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Seattle permit search

Seattle permit records are looked up in the Seattle Services Portal: enter an address or record number to find trade, construction and land use permit records, with permit activity from 2005 to present and each permit's status. The Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections says: “Most projects in Seattle require a permit.” Search permits in the Seattle Services Portal

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Sources read: 2026-10-29Updated 2026-10-29

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Who issues building permits in Seattle?

Permits in Seattle come from the City's own department, the Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections (SDCI), which also issues electrical permits. In its words:

SDCI issues land use, construction, and trade permits, conducts construction and housing-related inspections, ensures compliance with our codes, and regulates rental rules.

Source: Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections - Construction and Inspections | seattle.gov, read 2026-10-29

Seattle permit numbers, with their sources

New privately-owned housing units authorized in 2025, King County (Census county total)8,505 units: 2,510 in one-unit buildings, 5,102 in buildings of five or more unitsCensus Bureau Building Permits Survey, annual county file 2025, King County, WA (county grain), read 2026-10-29
City goals for issuing construction permits, calendar days in City control, set as of October 1, 202530 to 180 daysConstruction Permit Performance - Construction and Inspections | seattle.gov, City of Seattle (authority grain), read 2026-10-29
Simple building permits issued with minimal review (subject-to-field-inspection)within 48 hours of when you submit your applicationHow Much Will Your Permit Cost? - Construction and Inspections | seattle.gov, City of Seattle (authority grain), read 2026-10-29
Intake of a complete construction application once it is uploadedwithin two-three weeksHow Do You Get a Permit? - Construction and Inspections | seattle.gov, City of Seattle (authority grain), read 2026-10-29
Electrical inspections most electrical permits requirethree electrical inspections: cover, service, and finalElectrical Permit - Construction and Inspections | seattle.gov, City of Seattle (authority grain), read 2026-10-29

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Seattle permit status

To see where a Seattle permit stands, find it in the Seattle Services Portal search or open the My Records tab. The portal's home page:

To check status, renew, make changes, pay or schedule, find the permit or record through search or use the My Records tab.

Source: Permits, Licenses and Regulatory Compliance - Seattle Services Portal | seattle.gov, read 2026-10-29

Many electrical permits are issued the same day you apply online. When a permit needs plan review, SDCI says it may take up to a few weeks before it issues the permit if no corrections are needed.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Seattle?

Not for a fence 8 feet high or less with no masonry or concrete elements over 6 feet, unless it sits in a flood-prone area. SDCI's fence page, which cites Seattle Residential Code, Chapter 1, Section R105.2:

You don’t need a permit if you’re building a fence with a total height of 8 feet high or less that doesn’t have masonry or concrete elements over 6 feet. You will need a construction permit if the fence will be located in a flood-prone area.

Source: Fences - Construction and Inspections | seattle.gov, read 2026-10-29

A taller fence needs a construction permit, in most cases a subject-to-field-inspection permit, applied for with scaled plans. Zoning still limits the height: 6 feet in neighborhood residential and multifamily zones, with an additional 2 feet of architectural features, and 4 feet in a front or street side setback.

Start my request for a fence in Seattle

Do I need a permit to repair or replace a roof in Seattle?

For a detached one- or two-family house, SDCI lists roof repair and replacing existing roof sheathing among projects that usually don't require a permit, when the building envelope does not change and the site is outside an environmentally critical area:

Roofing and siding replacement. In detached one- and two-family houses, you do not need a permit to replace existing roof sheathing or to repair the roof only you are not making changes to the building envelope and the work is as good as the existing structure.

Source: Do You Need a Permit? - Construction and Inspections | seattle.gov, read 2026-10-29

Changes to the building envelope need a permit however small the project:

You need a permit for any work on load-bearing supports, changes to the building envelope, and work that reduces egress, light, ventilation, or fire resistance no matter how small the project.

Source: Do You Need a Permit? - Construction and Inspections | seattle.gov, read 2026-10-29

Start my request for a roof repair in Seattle

Do I need a permit for electrical work in Seattle?

Yes, for wiring work. In Seattle, SDCI issues electrical permits, and its rule is:

You need an electrical permit any time electrical wiring is installed, altered, extended, or connected to any electrical equipment, including signs.

Source: Electrical Permit - Construction and Inspections | seattle.gov, read 2026-10-29

Most low-voltage systems in single-family dwellings are the exception, though security alarm systems still require an electrical permit. Seattle Electrical Code Article 80, Sections 80.50 and 80.51, explain when a permit or plan review is needed.

Start my request for a electrical in Seattle

Do I need a permit for a deck in Seattle?

Yes when the deck is more than 18 inches above the ground, is a roof deck, or sits in an environmentally critical area. SDCI's deck page:

You need a permit to build a deck if it is: More than 18 inches above the ground A roof deck (built on top of part of the building) In an environmentally critical area (ECA), for example landslide-prone or flood-prone areas.

