Building Safety in Washington (2026)

Pre-1978 Redmond homes fall under the federal EPA RRP Rule and Title X disclosure. Contractors must be EPA certified…

Performing lead-based paint or renovation work in Kent without state certification is unlawful under RCW 70A.420.080…

Bellevue relies on EPA and Washington Department of Commerce lead-based paint rules (RRP) for homes built before 1978…

Seattle's housing code requires anyone repairing painted surfaces in a pre-1978 rental building to follow state…

Tacoma's building code bars using lead-based paint or asbestos when repairing an existing single-family, duplex, or…

Auburn elevators are regulated by Washington Department of Labor and Industries under RCW 70.87 and WAC 296-96. Annual…

Seattle regulates elevators through the Seattle Building Code Chapter 30 and Washington state conveyance regulations…

Bellevue requires building operators to keep every elevator accessible, usable and in good working order at all times…

Everett requires buildings with passenger elevators to keep at least one elevator running whenever the building is…

Buildings with elevators in unincorporated Yakima County must keep them running to ASME A17.1 standards under the…

Tacoma's minimum building code requires every elevator in a building to be kept in compliance with the state Building…

Seattle requires permits for scaffolding erected on public rights-of-way through the Seattle Department of…

Scaffolding at Auburn construction sites follows Washington State Building Code (RCW 19.27) and WISHA safety rules…

Scaffolds over or under a Port Townsend street or sidewalk need a street use permit unless already covered by the…

Redmond follows WA State Building Code and IBC Chapter 33 for scaffolds. Commercial scaffold work requires L and I…

Scaffolding built over or into a county road right-of-way during construction, demolition, or repair needs a Type C2…

Auburn's amended fire code, ACC 15.36A.041(C), mandates automatic sprinklers in most new buildings over 10,000 square…

A new one- or two-family home in unincorporated Pierce County needs an automatic fire sprinkler system if it trips any…

Tacoma requires an automatic residential fire sprinkler system in every new townhouse unit, a local amendment to the…

Whatcom County requires an NFPA 13-D automatic sprinkler system throughout any dwelling with a measured fire area over…

Outside a Skagit County Fire District, SCC 14.10.080(1) bars a building permit altogether, but SCC 14.10.080(2)(c) lets…

Bellevue requires sprinklers throughout any newly built structure over 10,000 square feet, and lets Group R apartment…

Benton County amends Section 903.2 of the 2021 International Fire Code under BCC 3.16.042 to require approved automatic…

Edmonds requires an automatic fire sprinkler system in any new building with three or more attached dwelling units, and…

Federal Way's fire code goes beyond the base IBC and IFC sprinkler triggers: FWRC 13.31.050 requires an approved…

New one- and two-family homes and townhouses in unincorporated Grant County need an automatic fire sprinkler system…

Unincorporated King County requires automatic fire sprinklers in new IRC-built homes when fire access, floor area, or…

Kitsap County requires automatic fire sprinklers in existing Group R, Division 1 buildings of ten or more dwelling…

Lakewood's amended residential code requires an automatic fire sprinkler system in every new townhouse, and its amended…

Lynnwood requires automatic fire sprinklers in three-plus-unit residential buildings and one- and two-family homes 500…

Marysville's local fire code amendment requires automatic sprinklers in apartment buildings of three-plus stories or…

Pasco requires a fire sprinkler system in any accessory dwelling unit that exceeds the maximum allowed distance to a…

Puyallup requires a fully automatic sprinkler system in buildings over 10,000 square feet, 40 feet or taller, or four…

Renton amends the International Building Code to require automatic fire sprinklers in any Group R-3 dwelling, or…

Thurston County requires automatic fire sprinklers in every Group R (residential) building built under the…

Kirkland doesn't mandate fire sprinklers in an ordinary detached single- or two-family home. KMC 21.06.030(2) adopts…

Childcare facilities in Seattle must hold a Washington DCYF license under WAC 110-300 and meet Seattle Building Code…

A Benton County child day care serving 13 or more kids, or housed in a non-dwelling building, is a Type B facility…

Marysville requires larger childcare centers (Day Care II, over 12 children) to sit on lots over half an acre, get a…

Federal Way requires commercial day care and school-type childcare centers to pass Process II site plan review under…

Unincorporated King County lets state-licensed family day care homes build to the residential code instead of the…

