Do I Need a Permit to Pour Concrete in Washington?

Concrete and driveway permit requirements. When flatwork needs a permit, right-of-way bonds, and drainage rules.

Only if it connects to the street, modifies drainage, or is a structural element.

In Washington

WASHINGTON HAS ONE STATE BUILDING CODE IN FORCE EVERYWHERE, ADOPTED BY REFERENCE: "Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, there shall be in effect in all counties and cities the state building code which shall consist of the following model codes which are hereby adopted by reference:" IN ALL COUNTIES AND CITIES - the model codes named in that section are the code, without any act by your city. AND YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT MAY CHANGE IT, BUT ONLY IN ONE DIRECTION: "The governing bodies of counties and cities may amend the codes enumerated in RCW 19.27.031 as amended and adopted by the state building code council as they apply within their respective jurisdictions, but the amendments shall not result in a code that is less than the minimum performance standards and objectives contained in the state building code except as provided in subsection (2) of this section." NOT LESS THAN THE MINIMUM. So a local amendment may add to the state code and may not fall below it. That is the opposite arrangement from states that cap local rules at the model code, and it means a stricter local requirement in Washington is normal rather than suspect. FOR A HOUSE THERE IS A SECOND GATE, AND IT IS THE PART MOST READERS WOULD NEVER GUESS: "Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, no amendment to a code enumerated in RCW 19.27.031 as amended and adopted by the state building code council that affects single-family or multifamily residential buildings shall be effective unless the amendment is approved by the building code council under RCW 19.27.074 (1)(b)." SHALL BE EFFECTIVE ONLY IF APPROVED BY THE BUILDING CODE COUNCIL. A local amendment touching single-family or multifamily residential buildings is not merely constrained - it does not take effect at all until a state council approves it. If you are told a local residential rule differs from the state code, that approval is the thing to ask about. BUT THE STATE CODE DOES NOT FIX THE NUMBERS YOU ACTUALLY DESIGN TO. The climatic and geographic design criteria - ground snow load, wind speed, seismic design category, frost line depth - are set by each city in its own code, and neighbouring Washington cities do not agree. STANWOOD AND AIRWAY HEIGHTS DISAGREE ON EVERY ONE OF THEM. Stanwood amends the International Residential Code table to a "Ground Snow Load 25 (roof snow load must also be 25psf unless proven otherwise by the structural engineer of record)", a "Wind Speed 110 mph", "Seismic Design Category D2" and a "Frost line depth 12"". Airway Heights publishes a "Ground Snow Load*: 39 lbs/ft2", a "Wind Speed (Gust): 85 mph", "Seismic Design Category: C" and a "Frost Line Depth: 24"" - with its own footnote that the "Minimum roof snow load to be 30 lbs/ft2 in the City of Airway Heights." READ THE LABELS, NOT ONLY THE NUMBERS. Airway Heights states its wind figure as a GUST; Stanwood's is unqualified. So the two cities do not even record the same measure, which is a further reason a figure cannot simply be carried across - you would be comparing one city's gust to another city's unlabelled speed. SO A FIGURE CARRIED FROM ONE WASHINGTON CITY TO THE NEXT WILL BE WRONG, and it can be wrong in either direction: Stanwood's ground snow load is LOWER than Airway Heights' while its stated wind speed is HIGHER. A plan drawn to one city's criteria is not a plan that passes in the other. AND ONE OF THOSE FIGURES IS NOT A FIXED NUMBER AT ALL. Stanwood's roof snow load is a default an engineer may displace - 25 psf "unless proven otherwise by the structural engineer of record". The way out is evidence, not discretion, and the code says so. ASK YOUR CITY FOR ITS DESIGN CRITERIA BEFORE YOU DRAW ANYTHING. They are published in the municipal code, not in the state code, and this guide cannot give them to you for your address. THE NUMBER THAT DECIDES HOW DEEP YOU DIG IS SET CITY BY CITY, AND IT DOUBLES ACROSS THIS STATE. Frost line depth is a local design criterion, not a state one: Sammamish and Shoreline both publish 12 inches, while Airway Heights publishes a "Frost Line Depth: 24"". A footing detail that is correct on one side of the Cascades can be half the required depth on the other. SAMMAMISH ALSO PUBLISHES THE BEARING FIGURE ITS FOOTINGS ARE SIZED ON - "SOIL BEARING (Assumed): 1500 PSF" - and the word ASSUMED is doing real work there, because an assumed value is what applies until a geotechnical report says otherwise. AND THE INSPECTION IS BEFORE THE POUR, NOT AFTER: Sammamish requires the concrete slab and under-floor inspection after reinforcing steel, conduit, slab insulation and piping are in place "but before any concrete i[s placed]". Concrete poured ahead of that inspection is the one mistake on this list that cannot be corrected by paperwork.

