Electrical permit — Des Moines, Washington · Requirements sheet
Verified 2026-09-16 · Source: https://ecode360.com/47124190
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Electrical permit in Des Moines, Washington
Permit for electrical work in Des Moines under the Washington Cities Electrical Code, adopted at DMMC 14.01.050 and amended in DMMC Chapter 14.15.
Verified 2026-09-16 · Source
When you need this permit
- DMMC 14.01.050(8) adopts “The Washington Cities Electrical Code as published and printed by the Washington Association of Building Officials”. NO EDITION YEAR IS NAMED.
- THE CITY CHARGES ITS OWN ELECTRICAL PERMIT FEES, WHICH TELLS YOU IT ISSUES THE PERMITS. DMMC 14.15.040 amends WCEC Section 85.13(N): “Payment of fees. A permit shall not be valid until the fees prescribed by law have been paid. Nor shall an amendment to a permit be released until the additional fee, if any, has been paid”, with a schedule of permit fees established as the section provides.
- >>> THE WASHINGTON CITIES ELECTRICAL CODE NOW APPEARS IN TWO CITIES IN THIS SET AND THE ATTRIBUTIONS DIFFER. SeaTac adopts it at SMC 13.180.030 without naming a publisher; Des Moines names one — the Washington Association of Building Officials. TWO CITIES IS A SAMPLE OF TWO and nothing is claimed here about how widely the WCEC is used in Washington.
- ELECTRICAL ARRANGEMENTS DIFFER SHARPLY ACROSS THIS SET AND NONE OF THEM TRANSFERS: Des Moines adopts the WCEC and charges its own fees; SeaTac adopts the NEC and the WCEC and relinquishes jurisdiction to the Port of Seattle for airport uses; Pullman adopts the NEC plus state rules codified in Chapter 296-45B WAC, a Labor and Industries title; Walla Walla publishes Chapter 15.08 as “ELECTRICAL CODE (RESERVED)” with no sections at all; and Wenatchee's electrical chapter was repealed while its permit requirement survived.
- TWO EXPIRY TRIGGERS AND NO ABSOLUTE CAP, WHICH IS UNUSUAL IN THIS SET. DMMC 14.05.110(1): “Every permit issued shall become invalid unless the work on the site authorized by such permit is commenced within 180 days after its issuance, or if the work authorized on the site by such permit is suspended or abandoned for a period of 180 days after the time the work is commenced. The Building Official is authorized to grant, in writing, one or more extensions of time, for periods not more than 180 days each. The extension shall be requested in writing and justifiable cause demonstrated.” “ONE OR MORE EXTENSIONS” IS THE PHRASE TO NOTICE. Puyallup, Wenatchee and Walla Walla all add a two-year absolute limit that runs regardless of progress, and SeaTac allows a single extension only. Des Moines publishes neither an absolute cap nor a limit on the number of extensions.
- CONSTRUCTION HOURS PUT SATURDAY WITH SUNDAY, NOT WITH THE WORKING WEEK. DMMC 14.01.100: activities “shall be limited to the following hours: (1) Monday through Friday: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (2) Saturday, Sunday and Holidays: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.” THREE CITIES IN THIS SET, THREE DIFFERENT PLACES FOR SATURDAY: Issaquah permits no nonemergency construction on weekends or legal holidays at all without an expanded work hours permit; University Place runs Monday THROUGH SATURDAY 7:00 to 7:00 with Sunday and legal holidays at 8:00 to 5:00; Des Moines gives Saturday the short day.
- DMMC 14.01.050 closes with a filing duty that is useful to a reader: “Not less than one copy of each such code, standards, rules, and regulations, in the form in which it was adopted, and suitably marked to indicate amendments, additions, deletions and exceptions as provided in this Title, shall be filed in the Building Official's office and be available for use and examination by the public.” Because the city adopts by WAC chapter with no edition year, that marked-up filed copy is the concrete way to see which text is actually in force.
- DMMC 14.01.140: appeals go to the Hearing Examiner under DMMC 18.20.150, 18.20.160 and chapter 18.240 DMMC, and “All references to ‘board of appeals’ in any codes, standards, rules, and regulations adopted in this Title shall hereafter mean the Hearing Examiner.” THE EXAMINER'S POWER IS BOUNDED: “The Hearing Examiner shall have no authority to waive requirements of this Title.” Chapter 18.240 DMMC was not opened, so no deadline is asserted.
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Fee schedule
DMMC 14.01.090: “Except as otherwise provided in this Title, the fee for any permit issued by the City under the authority of this Title shall be established by the City Manager or the City Manager's… Show full citationHide
DMMC 14.01.090: “Except as otherwise provided in this Title, the fee for any permit issued by the City under the authority of this Title shall be established by the City Manager or the City Manager's designee.” NO DOLLAR AMOUNT APPEARS IN THE CODE and the schedule itself was not opened. THIS IS THE SECOND CITY-MANAGER FEE IN THIS WASHINGTON SET AND THE TWO ARE NOT IDENTICAL: Puyallup sets its fees by EXECUTIVE ORDER of the city manager, naming the instrument; Des Moines names the officer and the delegate but no instrument at all, so there is no document type to ask for by name. Note also the opening words — “Except as otherwise provided in this Title” — which means the manager's schedule is not necessarily the whole answer; the electrical chapter carries its own fee provision at amended WCEC Section 85.13(N).Review timeline
Inspection process
Tips
- DES MOINES RUNS ITS OWN ELECTRICAL PERMITTING RATHER THAN LEAVING IT TO THE STATE. The city adopts the Washington Cities Electrical Code and amends its fee section at DMMC 14.15.040, and a permit “shall not be valid until the fees prescribed by law have been paid”.
- A PERMIT AMENDMENT IS ALSO GATED ON MONEY: under the amended WCEC 85.13(N), an amendment to a permit will not be released until any additional fee has been paid.
Frequently asked questions
Sources & verification
Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-16.
Checklists & handouts
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 Des Moines building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.
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