Kent, WA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Before any drainage construction or modification
- Design standard
- Kent Surface Water Design Manual
- Invoice response window
- 14 calendar days
- Civil infraction class
- Class 1, RCW 7.80.120
- Repeat/knowing violation
- Gross misdemeanor
- Appeal deadline
- 20 days to hearing examiner
Summary
Kent requires a permit before anyone constructs, installs, modifies or places any storm or surface water drainage structure in the city under KCC 7.05.070, with all systems built to the Kent Surface Water Design Manual and subject to public works inspection.
A permit is required for all work to construct, install, modify, place, or attempt to construct, install, modify, or place any storm or surface water drainage structure or facility within the city and must be obtained before any work begins. This section shall not be construed to duplicate any other existing city requirements.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4542, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
060 requires every storm and surface water system, public or private, to be designed, installed and maintained in strict accordance with the Kent Surface Water Design Manual and Kent Design and Construction Standards, with all construction and maintenance subject to director inspection. 070 then requires a permit for any work to construct, install, modify or place a drainage structure or facility, obtained before work begins. 080, including routine, random, complaint-driven, or joint inspections with other agencies, and can require pollutant source control best-management practices if a facility is inadequately mitigated.
090 lets the city charge a reinspection fee, separate from any penalty, when a corrected violation must be reinspected outside the normal inspection cycle. 110 when harm to people, property or the environment is imminent. 190, paying the city's administrative appeal fee at filing.
Violations & Fines
KCC 7.05.200 allows the city to bill full cost recovery for a violation, giving the responsible person 14 calendar days to pay, contest, or seek mitigation before the hearing examiner. Separately, a violation may be a class 1 civil infraction under RCW 7.80.120, filed in Kent municipal court, plus civil code enforcement including a stop-work order. Negligent violations are a misdemeanor; knowing or repeated violations are a gross misdemeanor, and the director may also seek revocation of the violator's business license.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a city permit to install a drainage system in Kent?
What happens if I don't fix a stormwater violation the city finds?
Can Kent revoke a business license over a stormwater violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kent
Compare Kent to another location·View the Washington environmental rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle stormwater management.