Kent requires a grading permit for most cut or fill over 50 cubic yards under KCC Title 14. Drainage changes must match the DOE Western Washington Stormwater Manual and not harm neighbors.
Kent City Code Title 14 regulates grading, excavation, and fill work. A grading permit is required when you move more than 50 cubic yards of earth, expose soil on more than 7,000 sf, or alter drainage in a way that affects neighboring property. Plans must include existing and proposed contours at 2-foot intervals, erosion control, and drainage analysis. Filling within FEMA Zone AE is prohibited in the floodway and tightly limited in the floodplain fringe. Grading on slopes over 15 percent triggers geotechnical review and may require critical-area buffers. Downstream drainage must not be made worse by a project; the common-law reasonable-use rule and Washington law require owners to accept natural flow but not increased, concentrated flow from an upstream property. Retaining walls over 4 feet (measured from bottom of footing to top of wall) require separate building permits.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Kent, WA
Kent decibel limits follow WAC 173-60 and KCC 8.05 using EDNA zones. Residential receiving limit is 55 dBA day and 45 dBA night. Commercial sources are cappe...
Kent, WA
Kent industrial sources are capped at 70 dBA day and 65 dBA night at another industrial property, but only 60 dBA day and 50 dBA night when received at a res...
Kent, WA
Commercial trucks over 10,000 pounds GVWR generally cannot park on Kent residential streets except for active loading. Warehouse districts and truck routes h...
Kent, WA
Kent follows Washington State Building Code EV-ready requirements for new multifamily and commercial buildings. Public chargers exist at Kent Station and sev...
Kent, WA
Kent driveway aprons require Public Works approval under KCC Title 6. New or widened driveways need a right-of-way construction permit, and vehicles must not...
Kent, WA
Kent has no city requirement to split shared fence costs with a neighbor. Washington common law controls boundary fences. Survey the property line before bui...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in King County.
See how other cities in King County handle grading & drainage.
See how Kent's grading & drainage rules stack up against other locations.
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