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Building Codes and Building Permits

This page provides an overview of Washington State building codes, including examples of city and county building codes, building permits and permit processes, along with recommended resources.

For information related to land use and planning permits, see our page on Planning and Development Permit Review.

Overview

The purpose of the Washington State Building Code (RCW 19.27.020) is to:

[…] promote the health, safety and welfare of the occupants or users of buildings and structures and the general public by the provision of building codes throughout the state.

The codes set minimum requirements for safety, design, construction, quality of materials, and maintenance of building systems to protect life, health, property, and public welfare. These minimum code standards are first adopted at the state level, and then required to be adopted and enforced locally by counties and cities. Local adoption of the State Building Code can include amendments, but local amendments cannot be less strict than the State Code. Local amendments that apply to single-family or multi-family residential buildings must be approved by the Washington State Building Code Council.

The Washington State Building Code Council (SBCC) was created to advise the Legislature on building code issues and to develop the building codes used in Washington State. The State Building Code Council is staffed with code professionals and administration services to support the Council and stakeholders in the effort to publish the state amendments in a timely manner for effective use by the design community and enforcement agencies such as cities and counties.

Washington State building codes, as well as most other state building codes in the United States, are based on the International Code Council (ICC) model codes. The ICC operates under a consensus development process that is supported by jurisdiction and industry professionals. The code development process generally occurs every three years so that code updates reflect new approaches and materials used in the construction industry. For more in-depth information about the ICC and the code development process, see ICC’s webpage on The Internacional Codes.

Washington State Building Code Council

The primary mandate of the Washington State Building Code Council is to adopt and maintain the building codes throughout the state of Washington consistent with the state's interest as provided in RCW 19.27.020. One goal of statewide adoption is to minimize local amendments to the model codes.

RCW 19.27.074 requires the SBCC to approve or deny all county or city local building code amendments impacting single or multi-family residential buildings designed under the International Residential Code (IRC), except for those only affecting the administrative procedure in Chapter 51-04 WAC. Local amendments cannot reduce the minimum performance standards and objectives of the State Building Code. Local governments must base the amendment on five criteria established in WAC 51-04-025(1), and submit an application form for review. To view past SBCC approved local amendments, see the SBCC website.

Washington State adoption of International Code Council model codes (ICC) related to energy conservation, commercial, residential, mechanical, fire, plumbing, energy, and electrical, can be found in Title 51 WAC.

Recent legislation has modified building code requirements to accommodate energy-efficient construction and renewable energy:

  • RCW 36.70A.810 – Allows retrofits of existing buildings for residential housing to project insulation up to eight inches into setbacks and exceed height limits by eight inches for additional insulation.
  • RCW 36.70A.812 – Requires similar accommodations for passive house construction, measuring setbacks from the outside face of the foundation.
  • RCW 36.70A.813 – Requires cities and counties to allow buildings to exceed roof height limits by at least 48 inches to accommodate solar panels.
  • RCW 35.21.990 and RCW 35A.21.440 – Provide energy code exemptions for certain existing building conversions to residential use.

For additional information on the Washington building Code Council, see the SBCC website pages below:

Washington State Building Code

The Washington State building codes (chapter 19.27 RCW) help to ensure buildings and facilities constructed in the state are, amongst other things, safe and healthy for building occupants, accessible to persons with disabilities and the elderly, and energy efficient.

RCW 19.27.031 specifies and adopts the following building codes, amended by the State Building Code Council, as required in all cities and counties:

  • The International Building Code
  • The International Residential Code
  • The International Mechanical Code
  • National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) – 58 (Standards for storage and handling of Liquefied Petroleum Gases)
  • National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) – 54 (National Fuel Gas Code)
  • The International Fire Code (with some exceptions for religious institutions)
  • Portions of the International Wildland Urban Interface Code, as set forth in RCW 9.27.560
  • The Uniform Plumbing Code and Uniform Plumbing Code Standards, except as provided in RCW 19.27.170, (more detailed specifics for sewer or fuel gas piping)
  • Standards for making buildings and facilities accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities or elderly persons as provided in RCW 70.92.100 through 70.92.160
  • The state's climate zones for building purposes designated in RCW 19.27A.020(3)

Types of Building Permits

Building permits are required for almost all types of construction including new construction, repairs, alterations, additions and demolition of existing structures. Building permits typically include:

  • Structural
  • Plumbing
  • Mechanical
  • Electrical (administration by some cities & the Department of Labor & Industries) 
  • Fire & Life Safety
  • Energy Code Compliance
  • Signage
  • Racking/shelving
  • Type I hood systems
  • Sprinkler/fire alarm
  • Accessibility for elderly or physically disabled persons

Many jurisdictions require complete submittals for all applicable review elements with a single permit submittal to include mechanical, plumbing and electrical submittals. Note that RCW 35.21.990 and RCW 35A.21.440 prohibit cities from requiring change of use permits for conversions of existing buildings to residential use in commercial, mixed-use, or residential zones.

Examples of City and County Building Codes

Cities and Towns

Counties

  • Chelan County Code Title 3 – Provides adopted building code, relevant fees and countywide development plan.
  • Cowlitz County Municipal Code Ch. 16.05 – Adopts ICC building codes. Also includes information on permitting, penalties for violation of code provisions, and information about conflicts with other regulations.
  • Thurston County: Building Codes – This webpage highlights that “Building Codes are developed, changed, and enforced for one main reason – safety.” Also links to building codes.

Permit Centers - Where To Start

Permit Centers with dedicated permit technicians have been part of building permit operations for many years. When seeking initial information, webpages and digital formats provide essential information regarding submittal standard, workflows, and details.

Jurisdictions have established online Permit Centers to provide a hub for all development activities including building, planning, engineering, and code compliance activities.

Examples of Online Building Permit Centers

Online review and permitting is becoming common, as jurisdictions shift to paperless processes. 

Examples of Building Permit Brochures & Checklists

Example of Building Permit Process Flowchart

Several jurisdictions have created visual representations of their permit process to help applicants understand the steps involved in the building permit process.

Below is a flowchart example:

Expedited Building Permit Review Processes

Some cities and counties have created programs to expedite review of certain types of building permit applications.

Pre-approved Building Plans

Several West Coast cities offer contractors the opportunity to purchase or use house plans that have been pre-approved by the city for compliance with building codes and/or other standards.

There are two significantly different approaches to pre-approved plans in the permit process. In the first approach, local jurisdictions develop a library of housing plans that have been pre-approved. In the second approach, which is more common in Washington, an applicant submits a "basic" plan that, once approved, the jurisdiction will keep on file. Any future requests to develop a house using the same plan will be considered pre-approved. Subsequent uses of this plan often involve a minimal review time and reduced or waived fees.

Examples of Building Plans Offering Pre-approval

Examples of Codes that Create a Base Plan/Pre-approval Program

Examples of Priority or Expedited Review Programs

Recommended Resources


Last Modified: December 30, 2025