Source: Decks - Construction and Inspections | seattle.gov, read 2026-10-29

Most decks take a subject-to-field-inspection permit. A deck more than 8 feet above the ground or over 750 square feet in size needs an addition or alteration construction permit.

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Do I need a permit for a shed in Seattle?

Not when the shed meets each of SDCI's criteria: a roof footprint of 120 square feet or less, a single story, a simple concrete slab, pier blocks or soil underneath, no attachment to a house or other building, no environmentally critical area in or near the site, and use for storage, growing plants or similar unoccupied uses.

Other sheds, in SDCI's words:

All other sheds require a permit; most require only a subject-to-field-inspection permit.

Source: Sheds - Construction and Inspections | seattle.gov, read 2026-10-29

With or without a permit, the shed must meet the building, land use, stormwater, grading and environmentally critical areas codes.

Start my request for a shed in Seattle

Can a homeowner pull their own permit in Seattle?

For electrical work, yes, when you own the property and live in it. SDCI's electrical permit page:

Property owners may do their own work when they own and occupy the property they’re working on.

Source: Electrical Permit - Construction and Inspections | seattle.gov, read 2026-10-29

For fences and decks, SDCI says the drawings rarely require a professional stamp: you can prepare them yourself or hire a professional to help you.

What work does not need a permit in Seattle?

Minor repairs under a dollar limit, plus a list of small projects, as long as the site is outside an environmentally critical area. The limit, in SDCI's words:

Minor repairs or alterations. You don't need a permit for minor repairs or alterations that cost $6,000 or less in any 6-month period. The $6,000 limit is based on fair market value of labor and parts, even if you do the work yourself.

Source: Do You Need a Permit? - Construction and Inspections | seattle.gov, read 2026-10-29

Work on load-bearing supports, changes to the building envelope, and work that reduces egress, light, ventilation or fire resistance need a permit no matter how small the project.

Other projects that usually don't require a permit include patios and concrete slabs on grade, painting, installing kitchen cabinets, insulating existing buildings, fences less than 8 feet high with no concrete or masonry elements higher than 6 feet, some retaining walls and rockeries not over 4 feet, and platforms, walks and driveways less than 18 inches above grade. SDCI points to Seattle Residential Code Section R105.2 and Seattle Building Code Section 106.2 for the lists, and work without a permit must still meet code requirements.

How much is a permit and how long does it take in Seattle?

Seattle SDCI permit fees (2026 Fee Subtitle, effective January 1, 2026)

SDCI bases a permit's cost on the size and complexity of the project, the value of the work, additional permits it needs, and how long review takes. Fee lines from SDCI's 2026 Fee Subtitle, Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 22.900; a technology fee of five percent of the listed fees is added on top. These are government permit fees, not a price for the work itself.

The SDCI base fee shall be charged as specified in this Subtitle IX and shall be $292.

Source: FeeSubtitleFinal (PDF), read 2026-10-29

The minimum permit fee or plan review fee for value-based fees is $292.

Source: FeeSubtitleFinal (PDF), read 2026-10-29

The minimum plan review fee for subject-to-field-inspection (STFI) value-based plan review is $116.75.

Source: FeeSubtitleFinal (PDF), read 2026-10-29

SDCI issues some simple building permits within 48 hours of when you submit your application. The City's goals for construction permits, set as of October 1, 2025, range from 30 to 180 days in City control, and SDCI notes that the total days an applicant experiences are roughly twice the days in City control.

Before you apply in Seattle: checklist

Research the property's zoning and permit history, then set up a Seattle Services Portal account, since most permit applications are submitted there. Include a site plan that meets Tip 103, add the documents in Tip 316 if the project may qualify as subject-to-field-inspection, prepare plans showing your proposed work, and find out which permit forms your permit type requires. SDCI's rule for an intake appointment:

You must upload all application documents by 7 AM on the day of your appointment.

Source: How Do You Get a Permit? - Construction and Inspections | seattle.gov, read 2026-10-29

Fees are due once SDCI finds the application complete, and fees not paid within 48 hours mean the intake is rejected and must be rescheduled.

How do I contact the Seattle building department?

Most SDCI staff can be reached by phone or email during main business hours, 8 AM - 4 PM, and the department is closed on most federal holidays. For language or technical help with its online services, SDCI keeps an information desk downtown:

For customers who need language assistance or technical assistance accessing the Services page, we have an SDCI information desk on the 4th floor of the Seattle Municipal Tower at 700 Fifth Ave. in downtown Seattle.

Source: Contact Us - Hours & Location - Construction and Inspections | seattle.gov, read 2026-10-29

Hours, location and question forms: Contact Us - Hours & Location; Contact Us - Send Us a Question.

Sources

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