Building Safety in Yakima, WA

If you live in Yakima or are thinking about moving there, building safety are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Yakima has 4 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of building safety, and some of them might surprise you.

Door Locking Hardware

Every door giving access to a rented dwelling, rooming or housekeeping unit in Yakima must have a dead-bolt lock that opens from the inside without a key or special effort, installed per the manufacturer's specifications and kept in good working order, under YMC § 11.40.304.18.1, the city's amendment to the International Property Maintenance Code.

Key details: Governing section: YMC § 11.40.304.18.1. Applies to: Rented dwelling/rooming/housekeeping unit doors. Requirement: Functioning deadbolt, no-key egress. Install standard: Per manufacturer's specifications. Penalty: $250-$1,000 escalating (§11.40.106.4).

Renting a unit without a dead-bolt lock meeting § 11.40.304.18.1, or letting an installed deadbolt go unmaintained, is a property maintenance code violation subject to the § 11.40.106.4 penalty schedule: $250 for missing the abatement deadline after notice, escalating to $500, $750 and $1,000 for repeat offenses within 24 months, plus $50 for each additional day the violation continues, or a civil infraction of up to $250 at the code official's discretion.

Building Permits

Yakima requires a permit before you construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of any building, and before altering electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing systems the city regulates.

Key details: Permit trigger: Construct, alter, repair, move, demolish. Also covers: Electrical, gas, mechanical, plumbing systems. Administered by: Code administration division. First penalty: $250 for no abatement. Repeat offense penalty: Up to $1,000.

Working without a required permit is a code violation subject to a $250 fine for failing to abate after notice, escalating to $500-$1,000 for repeat offenses, plus $50 per day the violation continues (YMC § 11.40.106.4).

Electrical Permits

Yakima has no municipal electrical code or in-house electrical inspectors: YMC § 11.16.010 hands the entire subject to the state, providing that the National Electrical Code, as adopted and maintained by the Washington Department of Labor and Industries in WAC 296-46, 'shall govern electrical installations and construction in the city of Yakima' under RCW Chapters 19.28 and 19.29.

Key details: Governing sections: YMC §§ 11.16.010-.030. Code adopted: National Electrical Code via WAC 296-46. Enforcing agency: WA Dept. of Labor & Industries. Statutory basis: RCW 19.28, RCW 19.29. Local amendments: None in Chapter 11.16.

Because Chapter 11.16 assigns both the electrical code and its enforcement to the Washington Department of Labor and Industries under RCW 19.28 and 19.29, violations of Yakima's electrical rules are cited and penalized under state law and L&I's own enforcement authority, not under a separate city fine schedule. L&I or its authorized representative may also disconnect service without a fine under YMC § 11.16.030 when there is an immediate hazard or an illegal connection.

Plumbing Permits

The City of Yakima has adopted the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code, with local amendments, as its official plumbing code: plumbing work in the city is regulated and permitted under this adopted code.

Key details: Adopted code: 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code. Administered by: Code administration manager. Permit expiry: 180 days if work not started. Max penalty: $250 fine, 90 days jail.

Working without a required plumbing permit, or violating an issued permit's conditions, is enforceable under YMC Chapter 11.44's misdemeanor penalty: up to a $250 fine and 90 days in jail per day of violation.

The Bottom Line

Yakima'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 Yakima is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Yakima can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.