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Appeal a Building Code Decision in Federal Way, Washington

Federal Way sends appeals to a hearing examiner on a 14-day clock, with a fee that can be refunded if you win.

Reviewed 2026-09-16 · Source

When you need this permit

  • File a written appeal within 14 days of the date of the building official's decision
  • Pay an appeal fee consistent with the fee schedule maintained by the city clerk
  • The appeal must claim the code was incorrectly interpreted or applied, that the provisions do not apply, or that an equally good or better form of construction, method of protection or safety is proposed
  • The notice must clearly reference the matter and state the specific elements appealed

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building permit fee
NO PERMIT AMOUNTS ARE STATED HERE FOR FEDERAL WAY. Show full citationNO PERMIT AMOUNTS ARE STATED HERE FOR FEDERAL WAY. The chapters read for this entry adopt the codes and set the appeal procedure; they do not carry a permit fee schedule, and no fee chapter was opened. WHAT THE CODE DOES SAY ABOUT FEES IS WORTH KNOWING: FWRC 13.11.084 requires "an appeal fee consistent with the fee schedule maintained by the city clerk" - so the schedule lives with the clerk, outside the code - and adds that "The appeal fee may be refunded to the appellant should the appellant prevail before the hearing examiner."
Not stated in this guide - see notes

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Appeal a Building Code Decision permit actually take in Federal Way?

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

Inspection process

    Tips

    • The fee may be refunded if you prevail before the hearing examiner - ask about this
    • Simply disagreeing with a requirement is not a ground of appeal

    Frequently asked questions

    Federal Way requires an appeal a building code decision permit for: File a written appeal within 14 days of the date of the building official's decision; Pay an appeal fee consistent with the fee schedule maintained by the city clerk; The appeal must claim the code was incorrectly interpreted or applied, that the provisions do not apply, or that an equally good or better form of construction, method of protection or safety is proposed; The notice must clearly reference the matter and state the specific elements appealed. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Federal Way - Community Development at (253) 835-7000 before starting work.

    Possibly. FWRC 13.11.084 provides that "The appeal fee may be refunded to the appellant should the appellant prevail before the hearing examiner." Note "may" - it is not automatic. The fee itself is set by a schedule the city clerk maintains, not by the code.

    Federal Way does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Federal Way - Community Development at (253) 835-7000 for current turnaround.

    You'll need: Written notice of appeal referencing the matter and the specific elements of the decisi.... See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through City of Federal Way - Community Development. Phone: (253) 835-7000. Official information: https://www.federalwaywa.gov/.

    Federal Way, Washington has adopted: THE 2021 INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE, NAMED. FWRC 13.16.020: "The 2021 Edition of the International Building Code (IBC), including the following appendix chapters: (1) Appendix E, published by the International Code Council (ICC), is hereby adopted by reference pursuant to Chapter 19.27 RCW and Chapter 51-50 WAC." Appendix J is adopted by a separate subsection.; ACCESSIBILITY IS ADOPTED AND PUT BEYOND LOCAL AMENDMENT. The same section: "The International Building Code requirements for barrier-free accessibility, Chapter 11, and other IBC requirements for barrier-free access, including ICC A117.1-2017 and Appendix E, are adopted pursuant to Chapters 19.27 and 70.92 RCW and shall not be amended by local government."; PLUMBING IS ROUTED TO THE 2021 UNIFORM PLUMBING CODE, AND SEPTIC TO THE COUNTY. FWRC 13.16.030(2) amends IBC Section 101.4.3 so that "The provisions of the 2021 Edition of the Uniform Plumbing Code shall apply to the installation, alteration, repair and replacement of plumbing systems ... Private Sewage Disposal systems shall be approved by King County Department of Health."; ENERGY IS ROUTED TO THE STATE WAC CHAPTERS. FWRC 13.16.030(3) amends IBC Section 101.4.6 so that "The provisions of the International Energy Conservation Code, including WAC 51-11R and WAC 51-11C, shall apply".; A WILDFIRE CODE IS IN FORCE HERE. FWRC 13.47.020: "The 2021 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) is adopted as amended, added to, or excepted in this chapter, and shall be applicable within the city." (Ord. No. 24-980, SS 19, 1-16-24.); Title 13 also carries separate chapters for Five-Story Type VA Buildings (13.20), the Residential Code (13.22), Mechanical (13.26), Existing Building (13.28), Fire (13.31), Plumbing (13.34), Electrical (13.38), Swimming Pool (13.40), Energy (13.41), Factory Assembled Structures (13.42), Property Maintenance (13.43) and Moving Buildings (13.45). NONE OF THOSE WERE READ FOR THIS ENTRY.; RCW 19.27 - the Washington State Building Code applies statewide.. Local amendments apply — see the Federal Way overview page for the full list.

    Sources & verification

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

    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 Federal Way building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

    Federal Way's permit history isn't searchable here yet

    This page covers what the permit requires. What we don't have for Federal Way 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.

    Your email, and the place — never an address. We only use it to tell you when Federal Way lands. Privacy.

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