope provision.

Key details: Electrical authority: WA Dept. of Labor & Industries, not the City. Governing section: KMC 15.48.010 (Ord. 1395, 1968). Building code cross-reference: KMC 15.08.130, Electrical Code of Washington. Permits/inspections: Delegated entirely to state L&I. City building code penalty: Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 / 90 days.

Because state law delegates electrical permitting to L&I, electrical violations are enforced by the state's Department of Labor and Industries, not through Kennewick's own Title 15 penalty schedule. Other Title 15 violations, including working without a required building permit, are misdemeanors under KMC 15.04.070, punishable under KMC 1.12.010 by a fine up to $1,000, up to 90 days in jail, or both.

The Bottom Line

Kennewick's building safety rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Kennewick is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Kennewick's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.