Grays Harbor County, WA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Grays Harbor County enforces substandard and dangerous buildings under Chapter 15.04.070, the county's Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings, which amends the uniform building-abatement code adopted in Chapter 15.04.010. The code applies to any building or structure in the unincorporated county that endangers the life, limb, health, morals, property, safety or welfare of the public or its occupants, whether from fire hazard, structural failure, or neglect. Once the building official finds a structure dangerous under Section 302, the owner must comply with one of three paths: repair it to current building-code standards, demolish it at the owner's option, or, if it poses no immediate danger, vacate it and secure it against entry.

A structure that is immediately dangerous to life or safety must be vacated outright, with no repair option offered. The planning and building division, operating under the direction of the fire marshal per Section 103.1 of the fire code amendments, issues the notice and order. An owner, tenant, or anyone with a recorded interest in the property may contest the order before the Building Codes Advisory Council, but the written appeal, including a statement of the protested action and the relief sought, must be filed within 21 days of service or the right to a hearing is waived.

Appeals proceed under the procedures set out in Chapters 2.14 and 15.16 of the county code. The county's separate nuisance-abatement chapter, 8.40, works alongside this code once dangerous-building proceedings are exhausted, allowing the county to bill abatement costs, including attorneys' fees and cleanup expenses, to the responsible owner and to place a lien against the property for unpaid amounts.