When You Don't Need a Permit

Simple concrete flatwork on your own property — a backyard patio, a walkway, or a small pad — typically does not require a building permit in most cities, as long as it doesn't alter drainage patterns or connect to the public right-of-way.

When You Do Need a Permit

A permit is required for: new driveways or driveway widenings (curb cut modification), sidewalk work in the public right-of-way, any concrete that changes drainage patterns, and structural concrete (retaining walls, foundations). Driveway permits may also require a refundable right-of-way bond ($500-$2,000).

Drainage Is Key

The biggest issue with concrete work isn't the concrete itself — it's drainage. Most cities prohibit directing water runoff onto neighboring properties. If your new concrete changes how water flows on your lot, you may need a drainage plan even for otherwise exempt work.

ADA at the Sidewalk

If your driveway crosses a public sidewalk, the approach must meet ADA slope requirements. This is enforced during the permit process and is a common reason driveway permits are revised.

Backyard patio? Probably no permit. Driveway or anything touching the street? Yes. Always check drainage impact.

Permit fees by city in Washington

Verified from each city’s published fee schedule. Where a city has no separate fee listed for this project, open the city page for the current requirements and amount.

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Permit fees by city in Washington
	Permit fee	Source
Bonney Lake	Set by city council resolutionVerifiedvia Residential building permit	Residential building permit →
Des Moines	Set by the City Manager or designeeVerifiedvia Residential building permit	Residential building permit →
Edmonds	Set by council resolution; not in codeVerifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction)	Residential Building Permit (New Construction) →
Issaquah	$33.26 minimum, tiered by valuationVerifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction)	Residential Building Permit (New Construction) →
Kenmore	Set by adopted fee scheduleVerifiedvia Residential building permit	Residential building permit →
Lake Stevens	Set by city council resolutionVerifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction)	Residential Building Permit (New Construction) →
Longview	Set in the master fee scheduleVerifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction)	Residential Building Permit (New Construction) →
Lynnwood	Set by city council fee ordinanceVerifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction)	Residential Building Permit (New Construction) →
Maple Valley	Set by Development Fee ScheduleVerifiedvia Residential building permit	Residential building permit →
Mercer Island	Set by city council resolutionVerifiedvia Residential building permit	Residential building permit →
Moses Lake	Set by city council resolutionVerifiedvia Residential building permit	Residential building permit →
Mountlake Terrace	Set by annually adopted fee scheduleVerifiedvia Residential building permit	Residential building permit →
Pullman	Set by city council resolutionVerifiedvia Residential building permit	Residential building permit →
Puyallup	Set by city manager executive orderVerifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction)	Residential Building Permit (New Construction) →
Sammamish	See city page for the current Residential Building Permit fee	Residential Building Permit →
SeaTac	Set by City of SeaTac Fee ScheduleVerifiedvia Residential building permit	Residential building permit →
Tumwater	Set by city council resolutionVerifiedvia Residential building permit	Residential building permit →
University Place	Set by city council fee resolutionVerifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction)	Residential Building Permit (New Construction) →
Walla Walla	From $30.00, tiered by valuationVerifiedvia Residential building permit	Residential building permit →
Wenatchee	Not published in code; ask the cityVerifiedvia Residential Building Permit (New Construction)	Residential Building Permit (New Construction) →

See the national overview for this permit →