101 local rules on file · Pop. 769 · Whatcom County
Showing ordinances that apply to Kendall, WA
Kendall is an unincorporated community with a population of approximately 769 in Whatcom County, Washington. Because Kendall is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal government or city code. Instead, Whatcom County ordinances apply directly to residential and commercial properties here. The rules below are the county-level regulations that govern your area. Nearby incorporated cities in Whatcom County may have different rules.
Unincorporated Whatcom County requires one off-street parking space per sleeping unit for vacation rentals. Bellingham handles STR parking through its permit and zoning; hosts should…
Whatcom County and Bellingham cap STR occupancy through their registration and permit standards, generally tied to bedrooms. Listings must state the maximum, and the host is…
Bellingham requires an STR permit and business license. Unincorporated Whatcom County recognizes vacation rentals as an accessory use, with a registration program in development…
STR stays owe Washington sales tax plus a local lodging tax and B&O tax. Airbnb and Vrbo collect and remit most lodging taxes; hosts still register with the Department of Revenue and…
STR guests must meet the same noise limits as residents: WAC 173-60 and, in Bellingham, the public disturbance code. Repeated verified complaints can jeopardize a Bellingham permit.
Washington's RCW 64.37 requires STR operators statewide to carry at least $1 million in liability coverage. Standard homeowner policies often exclude rental activity, so most hosts…
Whatcom County treats junk, wrecked, or inoperable vehicles stored in public view as a public nuisance. Washington defines a junk vehicle by meeting three of four tests, and abandoned…
Unincorporated Whatcom County is relatively permissive about storing RVs, boats, and trailers on your own residential lot. Cities like Bellingham restrict oversized-vehicle street…
Whatcom County cities require vehicles to park on improved surfaces, not front lawns, and cap impervious driveway coverage to control stormwater runoff. Rural county lots have more…
Whatcom County cities restrict parking heavy commercial vehicles, semi-trailers, and construction equipment in residential zones overnight. The agricultural county exempts farm…
Washington sets no statewide street-parking time limit, so Whatcom County and its cities post their own rules. Bellingham enforces posted zones and permit districts, and a 2023 state…
Whatcom County has no countywide overnight street-parking ban, and Bellingham imposes no general 2-to-6 a.m. prohibition. Restrictions instead target oversized vehicles, posted zones…
Installing a home EV charger in Whatcom County needs an electrical permit for the 240-volt circuit. Washington's building code requires EV-ready spaces in many new buildings, and state…
Whatcom County does not require a building permit for an ordinary residential fence within the zoned height. Permits kick in for taller fences, masonry or engineered walls, and any…
Washington has no shared-fence-cost law, so neighbors in Whatcom County split a boundary fence only by voluntary agreement. Each owner is responsible for the fence on their own land. A…
No Washington statute limits residential fence materials, so cedar, vinyl, chain-link, and wrought iron are all common across Whatcom County. Cedar dominates because it resists rot in…
Whatcom County requires a building permit for retaining walls over four feet, measured from the bottom of the footing, and for any wall supporting a surcharge like a slope or driveway…
Every residential pool, spa, or hot tub in Whatcom County must be enclosed by a barrier at least 48 inches high with a self-closing, self-latching gate. The rule comes from the…
In unincorporated Whatcom County, fences and hedges up to six feet may sit in a front-yard setback and up to seven feet in rear yards of residential, rural, and agricultural districts…
Persistent barking is treated as a noise nuisance. The Whatcom Humane Society handles animal control for the county and Bellingham; documented, repeated complaints trigger enforcement.