Port Townsend requires every child care facility to hold a city business license, meet building and fire code…

Day care centers are a conditional use in Puyallup's RS single-family zones under PMC § 20.20.015(4), requiring a…

Unincorporated Snohomish County regulates day care centers as a distinct land use under SCC 30.28.030. Outdoor play…

Unincorporated Spokane County treats a child day-care center serving more than thirty children as a conditional use in…

Tacoma requires day care buildings classified Group E to install panic hardware on exit doors serving 50 or more…

A family daycare home or adult/child care facility in unincorporated Whatcom County is one of the few residential (R-3)…

Bellingham's Fire Code amendments for marinas, adopted at BMC 17.20.060, require boathouse and covered-moorage egress…

Unincorporated King County requires dwelling entry doors to have a dead bolt lock operable from inside without a key…

SMC 22.206.140 requires multi-unit building entrance doors to be self-closing and self-locking with a 1-inch-throw…

Tacoma's Minimum Building and Structures Code bans keyed interior deadbolts, requires exit doors to open without a key…

Every door giving access to a rented dwelling, rooming or housekeeping unit in Yakima must have a dead-bolt lock that…

Every door into a rented dwelling unit, rooming unit or housekeeping unit in unincorporated Yakima County must carry a…

Puyallup limits how much floor area a house can add relative to its lot through a maximum floor area ratio: RS-10 tops…

Edmonds does not mandate green construction, but projects certifying under the Title 16 green building incentive…

Kirkland's Zoning Code requires qualifying residential, commercial and mixed-use developments to certify to a…

Lynnwood does not impose a general green building code, but LMC 3.82.060(D)(7) requires any multifamily project seeking…

Seattle's Energy Code SMC 22.901 is among the strictest in the U.S., paired with the Living Building Pilot SMC…

In unincorporated Snohomish County, new houses built inside a rural cluster subdivision or short subdivision cannot get…

Everett requires LEED silver certification for new city-owned buildings over 5,000 square feet, while only encouraging…

Pierce County does not mandate a green building code, but PCC 17C.10.070.F refunds up to 25 percent of a residential…

Auburn adopts the 2021 International Green Construction Code by reference under ACC 15.07.010(D)(13), but only as an…

Unincorporated King County has no mandatory green building code for private construction. Chapter 18.17 requires LEED…

Bellingham requires every registered rental housing unit to provide and test carbon monoxide alarms, verified through…

Port Townsend requires every permitted tiny shelter in a shelter village to have a combination smoke/carbon monoxide…

Owners of Seattle rental buildings must install carbon monoxide alarms outside each sleeping room, on every level of…

Spokane County enforces Washington's statewide carbon monoxide alarm mandate as part of the state building code it…

Tacoma requires carbon monoxide alarms in every existing apartment, condo, hotel, motel, and single-family home…

Auburn requires a written permit application to the department of community development before any work covered by the…

Bellevue requires a permit before anyone constructs, enlarges, alters, repairs, moves, demolishes or changes the…

Bellingham skips a permit for small, non-structural reroofs, but requires one for any structural roof work or sheathing…

Benton County requires a fully complete building permit application under BCC 3.04.018, tracking RCW 19.27.095, before…

All construction work regulated by an adopted code in unincorporated Cowlitz County needs a permit from the Department…

Edmonds requires a building permit for construction, alteration, repair, demolition or moving of any structure unless…

Everett adopts the International Building Code and International Residential Code by reference, as amended by the…

Federal Way requires a building permit for construction work under the adopted 2021 International Building Code, and…

Franklin County adopts the 2021 International Building Code and International Residential Code, and requires a building…

Grant County requires a building permit for construction under the adopted International Building and Residential Codes…

Before any building or structure can be moved across, along, or onto a public place and sited within Kent, the mover…

Unincorporated King County requires a building permit for most interior renovation work; simple finish work like…

Kitsap County requires a building permit for construction, alteration, enlargement, repair, or change of occupancy of…

Lakewood adopts the 2021 International Building Code as the Lakewood Building Code under LMC 15.05.020, so a permit is…

Lynnwood requires a permit for construction covered by the International Building Code, adopted by reference at LMC…

Marysville requires a building permit for construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, or demolition of any building…

Pasco requires all construction to conform to the state-adopted International Building Code(s) under PMC 16.05.010. New…

Pierce County adopts the International Residential Code and requires a building permit for nearly all construction in…

