Show All Answers

1. Is my property within the City of Woodinville?

Not all Woodinville addresses are within the City; they may be within unincorporated Snohomish County or unincorporated King County even though they have a Woodinville mailing address. Visit the "My Property Info" page to determine if your property is within the City of Woodinville.

If your property is in Snohomish County, you can obtain permit requirements at the Snohomish County Planning and Development Services website.

If your property is in King County, you can obtain permit requirements at the King County Permits page.

2. Why should I get a permit?

First, it is the law, and work done without a permit may have to be redone or removed at the property owners cost. Additionally, getting a permit ensures that the project has met the minimum standards of safety; it makes selling the property easier because lenders may not finance a home sale if illegal work was done; and in the case of an insurance claim, illegal work may not be covered if it is damaged.

3. When is a building permit required?

A permit is required from the City for the following activities.

Mechanical or Plumbing

• Installation, relocation, and replacement of any mechanical appliance, such as water heaters, furnaces, heat pumps, fireplaces, stoves, hot tubs, etc.
• Installation or modifying of gas lines for any mechanical appliance, such as barbecues and cook tops
• Installation, relocation, and replacement of any gas or electric water heater
• Installation, relocation, and replacement of any plumbing fixture where water lines, drains or vents are installed or modified
• Installation of any pool in-ground, and installation of any above-ground pool that is over 24 inches deep or over 5,000 gallons
• Installation of backflow prevention device on a lawn or garden irrigation system

Fire

• Installation of or modification of a fire sprinkler or alarm system

Building

• Construction of a deck where any of the following apply:
  • Larger than 200 square feet
  • The deck surface exceeds 30 inches above the finished grade at any point
  • Attached to a dwelling
  • Serves the main side hinged exit door
  • A permit is also required for replacing or repairing existing decks that meet the previous criteria
• Installation or moving an exterior door, skylight, or window, including making an existing window wider
• Construction of or modification to a garage or carport
• A remodel of a house, such as creating new walls, converting basements or garages in to living areas, or adding a bay window
• A tenant improvement to a commercial building, including interior and exterior changes
• Construction of retaining walls or rockeries over four feet high, or where a car or structure is on top of the wall; the height of the wall is measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall
• For single-family residences, roofing projects that include modifying or replacing the sheathing
• For multi-family residential or non-residential property, any roofing project
• Construction of a storage shed or playhouse with a floor area greater than 200 square feet

Work Not Requiring a Permit

A building permit is not required for the following work:

• Interior finish work, including painting, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, and counter top installation
• Swings or other play equipment for single-family homes
• Interior walls or other partitions less than 5 feet 9 inches in height
• Fences that are not over 6 feet in height
• Portable heating equipment

4. How do I obtain a permit?

Start by filling out a permit application. Permit applications are available at the Permit Center counter on the main floor of City Hall. You can fill out the application at City Hall or you may take the application with you to fill out later. Applications also may be mailed, faxed or emailed to you upon request. Applications are also available via Permit Forms in our Document Center.

Information you need to provide on the application includes your name, address, telephone number, description and valuation of the work being done. If you need help filling out the application, a staff member will be happy to assist you.

To start the review process, you need to submit a completed application and plans, and a submittal fee. You may submit the permit application in person or by mail.

Once a permit is ready, you will be called at the number provided on the application. You then pay for the permit at that time and take it with you, along with the approved plans and the inspection card that details what inspections are required.

5. How long does it take to get a permit?

Current turnaround times for construction permits are as follows.

Type of Project	Time to Review
Building - Non-Residential Addition, Alteration	4 to 8 weeks
Building - Non-Residential Repair, Replacement	1 week
Building - Single-Family Addition, Alteration	2 to 5 weeks
Building - Single-Family New	4 to 7 weeks
Demolition Permits	0 to 4 weeks
Fire Suppression	1 week
Fire Sprinkler	1 week
Fire Alarm	1 week
Mechanical - Non-Residential Addition, Alteration	1 week
Mechanical - Multi-Family Residential Addition, Alteration	1 week
Mechanical - Single-Family Residential Addition, Alteration	1 week
Plumbing - Non-Residential Addition, Alteration	1 week
Plumbing - Single-Family Residential Addition, Alteration	1 week
Right-of-Way	3 to 4 weeks
Site Development	10 to 19 weeks
Permanent Sign	2 to 4 weeks
Tree Removal	1 week

Land use permits generally take 120 days to process, between when a completeness letter is sent and when a decision is issued.

