Richland, WA Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)

Richland amended International Building Code and International Residential Code Chapter 1 through RMC § 21.01.020 rather than adopting the model administrative sections unchanged. Under Subsection G (111.1/R110.1 Use and Occupancy), the building official cannot issue a certificate of occupancy or completion until approval has come in from every City of Richland department and division and from every State of Washington and federal agency with jurisdiction over the project. The finance director is directed to deny permanent utility hookups, electric, solid waste, water and sewer, unless the applicant can show the certificate has been issued; provisional utility service is available only while construction continues and the building sits unoccupied.

Subsection H (111.2/R110.3 Certificate Issued) adds a separate track for shell-only permits. After the final inspection turns up no outstanding code, land use or public health violations, or once any violations found have been corrected, the building official issues a Certificate of Shell Completion. That certificate must state the permit number, the building's address, the owner's name and address, a description of the portion of the building covered, the building official's name, the code edition the permit was issued under, the construction type under Chapter 6, whether an automatic sprinkler system is required, any special stipulations, and an explicit statement that no part of the building can be occupied until tenant improvement permits are obtained and occupancy is separately approved.

Appeals of building-official inspection decisions do not go to Richland's own code enforcement board; Subsection I sends them to the Mid-Columbia Board of Appeals, the joint body shared with Kennewick, Pasco, West Richland, Benton County and Franklin County.