Port Townsend requires building permits under the locally adopted 2021 International Building Code; the planning and…

Puyallup governs building permits through the state-adopted International Building Code and Residential Code, enforced…

Renton requires a permit from the Building Official before you construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or…

Sammamish requires a City permit before almost any construction, alteration, demolition or occupancy change. SMC…

Seattle requires a building permit from the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) for new…

Skagit County adopts the 2021 International Residential and Building Codes for unincorporated areas under SCC…

Any owner who intends to build, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a structure in…

Spokane County Code 3.02.020 makes it unlawful to erect, alter, repair, move, or demolish any building, structure…

Spokane Valley adopts the Washington State Building Code, including the International Building and Residential Codes…

Tacoma's Building Code amendment lists exactly what work is exempt from a permit: everything else, including most…

Thurston County requires a permit before you erect, move, add to, or structurally alter any building or structure…

Whatcom County requires a building permit before almost any construction, alteration or demolition in the…

Yakima requires a permit before you construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of any…

Yakima County requires a permit from the Building Official before anyone builds, alters, repairs, moves or demolishes a…

Kennewick exempts low decks, patios, and walkways from a building permit only if they sit 30 inches or less above grade…

Any installation, alteration, repair, replacement or maintenance of electrical systems, wiring or equipment in Bellevue…

Bellingham requires a Building Division permit before any installation, alteration, repair or replacement of an…

Edmonds enforces electrical permitting under its own statutory authority rather than adopting a separate local…

Everett requires a separate electrical permit from the Building Official before any electrical work is installed…

Federal Way electrical work is governed by the 2023 National Electrical Code, adopted at FWRC 13.38.020 along with the…

Kennewick does not issue its own electrical permits. Under KMC 15.48.010, the city has ceded electrical permitting and…

Kent does not run its own electrical inspection program. Under KCC 12.05.240(E), electrical hookups must comply with…

Kirkland enforces the 2023 Washington Cities Electrical Code as its Kirkland Electrical Code, and KMC 21.06.210…

Lakewood, Washington adopts the National Electrical Code by reference for all electrical work in the city under LMC…

Lynnwood adopts the Washington-amended National Electrical Code by reference at LMC 16.10.050 and requires a permit for…

Marysville requires an electrical permit under the 2023 National Electrical Code and 2023 Washington Cities Electrical…

Renton requires an electrical permit under RCW 19.28 for virtually all wiring work: any installation, alteration…

Sammamish enforces its own Sammamish Electrical Code, the April 1, 2024 Washington Cities Electrical Code, for all…

Seattle enforces its own Electrical Code, the 2023 National Electrical Code plus selected portions of WAC 296-46B…

Spokane County's own building code carves electrical work out of its permitting authority. SCC 3.03.030 deletes the…

Spokane Valley requires a permit before any electrical work begins under SVMC § 24.40.030(B)(5), and treats the…

Tacoma requires a paid Electrical Permit from Tacoma Power before any electrical wiring, device, or equipment is…

Thurston County requires an electrical permit before altering, adding to, or replacing electrical systems regulated…

Yakima has no municipal electrical code or in-house electrical inspectors: YMC § 11.16.010 hands the entire subject to…

Auburn does not run its own electrical permit program: ACC 15.28.010 requires all electrical wiring, equipment and…

Electrical work in Port Townsend is inspected and permitted by Washington's Department of Labor and Industries, not…

Auburn adopts the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code by reference under ACC 15.07.010(D)(8) and classifies plumbing permits as…

Bellevue enforces the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code, as amended by the state, for every plumbing installation in the city…

Bellingham adopts the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code by reference under WAC 51-56, and its Construction Administrative Code…

Benton County adopts the 2021 Edition of the Uniform Plumbing Code under BCC 3.08.010, requiring every plumbing…

Unincorporated Cowlitz County enforces plumbing work under the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code, adopted by reference at CCC…

Edmonds regulates plumbing work under the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code as amended by the state Building Code Council, and…

Plumbing work in Everett requires a permit under the Uniform Plumbing Code, adopted by reference in EMC 16.005.030 and…

Federal Way plumbing work runs under the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code, adopted by FWRC 13.34.020 with the venting…

Franklin County adopts the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code, with Washington's amendments, to govern plumbing work in the…

Plumbing work in unincorporated Grant County falls under the Uniform Plumbing Code, adopted by reference at GCC…

