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Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) in Camas, Washington

Camas applies its residential fire sprinkler requirement to new detached accessory dwelling units, which is a substantial design and cost consideration many owners do not expect.

Reviewed 2026-09-16 · Source

When you need this permit

  • A new accessory detached dwelling unit is subject to CMC 15.17.050, which requires an automatic fire sprinkler system
  • The same requirement applies to a dwelling undergoing a "substantial" remodel
  • Camas specifically adopts IRC Appendix AQ, Tiny Homes
  • Built to the edition currently adopted by the State Building Code Council

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building permit fee
CAMAS DOES NOT PRINT PERMIT AMOUNTS IN ITS CODE, AND SAYS SO. Show full citationCAMAS DOES NOT PRINT PERMIT AMOUNTS IN ITS CODE, AND SAYS SO. CMC 15.04.030 replaces IBC Section 109.7 with "The fee for each permit shall be set as per the fee schedule established by the City Council per Resolution." So no dollar figure appears here. THE RATIOS ARE IN THE CODE AND DO APPLY: the plan review fee "shall be sixty-five percent of the building permit fee"; a "same as" residential plan set is reviewed at fifty percent of the plan review fee, conditioned on an identical and complete set being submitted, with the first set paying one hundred percent; a permit that has expired for time may be renewed "for one-half of the original permit fee"; and starting work without a permit triggers an investigation fee "equal to the amount of the permit fee required by this code", charged whether or not a permit is ever issued. Ask the Building Division for the Council's current fee schedule.
Not stated in this guide - see notes

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) permit actually take in Camas?

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Inspection process

    Tips

    • Budget for sprinklers from the start on a detached ADU - retrofitting a design is expensive
    • The mobile and manufactured home exception in CMC 15.17.050 is expressly limited to that section and does not lift any other sprinkler requirement

    Frequently asked questions

    Camas requires an accessory dwelling unit (adu) permit for: A new accessory detached dwelling unit is subject to CMC 15.17.050, which requires an automatic fire sprinkler system; The same requirement applies to a dwelling undergoing a "substantial" remodel; Camas specifically adopts IRC Appendix AQ, Tiny Homes; Built to the edition currently adopted by the State Building Code Council. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Camas - Building Division at 360-817-1568 before starting work.

    In Camas, the published Building permit fee is: Not stated in this guide - see notes. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

    Camas does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Camas - Building Division at 360-817-1568 for current turnaround.

    You'll need: Permit application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through City of Camas - Building Division at 616 NE 4th Avenue, Suite 4, Camas, WA 98607. Phone: 360-817-1568, email: permits@cityofcamas.us. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, excluding holidays - but the Permit Center is CLOSED 12-1 PM DAILY. Official information: https://www.cityofcamas.us/com-dev/page/building-division.

    Camas, Washington has adopted: CAMAS NAMES NO EDITION YEAR AT ALL. CMC 15.04.010 provides that "the City of Camas adopts the most current edition of building codes adopted by the Washington State Building Code Council, as amended, pursuant to RCW 19.27.074 and as set forth in WAC 51-50 IBC/IEBC; WAC 51-51 IRC; WAC 51-52 IMC/IFGC; WAC 51-54 IFC; WAC 51-56 UPC; and WAC 51-11 energy code as amended in Section 15.04.030 of this Chapter." To learn which edition applies you must go to the WAC chapters or ask the city - the municipal code will not tell you.; WHICH CYCLE THE CITY SAYS IT IS ON. The Building Division page states "2021 I-Codes will be effective, Friday, March 15, 2024". That sentence is written in the future tense and was still on the page when it was read on 2026-09-16, so it is an announcement that has since taken effect rather than a current-status statement. Confirm the governing edition with the Building Division before you design to it.; APPENDICES CAMAS SPECIFICALLY ADOPTS, WHICH OTHER CITIES OFTEN DO NOT. Under the IRC: Appendix AJ Existing Buildings and Structures; Appendix AH Patio Covers; Appendix AF Radon Control Methods; Appendix AQ Tiny Homes; Appendix AWU Dwelling Unit Fire Sprinkler Systems; and Appendix AWV Fire Sprinklers. Under the IBC: Appendix H, Signs. Under the IFC: Appendices A Board of Appeals, B Fire Flow, C Hydrants, E Hazard Categories and F Hazard Ranking.; For liquefied petroleum gas, CMC 15.04.010(C) provides that "the standards for liquefied petroleum gas installations shall be NFPA 58 (Storage and Handling of Liquefied Petroleum Gases) and ANSI Z223.1/NFPA 54 (National Fuel Gas Code)" rather than the IMC's own.; RCW 19.27 - the Washington State Building Code applies statewide.. Local amendments apply — see the Camas overview page for the full list.

    Yes. CMC 15.17.050 adopts IRC Appendices AWU and AWV and states that the requirements "shall further apply to any new accessory detached dwelling unit or dwelling undergoing a 'substantial' remodel." The only exception is for mobile and manufactured homes, and the code limits that exception to this one section.

    Sources & verification

    Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-16.

    Codes & ordinances

    Department & other records

    Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Camas building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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    This page covers what the permit requires. What we don't have for Camas yet is the record of permits actually issued — the history you'd search by street address. That is a gap in our coverage, not a statement about any particular property.

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    Other permits in Camas

    Building PermitPatio CoverVerify a Contractor Licence

    Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) in other cities

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