Pierce County, WA Building Safety: Green Building Code (2026)
Key Facts
- Max refund
- 25% of permit fee or $350, whichever less
- Qualifying certifications
- Built Green 4-5 star or LEED Gold/Platinum
- Request window
- 90 days after certificate of occupancy
- Annual refund cap
- $25,000 countywide per fiscal year
- Applies to
- Residential permits under Table 17C.10-1-B only
Summary
Pierce County does not mandate a green building code, but PCC 17C.10.070.F refunds up to 25 percent of a residential building permit fee, capped at $350, when the finished home earns Built Green 4- or 5-star certification or LEED for Homes Gold or Platinum. The applicant must request the refund within 90 days of the certificate of occupancy, and the county caps total refunds at $25,000 per year.
F. Green Building. A permit applicant who employs sustainable building practices in the construction of a residential structure shall be eligible for up to a 25 percent refund of the permit fee calculated and paid for said structure pursuant to Table 17C.10-1-B when all of the following requirements are met: 1. The structure receiving the fee reduction receives one of the following certifications within 90 days of the issuance of the certification of occupancy: a. Tacoma-Pierce County Built GreenÆ program – 4 or 5 star certification; or b. U.S. Green Building Council LEED for Homes – Gold or Platinum certification. ... 3. The maximum fee refund shall not exceed 25 percent of the permit fee calculated pursuant to Table 17C.10-1-B or $350.00 whichever is less. 4. The total amount of all refunds granted by the Planning and Public Works Department pursuant to this subsection F have not exceeded $25,000 for the current fiscal year. In the event that this threshold is achieved, no further applicant shall be eligible for a refund in that fiscal year.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-515, and legislation passed through May 26, 2026).
Full Breakdown
10 PCC rewards it through a fee refund. 00, whichever amount is smaller. S. Green Building Council's LEED for Homes program. The applicant then has that same 90-day window to submit a written refund request to the Building Official along with proof of certification. Pierce County caps its total exposure: the Planning and Public Works Department cannot pay out more than $25,000 in green building refunds across all applicants in a single fiscal year, and once that ceiling is hit, no further refund is available that year regardless of a project's certification. 10 PCC.
Violations & Fines
There is no penalty for building without a green certification since none is required; PCC 17C.10.070.F is purely an optional refund. The real enforcement risk runs the other way: a false certification claim submitted to the Building Official to obtain the refund would fall under the general prohibition on violating permit conditions in PCC 17C.10.050, exposing the applicant to the same misdemeanor and civil-penalty framework that governs any other building code violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pierce County require green building certification?
How much money can I get back for building green in Pierce County?
What if Pierce County has already paid out its green building refunds for the year?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pierce County
Compare Pierce County to another location·View the Washington building safety overview
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