Kennewick adopts the Uniform Plumbing Code, as amended by Washington State, to govern plumbing permits inside city…

Kent adopts the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code and requires a permit for plumbing work, with local amendments governing…

Unincorporated King County adopts the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code as its plumbing code, requiring a permit for plumbing…

Anyone in Kirkland who wants to install, alter, repair or replace a plumbing system must first apply to the building…

Unincorporated Kitsap County requires a permit for plumbing work under the county's adopted Uniform Plumbing Code (2021…

Lakewood adopts the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code as part of the Lakewood Building Code under LMC 15.05.020(E), so…

Lynnwood adopts the Uniform Plumbing Code by reference under LMC 15.04.010, so any plumbing installation, alteration or…

Marysville requires a plumbing permit under the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code, adopted by reference at MMC § 16.08.010…

Pasco enforces the state-adopted Uniform Plumbing Code under PMC 16.20, requiring a permit for plumbing work with a…

Pierce County plumbs unincorporated properties under the Uniform Plumbing Code as adopted by the Washington State…

Port Townsend enforces the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code as amended by the state, and plumbing work needs a permit under…

Puyallup enforces plumbing work through the Uniform Plumbing Code adopted under PMC § 17.04.030(5), as incorporated by…

Renton requires a permit before installing, altering, or replacing any plumbing system, issued under the Construction…

Sammamish enforces the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code with local amendments covering pool drainage, sewer connections and…

Seattle's Plumbing Code is chapter 51-56 WAC as in effect March 15, 2024, plus City Council amendments and a locally…

Unincorporated Skagit County plumbing work runs on the 2021 IAPMO Uniform Plumbing Code, adopted by SCC 15.04.020(4)…

Unincorporated Snohomish County enforces the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code as its plumbing code under SCC 30.52E.010. Any…

Unincorporated Spokane County adopts the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) and requires a separate plumbing permit for any…

Spokane Valley governs plumbing work through the Uniform Plumbing Code, adopted with Washington State amendments at…

Tacoma incorporates the Uniform Plumbing Code, as already adopted by the State Building Code, as the City of Tacoma…

Thurston County adopts the Uniform Plumbing Code as its plumbing code under TCC § 14.28.010, administered by the…

Whatcom County enforces the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code for every plumbing installation, alteration or repair in the…

The City of Yakima has adopted the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code, with local amendments, as its official plumbing code…

Yakima County enforces plumbing work under the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code as amended by WAC 51-56, adopted by YCC…

Auburn's building official inspects construction in defined stages under ACC 15.07.090: a combined rough-in inspection…

Bellevue's building official inspects all permitted construction at defined stages under BCC 23.05.130, and work must…

Bellingham's Construction Administrative Code requires a set sequence of inspections before covered work can be closed…

Benton County requires every Building Department inspection called for by the adopted International Building and…

Before Franklin County issues a certificate of occupancy, every required inspection under the adopted International…

No structure in unincorporated Grant County can get final approval or a certificate of occupancy without passing every…

Unincorporated King County requires a posted inspection record card on every permitted job, and charges a reinspection…

Kirkland requires a sequence of building-official inspections for any permitted construction, from footing and…

In unincorporated Kitsap County, every building covered by the Dangerous Buildings Code and all permitted construction…

Lakewood's amended building code lets the Building Official call for a special inspection whenever needed to prove code…

Before anyone may live in a manufactured or mobile home in Marysville, the city building official must inspect and…

Pasco charges a minimum inspection fee under PMC 16.05.090 whenever the Building Official conducts an incidental…

Pierce County will not sign off on a final occupancy or final building inspection for any residential, commercial, or…

Port Townsend requires the building official to inspect every new building, addition, or occupancy change and confirm…

Renton's Construction Administrative Code requires the Building Official to inspect permitted work at defined stages…

In unincorporated Snohomish County, the building official runs every required construction inspection, from a…

Spokane County Code 3.02.050 governs every building inspection in the unincorporated county: passing one never excuses…

Tacoma's Building Official inspects flagged properties against three violation tables to classify buildings as…

Building permit applications in Thurston County are sorted into a Type I ministerial review or a Type II administrative…

Installing a manufactured or mobile home in unincorporated Whatcom County runs through three required inspections under…

Anyone installing a manufactured or mobile home in unincorporated Yakima County must call for inspections at each stage…