Olympia, WA Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)
Key Facts
- Final inspection timing
- After SEPA, design and stormwater conditions are met or bonded
- Bond rate
- 125% in addition to finish grading
- Certificate issued by
- The Building Official after inspection (IBC 111.2, IRC R110.3)
- After-hours inspection fee
- $204.38 per hour, minimum charge two hours
- Reinspection fee
- $204.38
Summary
In the City of Olympia, Washington, the final building inspection happens only after the conditions of SEPA, Hearings Examiner, Design Review, Development Engineering, Stormwater and Tree, Soil and Native Vegetation requirements are complied with or bonded for at 125%, and the building is complete. The Building Official then issues the Certificate of Occupancy.
3. Amend Section 110.3.10 Final inspection. The final inspection is to be made after all conditions of SEPA, Hearings Examiner, Design Review, Development Engineering, Stormwater Ordinance, and the Tree, Soil and Native Vegetation Ordinance are either complied with or bonded for at a rate of 125% in addition to finish grading; and the building is completed and ready for occupancy. 4. Amend Section 111.2 Certificate issued. After the Building Official inspects the building or structure and finds no violations of the provisions of this Code or other laws and regulations, which are enforced, by the Community Planning and Development Department, the Building Official shall issue a Certificate of Occupancy, which shall contain the following:
Full Breakdown
The City of Olympia sets its inspection stages by amending the adopted International Building Code and International Residential Code in OMC 16.04.040. Amended IBC Section 110.3.10 holds the final inspection until the conditions of SEPA, Hearings Examiner, Design Review, Development Engineering, Stormwater Ordinance, and the Tree, Soil and Native Vegetation Ordinance are complied with or bonded for at a rate of 125%, in addition to finish grading, and the building is completed and ready for occupancy. After inspecting and finding no violations of the Code or other laws enforced by the Community Planning and Development Department, the Building Official issues a Certificate of Occupancy (IBC Section 111.2; IRC Section R110.3).
The certificate lists the building permit number, the address, the owner or authorized agent, the portion of the structure covered, a statement that it was inspected for compliance for its occupancy classification, the Building Official's name, the code edition under which the permit issued, the type of construction, the design occupant load, whether a sprinkler system is required where one is provided, and any special stipulations or conditions of the building permit.
Inspections also drive permit life. Under OMC 16.04.020(B)(2), a permit expires if work is not commenced within one hundred eighty days or is suspended or abandoned for at least one hundred eighty days, with the time measured by the length of time between required inspections. Buildings built under OMC Chapter 16.05 need a quality assurance plan and special inspections per IBC Chapter 17, including a special inspection for seismic resistance, and structural observation by the registered design professional (OMC 16.05.080). Owners of mixed-use apartment buildings of Type VA construction must keep fire and life-safety systems operable, with quarterly testing by City-approved testers and a written record forwarded to the Fire Marshal (OMC 16.05.090). Mobile home plumbing hookups are inspected as provided in the Plumbing Code (OMC 16.04.440).
Fees in OMC 4.36.010: inspections outside normal business hours are $204.38 per hour (minimum charge two hours), reinspection is $204.38, and an inspection for which no fee is specifically indicated is $204.38, each marked as the total hourly cost to the jurisdiction if that is greatest.
Violations & Fines
Work that breaks the Building Code is penalized under OMC 16.04.070 as a misdemeanor, with a fine not to exceed $1,000 and/or imprisonment not to exceed ninety days, and each day is a separate offense. Second and subsequent days of a continuing violation are a gross misdemeanor, with a fine not to exceed $5,000. The civil infraction track is Class 3 ($50), Class 2 ($125), Class 1 ($250). Under OMC 16.04.050(B), the building official can also issue a stop work order on construction that violates an emergency order.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the final building inspection happen in the City of Olympia?
What does an Olympia Certificate of Occupancy contain?
What does a reinspection cost in Olympia?
Are special inspections required in Olympia?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Olympia
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