Edmonds, WA Environmental Rules: Boat Dock Permits (2026)

030. A dock is a fixed structure floating on the water; a pier is a fixed, pile-supported structure; a float is a floating structure moored or anchored but not connected to shore. 020, Boating facilities. 030(D)(8)(c) sets detailed development standards: height cannot exceed five feet above the ordinary high water mark, length is capped at the lesser of 35 feet or the average length of docks within 300 feet, width may not exceed 25 percent of the lot's shoreline frontage, and the structure must observe a 10-foot side yard setback from the property line or a storm drainage outfall.

No lot may have more than one dock or pier, total size is capped at 400 square feet, offshore recreational floats are prohibited, and covered buildings on a dock are barred outright. Citywide, piers and docks cannot be treated with creosote, oil-based paints or other toxic substances, and any structure extending waterward of the inner harbor line requires a lease from the Washington Department of Natural Resources before the city will process the application. 010(B)(7), a dock built for the private, noncommercial use of a single-family or multi-family residence owner is exempt if its fair market value does not exceed $2,500 in Puget Sound. 80.