Whatcom County and Bellingham don't ban leaf blowers or gas equipment. They're regulated only through general noise limits, so off-hours use near homes can still draw a disturbance…
Bellingham treats audio audible beyond 50 feet as a public disturbance, a common issue near Western Washington University. County events must meet WAC 173-60 limits; large gatherings…
Washington sets no universal statewide quiet hours, but WAC 173-60 lowers allowable residential noise by 10 dBA overnight (to 45 dBA, 10 PM to 7 AM). Whatcom County and Bellingham…
Bellingham bars loud construction in residential zones between 10 PM and 7 AM under its public disturbance code. Unincorporated Whatcom County relies on WAC 173-60 limits and…
Whatcom County has no blanket wildlife-feeding ban, but state rules bar intentionally feeding large carnivores, and feeding deer, coyotes, or bears that become a nuisance can bring…
Washington bans keeping dangerous wild animals as pets. Under RCW 16.30, no one may newly possess large cats, bears, wolves, primates, or venomous snakes. Whatcom County and its cities…
Beekeeping is lawful and popular across Whatcom County's farm country, supporting berry and orchard pollination. Washington requires anyone owning one or more hives to register with…
Backyard hens are widely allowed across Whatcom County. Bellingham permits chickens but requires coops set at least 50 feet from neighboring homes; rural and agricultural land is…
Whatcom County and its cities require dogs to be leashed or under control off the owner's property, with licensing and rabies vaccination required. Under RCW 16.08.040, a dog owner is…
Washington does not ban breed-specific rules outright, but since 2020 RCW 16.08.110 bars any city or county from regulating dogs by breed unless it also offers a good-behavior…
Consumer fireworks are legal in unincorporated Whatcom County only on July 3-5 and December 31, within set hours. Bellingham bans all consumer fireworks year-round, and other cities…
Whatcom County has no statewide defensible-space mandate, and its wet marine climate keeps wildfire risk lower than eastern Washington. Property owners must still keep lots free of…
Outdoor burning is permanently banned in every Whatcom County city and urban growth area, including Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, and Blaine. Outside those boundaries, residents may…
Whatcom County's wildfire hazard concentrates in the Mount Baker foothills and eastern wildland-urban interface, not the wet lowlands. Washington's building code adds interface…
Recreational fires are allowed throughout Whatcom County, including inside Bellingham and other urban growth areas. Fires over 3 feet wide or 2 feet high need a Northwest Clean Air…
Whatcom County and Bellingham do not specifically regulate artificial turf on an existing residential lot, so installation is largely the owner's choice. In the Lake Whatcom watershed…
Whatcom County handles overgrown grass, weeds, and rank vegetation as a nuisance through county code compliance, while the City of Bellingham enforces its own property maintenance…
No Washington statute stops you pruning a tree on your own Whatcom lot, and there is no general county trimming permit. The City of Bellingham manages street trees and protects trees…
Whatcom's wet marine climate favors native plantings and rain gardens over thirsty lawns, and no local rule forces grass on an existing lot. In the Lake Whatcom watershed…
Removing a tree in Whatcom depends on where you are. On an existing rural home lot, county rules are light, but the City of Bellingham requires tree retention on development, and…
Rainwater harvesting is legal across Whatcom County. Washington's Department of Ecology allows rooftop collection without a water right, so rain barrels and cisterns for the garden are…
Whatcom is wet, but water is still governed. Washington follows prior appropriation, and the entire Nooksack basin (WRIA 1) is now in a court adjudication of every water right…
Whatcom County makes noxious-weed control mandatory. Under state law and the county Noxious Weed Control Board, owners must eradicate Class A weeds and control listed Class B and C…
In unincorporated Whatcom County, a business run from home is a home occupation, an accessory use that must stay clearly secondary to the residence. The county zoning code sets the…
A home occupation in unincorporated Whatcom County is meant to stay invisible from the street, so business signage is tightly limited or barred outright. The county zoning code keeps…
Because a home occupation must stay secondary to the residence, unincorporated Whatcom County keeps client visits, deliveries, and parking at ordinary residential levels. Walk-in…
Washington lets you sell certain homemade shelf-stable foods from a Whatcom County kitchen under a WSDA Cottage Food Operation Permit. Unlike many states, Washington requires a…
