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Residential building permit — Kenmore, Washington · Requirements sheet
Verified 2026-09-16 · Source: https://ecode360.com/49597309
PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency. Requirements change and vary by project — confirm current details with the building department before you submit.
Residential building permit in Kenmore, Washington
Permit to build, alter or add to a house in Kenmore, under the International Residential Code adopted at KMC 15.20.120.
Verified 2026-09-16 · Source
When you need this permit
- KMC 15.20.120 adopts “The 2021 Edition of the International Residential Code”, expressly including Appendix AT “Solar Ready Provisions”, Appendix AWU “Dwelling Unit Fire Sprinkler Systems”, Appendix AWV “Fire Sprinklers”, Appendix AWY “Construction and Demolition Material Management” and Appendix AWZ “Building Deconstruction”.
- The IRC's own Chapter 1 is excluded; KMC Chapter 15.30, the Construction Administrative Code, is used in its place.
- PERMIT LIFE IS TWO YEARS for an IRC-permitted structure or a tenant space in an existing building (KMC 15.30.245(A)).
- WITHIN THOSE TWO YEARS the exterior must be complete — “roofing, siding, windows, exterior doors and applicable site and right-of-way improvements” — and that deadline “may not be extended” unless the building official approves otherwise.
- A detached accessory structure is exempt only up to 200 square feet, and only where it is not within a critical area, shoreline, associated buffer or native growth protection area (KMC 15.30.205).
- Appendix AWZ on building deconstruction and Appendix AWY on construction and demolition material management are adopted, so demolition and material handling carry code requirements many Washington cities do not adopt.
Required documents
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Fee schedule
Permit fee
No dollar figure is published in the code. Show full citationHide
No dollar figure is published in the code. KMC 15.30.350 says a fee shall be paid “in accordance with the schedule as established by the applicable governing authority” — IT DOES NOT NAME THE BODY — and adds that “the building official is authorized to establish fees for any permit activity not specifically set forth herein”. A plan review fee is due at submittal under KMC 15.30.355. THE VALUATION THE FEE IS COMPUTED FROM IS NOT THE APPLICANT'S NUMBER BY DEFAULT: KMC 15.30.365 requires the applicant to give an estimated value, then provides that valuation “shall be made by the applicant or building official, whichever is higher”, with the official using “the latest edition of the ICC ‘Building Safety Journal’ publication”. Ask the city for the current schedule; it cannot be derived from the code.Set by adopted fee schedule
Review timeline
Plan review
Not published — contact the department
Inspection process
Tips
- The exterior-completion deadline is separate from the permit's expiry and is the one the code singles out as non-extendable. Sequence the envelope early rather than leaving siding and windows to the end of year two.
- Getting the framing inspection approved is what protects your code vesting if the job later has to be re-permitted.
Frequently asked questions
KMC 15.30.205(A)(1) exempts one-story detached accessory structures up to 200 square feet, so 150 is under the threshold — but only if the structure is not within a critical area, shoreline, associated buffer or native growth protection area.
In Kenmore, the published Permit fee is: Set by adopted fee schedule. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.
Two years from issuance under KMC 15.30.245(A), with the exterior required to be complete inside that same two years. A commercial or multifamily permit gets three years, and a standalone mechanical or plumbing permit only one.
You'll need: Permit application; Estimated permit value. Depending on your project, Kenmore may also ask for: Submittal documents for plan review; Critical-area confirmation where an exemption is relied on. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.
Apply through City of Kenmore at 18120 68th Ave NE, Kenmore, WA 98028. Phone: (425) 398-8900. Official information: https://www.kenmorewa.gov/.
Kenmore, Washington has adopted: IBC — KMC 15.20.010: “The 2021 Edition of the International Building Code, excluding Chapter 1, ‘Scope and Administration,’ as published by the International Code Council, is adopted, together with the amendments set forth in Chapter 51-50 WAC.”; IRC — KMC 15.20.120: “The 2021 Edition of the International Residential Code”, expressly including Appendix AT “Solar Ready Provisions”, Appendix AWU “Dwelling Unit Fire Sprinkler Systems”, Appendix AWV “Fire Sprinklers”, Appendix AWY “Construction and Demolition Material Management” and Appendix AWZ “Building Deconstruction”.; IMC — KMC 15.20.140: “The 2021 Edition of the International Mechanical Code, excluding Chapter 1”, with the amendments in Chapter 51-52 WAC.; UPC — KMC 15.20.145: “The 2021 Edition of the Uniform Plumbing Code, excluding Chapter 1, ‘Administration,’ as published by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials”, together with Appendix A on sizing the water supply system.; NFPA 54 — KMC 15.20.150: “The 2021 National Fuel Gas Code, excluding Chapter 1, ‘Administration,’ as published by NFPA, is adopted together with the amendments set forth in Chapter 51-52 WAC.”; NFPA 58 — KMC 15.20.155: “The 2020 Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code, excluding Chapter 1, ‘Administration,’ as published by NFPA, is adopted, together with the amendments set forth in Chapter 51-52 WAC.”; IFGC — KMC 15.20.160: “The 2021 Edition of the International Fuel Gas Code, excluding Chapter 1, ‘Administration’”, with the amendments in Chapter 51-52 WAC.; WSEC — KMC 15.20.165: “The 2021 Washington State Energy Code, excluding Chapter 1, as adopted by the State Building Code Council in Chapters 51-11C and 51-11R WAC”.; IEBC — KMC 15.20.170: “The 2021 Edition of the International Existing Building Code, excluding Chapter 1, ‘Scope and Administration’”.; International Swimming Pool and Spa Code — KMC 15.20.175: “The 2021 Edition of the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, excluding Chapter 1”. The first city in this Washington series to adopt it by name.; International Wildland-Urban Interface Code — KMC 15.20.180 IS HEADED “International Wildland-Urban Interface Code adopted” AND ITS BODY READS, IN FULL, “Repealed by Ord. 24-0610.” KENMORE DOES NOT ADOPT IT. The heading is the only thing that says otherwise.; NO ELECTRICAL CODE IS ADOPTED IN TITLE 15. Chapter 15.20's sections were enumerated end to end and none adopts the NEC or the Washington Cities Electrical Code, unlike Mountlake Terrace, Mercer Island, SeaTac and Des Moines. KMC 15.30.245(C) nonetheless sets a one-year life for “electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits not associated with a building permit”. The usual Washington route is inspection by Labor and Industries under Chapter 19.28 RCW, BUT NO SUCH PROVISION WAS FOUND IN THIS TITLE and none is asserted here.. Local amendments apply — see the Kenmore overview page for the full list.
Sources & verification
Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-16.
Codes & ordinances
Department & other records
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 Kenmore building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.
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