Walla Walla County, WA Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)

Walla Walla County Code § 3.08.220 lists "Swimming pools, hot tubs" on the Building and Fire Fees schedule at a flat $75.00 application fee plus a $205.00 permit fee, plan review fee, and $80.00 for each inspection beyond the first two, the same structure the county uses for other flat-rate residential work like re-roofing or window replacement. Unlike valuation-based permits for additions or remodels, the pool fee does not scale with the cost of the pool itself; a modest above-ground installation and an elaborate in-ground pool pay the identical base fee, with only extra inspections adding cost.

The permit is enforced under the county's Title 15 building code, and Section 15.04.034 makes any violation of that chapter a misdemeanor under RCW 36.43.040. Before referring a case to the Walla Walla County prosecuting attorney, the building official can first try to bring the property into compliance using the fees this chapter authorizes and a voluntary compliance agreement, which in practice usually means requiring the owner to apply for the permit after the fact and pay for the inspections the pool never received. Because the county's fee schedule and enforcement mechanism both live in the same building code chapter that covers houses, garages, and other structures, a residential pool is treated as ordinary construction rather than a specialty permit category with its own separate approval process or health department sign-off.