Kitsap County, WA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing officials
- Building official, fire marshal, health officer
- Misdemeanor penalty
- Up to 90 days jail or $1,000 fine
- Abandonment threshold
- 6+ months creates attractive nuisance
- Appeal deadline
- 21 days to Dept. of Community Development
- Appeal heard by
- Kitsap County hearing examiner
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Kitsap County only
Summary
Unincorporated Kitsap County declares a building a public nuisance once inspection shows it meets any of 19 dangerous-building conditions under the county's Dangerous Buildings Code, and the building official orders it repaired, rehabilitated, demolished or removed; occupying a condemned building or defacing the posted notice is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail or a $1,000 fine.
A. Declaration of Dangerous Buildings. All buildings or portions thereof which are determined after inspection by the building official or authorized representative, to be dangerous as defined in Section 14.04.870 of this code, are hereby declared to be public nuisances and shall be abated by repair, rehabilitation, demolition or removal. Upon the determination that a building or structure is dangerous, the building official shall issue a notice of violation with an order to correct the violation(s) or initiate a nuisance abatement action in the Superior Court in accordance with RCW 7.48. ... F. Misdemeanor. ... occupancy of a building declared to be dangerous, in accordance with Sections 14.04.870 and 14.04.875, or the removal or defacement of a dangerous building notice, shall be a misdemeanor in accordance with RCW 36.43.040 and shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for a maximum term fixed by the court of not more than ninety days, or by a fine in an amount fixed by the court of not more than $1,000.00, or by both such imprisonment and fine.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4864424; v0 updated 2025-12-08; through 12-08-2025).
Full Breakdown
875) is titled the Dangerous Buildings Code and applies cumulatively with the building and fire codes to structures that endanger the life, health, property or safety of the public or occupants. 870(C) lists 19 specific conditions that make a structure "dangerous," including inadequate exits, overstressed materials, fire or earthquake damage that reduces structural strength below code minimums, 33 percent or more damage to supporting members (50 percent for nonsupporting members), a health officer finding of unfit-for-habitation conditions, a fire marshal finding of fire hazard, or abandonment for more than six months creating an attractive nuisance.
48. 875(B) authorizes emergency vacation orders and a posted "DO NOT ENTER" placard when collapse, geologic hazard, explosives or toxic fumes present imminent danger, and it is a misdemeanor to remove the placard, occupy the structure, or enter except to secure it, make repairs or demolish it. 040. 04. This article reaches unincorporated Kitsap County only; Bremerton, Port Orchard, Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island enforce their own dangerous-building codes.
Violations & Fines
Occupying a building already declared dangerous, or removing or defacing the posted dangerous-building notice, is a misdemeanor under RCW 36.43.040, punishable by up to 90 days in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. Separately, failing to comply with a final building official, fire marshal, or hearing examiner order is a class 1 civil infraction under Chapter 2.116 or a misdemeanor under Section 14.04.060(E) and RCW 36.43.040.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a building "dangerous" under Kitsap County Code?
What happens after a building is declared dangerous?
Can the county force immediate vacation of a dangerous building?
How do I appeal a dangerous-building order in Kitsap County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kitsap County
Compare Kitsap County to another location·View the Washington property maintenance overview
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