Kent, WA Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- KCC 6.07.040(B)
- Trigger
- Moving a structure onto a public place
- Required first
- Building permit for siting
- Street use permit expiration
- Tied to building permit, max 12 months
- Unpermitted work penalty
- Doubled permit fee plus other penalties
Summary
Before any building or structure can be moved across, along, or onto a public place and sited within Kent, the mover must first obtain a building permit for the siting, in addition to a separate street use permit from the public works director under KCC 6.07.040(B).
B. Moving of structures. Prior to application and issuance of a street use permit for any building or structure to be moved across, along, or upon any public place within the city and sited within the city, the applicant shall first obtain a building permit for the siting of such building or structure.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4542, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
040 governs construction and property development uses of public places. Subsection A generally bars issuance of a project, building, grading, or fill permit without a separate street use permit, unless the work is a residential addition, alteration, or repair, or the director decides a separate street use permit is unnecessary. Subsection B addresses moving structures specifically: before a street use permit can even be applied for or issued to move a building or structure across, along, or upon a public place within Kent, the applicant must first obtain a building permit for siting that structure at its destination.
130. 160(B)). 170(C): the basic permit fee is doubled, and the person remains fully liable for complying with the chapter and subject to any other local, state, or federal penalties, including criminal ones. 180(D)(2) until the permit requirements are satisfied.
Violations & Fines
Moving a structure onto or across a public place without first obtaining the building permit and companion street use permit lets the public works director suspend the work immediately and doubles the basic permit fee under KCC 6.07.170(C). Violations of Chapter 6.07 are also civil violations under Ch. 1.04 KCC subject to a monetary penalty, or, in the alternative, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, 90 days imprisonment, or both, under KCC 6.07.210.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a building permit before moving a house into Kent?
What happens if I move a structure without the permit first?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kent
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Building Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle building permits.