Building permits in King County, Washington
Of the 10 common home projects we have verified in King County, 3 need a permit outright and 6 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
By Mario Bailey Last checked · 2 official sources
Verified against official sources- Project types verified
- 10
- in King County
One thing King County does not make you permit
Worth knowing before you call anyone. Most jurisdictions we cover require all of these.
- Roof Replacement Permit
Replacement of roofing or siding on a detached one or two-family house in unincorporated King County does not require a building permit
King County Department of Local Services Permitting Division
- 919 SW Grady Way Suite 300, Renton, WA 98057
- Phone: (206) 296-6600
- Email: PermitQuestions@kingcounty.gov
- Official permit page
- Permit portal
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in King County
King County runs an online permit portal. Many local portals let you check application status, search permit records, and view inspection results without calling the office.
Search the King County permit portal
What needs a permit in King County
Of the 10 common home projects we have verified in King County, 3 need a permit outright and 6 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Permit | It depends | uncovered decks 30 inches or less above ground do not require a building permit in unincorporated King County; decks over 30 inches above grade require a permit | Most permit fees increased approximately 14% on January 1 2026 plus a $126 application... |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Set by state L&I, not King County, under WAC 296-46B-906 (effective 7/1/2026): new... |
| Fence Permit | It depends | fences 6 feet or less do not require a building permit in unincorporated King County; fences over 6 feet require a permit | Most permit fees increased approximately 14% on January 1 2026 plus a $126 application... |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Mechanical installation-only permit is a flat $183 inspection fee covering up to six... |
| Patio Permit | It depends | at-grade patios and uncovered decks 30 inches or less above ground are exempt; covered patios and taller structures require a building permit | No separate patio line |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Issued by Public Health Seattle and King County rather than the county Permitting Division |
| Pool Permit | It depends | prefabricated above-ground pools less than 24 inches deep and not exceeding 5000 gallons are exempt; all other pools require a building permit in unincorporated King County | Most permit fees increased approximately 14% on January 1 2026 plus a $126 application... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | No permit needed | Not specified | Most permit fees increased approximately 14% on January 1 2026 plus a $126 application... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | storage sheds 200 sq ft or less as accessory to a residential house do not require a building permit in unincorporated King County; sheds over 200 sq ft require a permit | Most permit fees increased approximately 14% on January 1 2026 plus a $126 application... |
| Solar Permit | It depends | roof-mounted solar PV panels weighing less than 4 pounds per square foot on residences do not require a building permit; heavier installations require a permit | Most permit fees increased approximately 14% on January 1 2026 plus a $126 application... |
Planning a project in King County?
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King County permit fees compared with nearby Washington localities
| Washington locality | Deck Permit | HVAC Permit | Electrical Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| King County | Most permit fees increased approximately 14% on January 1... | Mechanical installation-only permit is a flat $183... | Set by state L&I, not King County, under WAC 296-46B-906... |
| Bellevue | Building permit fee by valuation per Table 4 of Ordinance... | Flat single-family mechanical inspection fees per Table 8... | Electrical permit fee by valuation per Table 6 of... |
| Clark County | Fees are established by county ordinance and calculated... | Application rev 1.30.23: $94 issuance plus per-appliance... | No county fee |
| Pierce County | Building permit fee follows PCC Table 17C.10-1-B... | Issue each mechanical permit fee $58.00, plus unit fees... | No county fee |
Each cell is the opening clause of that Washington jurisdiction's own fee schedule; the full wording and source sit on each permit page.
King County permit questions, answered from the data
- Do you need a permit in King County?
- For most projects, yes. Of the 10 permit types we have verified for King County, 3 always require a permit (for example an electrical permit), 6 depend on size or scope (a deck permit, for instance), and 1 needs no permit at all in King County. Each King County permit type's page states the exact rule and its source.
- How much does a permit cost in King County?
- King County publishes a fee for 10 of the 10 permit types we cover, each quoted on its page from the jurisdiction's own schedule (linked on every page that carries one). Fees are set by King County Department of Local Services Permitting Division; we do not estimate or mark them up.
- Where do you apply for a permit in King County?
- King County Department of Local Services Permitting Division issues permits in King County, with an online portal for applications, plan uploads and status checks, and takes questions at (206) 296-6600. The King County official page and portal are linked in the office section above.
How the King County pages were verified. 10 permit types, 5 distinct official sources, most recently checked . Every rule is read from King County Department of Local Services Permitting Division or the applicable code and cited on its page; anything we could not confirm for King County is marked rather than estimated. How we verify.
Permitting activity in King County
In 2024, King County authorized permits for 10,564 new residential housing units (2,352 single-family, 8,212 in multi-family buildings), valued at $2.7B , down from 10,601 the year before. That works out to about 4.5 permits per 1,000 residents. It is a useful gauge of how busy the local permit office is.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual data · population 2,340,211.
About King County
King County has about 988,330 housing units. The median home is valued at $811,200, against a median household income of $122,148. About 56% of homes are owner-occupied, and the typical home was built around 1983. Older housing stock usually means more renovation, electrical, and plumbing permits.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year.