Caring for other people's children for pay in a Whatcom County home is licensed by Washington's Department of Children, Youth & Families, not the county. A family home child care…
Whatcom County requires building and plumbing permits for a hot tub or spa, mainly for the 240-volt GFCI electrical connection. A spa fitted with a safety cover meeting ASTM-F-1346 is…
Whatcom County requires both a building permit and a plumbing permit for any residential pool, spa, or hot tub. Plans covering structure, GFCI electrical, drainage, and barriers are…
Whatcom County enforces pool safety through the adopted International Building Code and the federal VGB Act. Anti-entrapment drain covers, a compliant barrier or safety cover, and GFCI…
An above-ground pool in Whatcom County needs building and plumbing permits and a compliant barrier, but a prefabricated pool installed entirely above ground and less than 24 inches…
Residential pools and spas in Whatcom County need a barrier meeting International Building Code Section 3109 — at least 48 inches high, no gap a 4-inch sphere passes, with a…
A one-story detached shed of 200 square feet or less needs no building permit in Whatcom County, but it must still meet zoning setbacks, separation from other buildings, and fire and…
A carport is an accessory structure in Whatcom County. One that exceeds the 200-square-foot exemption needs a building permit, must meet zoning setbacks, and counts toward the lot…
In Whatcom County, a tiny home on a permanent foundation is a dwelling under the building code and can qualify as an ADU under WCC 20.80.910. A tiny home on wheels is treated as an RV…
Inside urban growth areas, Whatcom County now allows up to two ADUs per lot with no owner-occupancy requirement (WCC 20.80.910). Rural lots outside a UGA still need an administrative…
Converting a garage into living space in Whatcom County requires a building permit and must meet habitable-room code for egress, ceiling height, insulation, and ventilation. If it…
Unlike some Washington counties, unincorporated Whatcom County allows licensed cannabis retail in designated commercial and industrial zones. State law requires a 1,000-foot buffer…
Recreational cannabis is legal to buy and use in Washington, but growing it at home is illegal statewide, including in Whatcom County. Only qualifying medical patients may cultivate…
When Bellingham permits removal of significant trees during development, replacement planting is required, with the ratio set by the Planning and Community Development Department to…
The City of Bellingham protects large, healthy landmark trees, using its landmark tree program to shield significant specimens from removal. Damaging or cutting a protected landmark…
In the City of Bellingham, removing significant trees (six inches or larger) during land clearing or development requires an approved tree retention plan under BMC 16.60…
Whatcom County does not publish a food-truck vending-zone map for unincorporated areas. Where a truck may set up depends on the parcel's zoning and the owner's permission. Cities like…
A food truck in Whatcom County needs a food establishment permit from Whatcom County Health and Community Services and must operate from an approved commissary. Washington's state…
Good news for sellers: neither unincorporated Whatcom County nor the City of Bellingham requires a permit or registration for an occasional residential garage or yard sale. The rules…
No Whatcom County or Bellingham ordinance fixes garage-sale hours. Daytime weekend sales are the norm. The real limits are the general noise rules — no early-morning amplified…
Whatcom County and Bellingham set no fixed number of garage sales per year for a genuine household sale. The real line is commercial activity: hold sales often enough that the property…
Washington has no statewide juvenile curfew, and neither Whatcom County nor Bellingham enforces one today. Bellingham's downtown curfew was struck down as unconstitutional in 1997, and…
Whatcom County day-use parks are open sunrise to sunset, and being in a park after hours is trespassing. Lake Whatcom Park runs 8 a.m. to dusk. Bellingham parks close overnight under…
In unincorporated Whatcom County, carts are collected at the improved public road nearest your home when set out on your designated collection day. County code fixes the pickup point…
Whatcom County doesn't run collection trucks itself; UTC-certificated private haulers do, led by Sanitary Service Company under Certificate G-14. County code sets the floor, though: at…
Recycling is mandatory in unincorporated Whatcom County — but the duty sits on the haulers, not you. County Code 8.10.050 requires every single-family home on garbage service to get…
No active landfill operates in Whatcom County. Large items go out through hauler bulky-item pickup by appointment, or you self-haul to one of several transfer and drop-box stations…
