Residential building permit in Des Moines, Washington

Des Moines requires a residential building permit for: DMMC 14.01.050 adopts “Chapter 51-51 WAC – International Residential Code (IRC)”. NO EDITION YEAR AND NO EDITION PHRASE APPEAR — the city adopts the WAC chapter itself, and the model code is named after a dash as a gloss on it.; The rolling clause sits in the opening sentence and covers every item in the list: the codes are adopted “pursuant to chapter 19.27 RCW and RCW 35.21.180 as presently constituted or as may be subsequently amended, added to, or excepted as though fully set forth in this Title”.; 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.; THE APPLICATION HAS ITS OWN 180-DAY CLOCK, AND MISSING IT CAN COST YOU THE DRAWINGS. DMMC 14.05.110(2): “Applications for which no permit is issued within 180 days following the date of application filing shall expire by limitation, and plans and other data submitted for review may thereafter be returned to the applicant or destroyed by the Building Official.” One extension of up to 180 days is available on request with cause shown.; A BOND OR CASH IS REQUIRED BEFORE ANY BUILDING PERMIT ISSUES, AND THE CODE PUBLISHES NO AMOUNT. DMMC 14.05.080: “Before issuing any building permit, the City shall require the applicant to execute and file with the City a bond or cash. The bond shall be in a form approved by the City Manager or the City Manager's designee in such reasonable sum and with such securities as the Building Official may specify. In the event of a failure by the applicant to satisfactorily complete the work included in the building permit, the bond or cash may be claimed by the City”. THIS IS SECURITY, NOT A FEE — it is returned if the work is completed satisfactorily. It applies to EVERY building permit, not to a class of work, and because the sum is set case by case there is no figure to budget from until the Building Official specifies one.; 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.; DES MOINES RESOLVES CODE CONFLICTS BY A DIFFERENT PRINCIPLE FROM ITS NEIGHBOURS, AND CARRYING THEIRS HERE WOULD GIVE THE WRONG ANSWER. DMMC 14.05.040: “Where, in any specific case, different sections of this code specify different materials, methods of construction or other requirements, the most restrictive shall govern except that the hierarchy of the codes established in RCW 19.27.031 shall govern.” >>> SO THE DEFAULT IS MOST-RESTRICTIVE AND THE OVERRIDE IS A STATE STATUTE, NOT A LOCAL LIST. Pullman and Walla Walla both publish their own ordering and make the FIRST LISTED code govern — and they disagree with each other about where plumbing sits. Des Moines publishes no ordering of its own at all. RCW 19.27.031 was not read for this entry, so what that hierarchy contains is NOT asserted here.; THERE IS A PUBLISHED ROUTE TO VEST BEFORE YOU FILE FOR THE BUILDING PERMIT. DMMC 14.05.070 “Optional method of obtaining prior approvals – Agreement regarding vested rights” lets an applicant seek design review approval, a shoreline substantial development permit, environmental review under SEPA and/or a land clearing, grading or filling permit BEFORE filing a building permit application, on terms the section sets out. The full terms run past the extract read for this entry and the vesting effect is NOT asserted here — the section title says an agreement regarding vested rights is involved, and the agreement itself was not read.; 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 14.01.110: the Title “shall not be construed to relieve or lessen the responsibility of a person owning, building, altering, constructing, or moving a building or structure”, nor shall the City “be held as assuming such liability by reason of inspection authorized in this Title or a certificate of inspection issued by the City”. An inspection is not a warranty.; 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.. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Des Moines at (206) 878-4595 before starting work.

In Des Moines, the published Permit fee is: Set by the City Manager or designee. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Des Moines does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Des Moines at (206) 878-4595 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building permit application; Assurance device — bond or cash filed with the City. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Apply through City of Des Moines at 21630 11th Ave S, Des Moines, WA 98198. Phone: (206) 878-4595. Official information: https://www.desmoineswa.gov/.

Des Moines, Washington has adopted: DMMC 14.01.050 opens: “The following codes, standards, rules, and regulations, as amended, added to, or excepted in this Title, are adopted by reference pursuant to chapter 19.27 RCW and RCW 35.21.180 as presently constituted or as may be subsequently amended, added to, or excepted as though fully set forth in this Title:”; (1) Chapter 51-11C WAC – International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), Commercial.; (2) Chapter 51-11R WAC – International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), Residential.; (3) Chapter 51-50 WAC – International Building Code (IBC).; (4) Chapter 51-51 WAC – International Residential Code (IRC).; (5) Chapter 51-52 WAC – International Mechanical Code.; (6) Chapter 51-54A WAC – the International Fire Code (IFC), “including the Appendices B, C, E, F and I”, with Appendix B Section B105.2 replaced and Table B105.2 deleted.; (7) Chapter 51-56 WAC – Uniform Plumbing Code.; (8) “The Washington Cities Electrical Code as published and printed by the Washington Association of Building Officials”.; (9) HCT stations and associated facilities — “the most current versions of all applicable sections of the building code, fire code, and National Fire Protection Standard No. 130 (NFPA 130)”.; NO EDITION YEAR APPEARS FOR ANY OF THEM. Also adopted and amended elsewhere in the Title: the International Property Maintenance Code (DMMC 14.05.120, not opened for this entry).. Local amendments apply — see the Des Moines overview page for the full list.

The code names none. DMMC 14.01.050 adopts “Chapter 51-51 WAC – International Residential Code (IRC)” — the WAC chapter is what is adopted and the model code is named after a dash — “as presently constituted or as may be subsequently amended”. So the operative text is whatever that state chapter carries when you apply. DMMC 14.01.050 also requires a marked-up copy of each adopted code to be filed in the Building Official's office and available for public examination, which is the concrete way to see what is in force.

Not on time alone. Des Moines publishes only two triggers — failing to commence within 180 days of issuance, or suspending or abandoning the work for 180 days after commencing — and the Building Official may grant “one or more extensions of time, for periods not more than 180 days each” in writing with justifiable cause. There is no absolute two-year cap of the kind several neighbouring cities publish.