Lakewood, WA Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing code
- 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code, LMC 15.05.020(E)
- State amendment
- WAC 51-56, Washington Building Code Council
- Admin authority
- IBC Chapter 1 provisions, LMC 15.05.040
- Unpermitted work fee
- Equal to the permit fee
- Violation penalty
- Up to 90 days jail, $1,000 fine, or both
- Code copy on file
- Office of the City Clerk, LMC 15.05.030
Summary
Lakewood adopts the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code as part of the Lakewood Building Code under LMC 15.05.020(E), so plumbing work in the city runs on the UPC as amended by the state Building Code Council in WAC 51-56. LMC 15.05.040 applies the IBC's Chapter 1 administrative provisions, meaning the same permit, inspection and enforcement rules that govern building work also govern plumbing permits.
Pursuant to RCW 19.27.031, the following codes as amended by the Washington State Building Code Council herein adopted and further amended, shall be collectively known as the Lakewood Building Code: ... ... E. The 2021 Edition of the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), including Appendices A, B and I, published by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials and amended by the Washington State Building Code Council in Chapter 51-56 WAC, is hereby adopted by reference and as subsequently amended by this chapter. ... The administrative provisions as specified in Chapter 1 of the International Building Code as adopted and subsequently amended by this title shall be used as the general administrative provisions for the Lakewood Building Code. In case of a conflict of provisions the Building Official shall determine the applicable application. ... ... F. Section 109.4, Work commencing before permit issuance, is amended to read as follows:Any person who commences work on a building, structure, gas, mechanical or plumbing system before obtaining the necessary permits shall be subject to a fee equal to the permit fee.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 852, passed June 15, 2026).
Full Breakdown
020(E)). 040) supply the permit process for plumbing work too: the Building Official reviews and issues the permit, and resolves any conflict between the adopted codes. 060(F)) is explicit that this covers plumbing: anyone who commences work 'on a building, structure, gas, mechanical or plumbing system' before obtaining the necessary permit is charged a fee equal to the permit fee. 030. 25, adopts the National Electrical Code for wiring work, but plumbing permits themselves run through the UPC as amended here, not through the electrical chapter.
Violations & Fines
Commencing plumbing work before obtaining the permit draws a fee equal to the permit fee under amended Section 109.4 (LMC 15.05.060(F)). Because plumbing is part of the single Lakewood Building Code, a plumbing violation is also a misdemeanor under LMC 15.05.060(M): up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both, on top of the permit and penalty fees already owed.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
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Plumbing Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle plumbing permits.