6. How much does a permit cost?

For a complete list of permit fees, please view the Development Services Fee Schedule (PDF).

Building

• Permit fees are based on the scope of work. Building permit fees are derived from a sliding scale based on project valuation. Plan review fees are charged in addition to the building permit fee. The plan review fee is usually 65% of the building permit fee.
• If you are building a new building, traffic and park impact fees may apply.
• In addition to the City permit costs, the state has a fee for building, demolition, and sign permits, which is currently an additional $4.50 per permit.

Other

• Mechanical, plumbing and fire permit fees are based on the number of fixtures, systems, or devices being installed or modified.
• Grading permit fees are based on the total amount of grading being done on the project.
• Right-of-Way permit fees are based on the type of work proposed and the lineal feet of work within the right-of-way.
• Land Use fees are based on the type of land use project proposed.

To get a permit cost estimate for any project, call the Permit Center at 425-489-2754.

Determining the Valuation of Your Project

Valuation should reflect the cost of the project including all work covered by the permit. The valuation should also include labor, even if you are doing the work yourself. Valuations are frequently compared to available cost estimators and will be adjusted if the valuation provided appears to be in error.

7. What should be included in the plan sets, and how should they be prepared?

The plans submitted with the permit must be neatly drawn and drawn to a usable scale. One-quarter inch to one foot is a common scale for building plans. Typical residential plans would include a site plan, floor plan, cross section, elevation, details of various structural components and a window schedule.

Plans should be dimensioned and include information on use of rooms, wall and ceiling finishes, lumber sizes, and spacing.

Standard requirements for site, building, and civil plans are available in the Permit Forms folder.

8. Do I need an architect or engineer to prepare my plans?

Washington State has requirements for when an architect is required to complete a set of plans. Generally, any building over 4,000 square feet, where the life safety or structural systems are modified, must be designed by a licensed architect.

A structural engineer is required to prepare building plans when the design does not use the prescriptive building code requirements, or for walls or rockeries that require a building permit. A civil engineer is required to design drainage and roadway improvements.

9. Do I need to hire a contractor if I can do the work myself?

A property owner is allowed to do work on their own property, for single-family and commercial properties. If you hire someone to do the work for you, they must be a contractor licensed with the state of Washington. You can look up contractors on the Department of Labor and Industries website. You can also review the laws on hiring a contractor at this same website.

10. Does the City inspect the work?

All work is subject to inspection by the City. The number and type of inspections vary depending on the work being done. When the permit is issued, you will receive a blue inspection record that lists the inspections required. The website and telephone number to call for scheduling an inspection will be on the blue card.

It is the owner or contractors' responsibility to call for an inspection when the work is ready. When you call, you will need to know the following information: the permit number, the project name, the site address, the name and phone number for the contact person, the date and time of the inspection, and the kind of inspection you are requesting.

You may schedule your inspection online before 6 am the day of using our Permit Portal.

Inspections requests over the phone can be made up to 3 pm the previous business day. To reach the voicemail inspection line call 425-489-2754. Press 1 for inspections.

If you have any questions concerning your project or inspections, you may call the inspector directly at 206-276-6856.

11. What happens if I start work without a building permit?

Since failure to obtain a permit is a violation of City ordinances and state law, fines may be levied. The work may be required to be torn out and redone, or removed completely, either because the work was not done to code, or the work cannot be approved due to building or zoning requirements.

12. Do I need a permit to remove a tree?

A Tree Removal Permit (PDF) is required to remove any tree on private or public property.

13. How do I obtain electrical permits?

Electrical permits are done through the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. Visit their page on Electrical Basics for Home and Business Owners.

14. How do I obtain water, sewer, and/or septic removal?

Water and sewer services are provided by the Woodinville Water District. Their requirements are available on the Woodinville Water District website. They also have available information on existing water and sewer connections.

Septic approval is done through the Public Health - Seattle and King County. Septic requirements are available on Seattle and King County Environmental Health's On-Site Sewage System Program page. They also have available designs of existing septic systems.

15. What should be done with construction and demolition waste?

Click on the link for King County's Construction and Demolition Waste webpage. 

King County Construction and Demolition Waste