Edmonds, WA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

000 splits right-of-way occupancy into two permit types. An encroachment permit covers anything permanent in nature: construction, erection or maintenance of building extensions, marquees, fences, retaining walls or artwork in, over or under a public place, right-of-way, easement, roadway, parking strip or sidewalk, including the airspace above them. A street use permit instead covers temporary, movable objects such as chairs, tables, planters, sandwich boards, benches, stanchions, platforms, rope and fencing that require no permanent attachment to the ground. 020(B)). 030(C) if the use will not interfere with vehicular or pedestrian traffic: no permanent occupation of space designed for vehicles or parking, State Building Code accessibility standards met, permit fees paid, and a clear zone seven feet high by five feet wide kept open on public sidewalks, reduced to four feet in width around obstacles like trees or sign posts for restaurant tables and chairs.

Temporary objects must clear the right-of-way on 24 hours' notice for public events, and anything projecting more than 36 inches into the right-of-way, apart from approved awnings and wall signs, must be removed nightly at close of business. Commercial applicants must carry a certificate of insurance naming the city as additional insured and sign an indemnification covenant that runs with the land.