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Building Permit in Vancouver, Washington

Required for construction in Vancouver. Unusually for Washington, the permit fee schedule is published in the municipal code rather than in a separate council resolution.

Reviewed 2026-09-16 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Built to Washington State's currently adopted IBC or IRC - VMC Title 17 names no edition year
  • Neither model code's Chapter 1 applies; VMC Chapter 17.08 supplies the administration
  • Valuation is determined by the building official from national statistical averages, not by the applicant
  • A permit is not valid until the permit and construction documents are approved AND the fees are paid

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building permit fee
VANCOUVER IS UNUSUAL: ITS BUILDING PERMIT FEES ARE IN THE CODE ITSELF, AS TABLE I OF VMC 17.08, marked "2026 Fees". Show full citationVANCOUVER IS UNUSUAL: ITS BUILDING PERMIT FEES ARE IN THE CODE ITSELF, AS TABLE I OF VMC 17.08, marked "2026 Fees". The schedule is valuation-based and regressive, starting at $30.93 for work valued at $1 to $500 and reaching "$7,378.62 for the first $1,000,000 plus $4.14 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof" at the top bracket. THREE THINGS ARE ADDED ON TOP AND PEOPLE MISS THEM: a plan review fee of 65% of the building permit fee (100% if you want fast track review); a technology fee of five and one-half percent applied to the building fund fees in Tables I through VI; and, where the work involves two or more codes, a single permit fee of ONE AND SIX-TENTHS TIMES the fee otherwise set out. Valuation itself is not yours to choose - VMC 17.08.130 provides that it "shall be generated from national statistical averages as found in 'Building Standards' or similar source", with the determination made by the building official. These figures were read from the code on 2026-09-16 and checked for internal consistency; confirm them with the city before relying on them for a budget.
From the city's own schedule - see notes

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Building Permit permit actually take in Vancouver?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

    Tips

    • Budget the add-ons: 65% plan review, a 5.5% technology fee, and 1.6x if the work spans two or more codes
    • Fast track review is available at a higher plan review fee - 100% instead of 65%
    • Enforcement is in VMC Title 22, not in Title 17
    • Inspections as required under VMC 17.08.140

    Frequently asked questions

    Vancouver requires a building permit for: Built to Washington State's currently adopted IBC or IRC - VMC Title 17 names no edition year; Neither model code's Chapter 1 applies; VMC Chapter 17.08 supplies the administration; Valuation is determined by the building official from national statistical averages, not by the applicant; A permit is not valid until the permit and construction documents are approved AND the fees are paid. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Vancouver - Building Division at 360-487-8480 before starting work.

    Vancouver publishes the schedule in its code as Table I of VMC 17.08, marked 2026 Fees. It is valuation-based: $30.93 for work valued at $1 to $500, $91.17 for the first $2,000 plus $18.43 per additional $1,000 up to $25,000, and so on up to $7,378.62 for the first $1,000,000 plus $4.14 per additional $1,000. Add a plan review fee of 65% of the permit fee and a technology fee of 5.5%. If the work involves two or more codes you pay a single fee of 1.6 times the amount shown. The building official sets the valuation, not you.

    Vancouver does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Vancouver - Building Division at 360-487-8480 for current turnaround.

    You'll need: Building permit application and construction documents. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through City of Vancouver - Building Division. Phone: 360-487-8480. Official information: https://www.cityofvancouver.us/.

    Vancouver, Washington has adopted: VANCOUVER NAMES NO EDITION. VMC 17.12.010: "As required by RCW Chapter 19.27, the City of Vancouver hereby adopts by reference Washington State's currently adopted International Building Code (IBC) and appendices I and J (not including IBC Section J103.2, Exemption 1) and M (International Existing Building Code) as published by the International Code Council, and as adopted and amended by RCW Chapter 19.27, WAC Chapter 51-50, and the provisions of this chapter."; THE RESIDENTIAL CODE IS ADOPTED THE SAME WAY. VMC 17.10.010 adopts "Washington State's currently adopted International Residential Code (IRC) and appendices F, G, H and K".; NEITHER CODE'S CHAPTER 1 IS ADOPTED. VMC 17.12.010 states "The City of Vancouver does not adopt IBC Chapter 1" and VMC 17.10.010 states "The city of Vancouver does not adopt IRC Chapter 1." Chapter 1 is the administrative chapter in each model code; VMC Chapter 17.08 replaces it, and enforcement runs through VMC Title 22.; The exclusion at VMC 17.12.010 is surgical: appendix J is adopted but "not including IBC Section J103.2, Exemption 1".; Title 17 also carries separate chapters for the Energy Code (17.09), National Electrical Code (17.16), Uniform Plumbing Code (17.20), International Mechanical Code (17.24), Manufactured Housing (17.25) and the National Green Building Standard (17.42).; RCW 19.27 - the Washington State Building Code applies statewide.. Local amendments apply — see the Vancouver overview page for the full list.

    Both 105 and 135 mph, depending on which measure you mean. VMC 17.10.010 publishes V-ASD (nominal design wind speed) of 105 mph and V-ULT (ultimate design wind speed) of 135 mph for Risk Category II, both as 3-second gusts, coordinated with Risk Categories per ASCE 7-10. Always state which one you are using - and note that because both are 3-second gusts, calling a figure a 'gust' does not identify it.

    Sources & verification

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

    Fee schedules

    Codes & ordinances

    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 Vancouver 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 Vancouver 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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