Whatcom County has no dark-sky or color-temperature ordinance. Title 20 zoning only requires exterior lights be arranged to direct light away from neighboring property and public…
Whatcom County zoning requires outdoor lights be arranged to direct light away from adjoining property and public roads. There is no countywide residential foot-candle cap. Bellingham…
Neither unincorporated Whatcom County nor Bellingham has a garage-sale-specific maintenance rule. Sales fall under general standards: keep the display tidy, don't let unsold goods pile…
Vacant-lot owners in unincorporated Whatcom County must keep the parcel clear of dumped garbage and control state-listed noxious weeds. Illegal dumping is barred by county litter…
Unincorporated Whatcom County has no sidewalk-shoveling ordinance, and most rural roads have no sidewalks anyway. Inside Bellingham it is different: the city plows streets but says…
Unincorporated Whatcom County has no single blight ordinance; it reaches neglected property through separate tools — litter control (WCC 8.28), the junk-vehicle nuisance code (WCC…
County code tells you where to set carts — the improved public road nearest your home on collection day — but imposes no screen-from-the-street storage rule in unincorporated Whatcom…
Whatcom County's Salish Sea shoreline, Bellingham Bay, Lake Whatcom, and the Nooksack River are shorelines of the state. Under the Shoreline Management Act, work within 200 feet of the…
New development in Whatcom County must control runoff on site under the Western Washington stormwater standards. Rules tighten sharply inside the Lake Whatcom watershed, where…
Land-disturbing work in Whatcom County needs erosion and sediment control. Grading permits carry an erosion plan, and clearing near marine bluffs or in the Lake Whatcom watershed faces…
Whatcom County requires a grading permit for significant excavation or fill. Drainage cannot be redirected onto neighboring land, and grading on steep slopes or eroding marine bluffs…
Whatcom County enforces floodplain rules along the flood-prone Nooksack River. In FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas, new homes must sit above base flood elevation, building in the…
Whatcom County limits how much of a lot structures may cover, set by zoning district. Rural Residential lots may be covered by the greater of 5,000 square feet or 20 percent, capped at…
Whatcom County caps building height by zoning district. The Rural Residential district limits structures to 35 feet under WCC 20.32.400. Land near Bellingham International Airport…
In unincorporated Whatcom County, Title 20 zoning sets minimum yards from property lines. Rural Residential lots hold between 20 and 45 feet off the road depending on its…
Recreational drone flying across Whatcom County follows federal FAA rules under 49 U.S.C. 44809: register drones over 250 grams, pass the TRUST test, stay below 400 feet, and keep…
Commercial drone work across Whatcom County follows FAA 14 CFR Part 107: hold a Remote Pilot Certificate, register the aircraft, stay below 400 feet, and keep visual line of sight. The…
Whatcom County keeps no county-wide do-not-knock registry. A posted "No Soliciting" or "No Trespassing" sign carries legal weight: a solicitor who enters or stays after that notice can…
Door-to-door sellers in Whatcom County's cities, including Bellingham, Lynden, and Ferndale, generally need a peddler or solicitor license from that city. Everywhere in the county…
Whatcom County and Bellingham broadly allow political and temporary signs on private property as protected speech. Only official traffic signs belong in the state highway right-of-way…
Whatcom County communities allow temporary garage-sale signs on private property, but keep them out of the public right-of-way and off utility poles. Take every sign down promptly once…
Whatcom County and its cities let homeowners put up holiday decorations without a permit. Keep displays clear of sidewalks and sight lines, use outdoor-rated wiring, secure inflatables…
Washington no longer leaves rent to the open market. Since HB 1217 took effect in May 2025, annual residential rent increases are capped statewide. For 2026 the ceiling is 9.683%, and…
Washington has statewide just-cause eviction under RCW 59.18.650. A Whatcom County landlord cannot end a tenancy or refuse to renew except for a legally listed reason, with proper…
Bellingham requires every residential rental to register and pass a periodic safety inspection under its Rental Registration and Safety Inspection Program (BMC 6.15). Unincorporated…
Whatcom County requires building and electrical permits for solar installations. Rooftop systems must meet structural, fire-setback, and electrical standards, and the array…
Homeowners in Whatcom County HOAs are protected by Washington's solar rights law. Under RCW 64.38.055, HOA governing documents may not prohibit rooftop solar panels, though the…
These unincorporated areas are also governed by Whatcom County ordinances.