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Commercial Building Permit in Puyallup, Washington

Required for commercial construction, alterations and additions in Puyallup, reviewed under whichever edition of the International Building Code the Washington State Building Code Council currently adopts in Chapter 51-50 WAC.

Verified 2026-09-16 · Source

When you need this permit

  • “The current edition of the International Building Code … as adopted by the Washington State Building Code Council in Chapter 51-50 WAC” (PMC 17.04.030); no edition year is named
  • Only one appendix is adopted — “Appendix E: Supplementary Accessibility Requirements”, taken in its entirety
  • The code is locally retitled “the Building Code of the City of Puyallup, Washington” (IBC 101.1 as amended)
  • IBC 113.3 (“Qualifications”) is deleted from the Board of Appeals provisions
  • Automatic sprinklers are required above 10,000 sq ft gross floor area, 40 feet in height, or four stories (PMC 17.36.020)

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Permit fee
PMC 17.04.080(1): “All fees and charges for permits, approvals, inspections or other services or items related to this title shall be established and amended from time to time by executive order of… Show full citationPMC 17.04.080(1): “All fees and charges for permits, approvals, inspections or other services or items related to this title shall be established and amended from time to time by executive order of the city manager.” The code therefore publishes no dollar amount and none is asserted here. NOTE THE AUTHORITY: Puyallup sets fees by EXECUTIVE ORDER OF THE CITY MANAGER, where most Washington cities in this set use a city council resolution. Ask Development Services for the current executive order.
Set by city manager executive order
Refund if withdrawnPMC 17.04.080(3)(b)-(c): up to 80 percent of the permit fee “when no work had been performed”, and up to 80 percent of the plan review fee when an application is withdrawn or cancelled before any plan review. Written application required within 180 days of payment.
Up to 80% refunded if no work is done
Refund if charged in errorPMC 17.04.080(3)(a): “One hundred percent of any fee erroneously paid or collected”. Still subject to the 180-day written-application deadline.
100% refunded if paid in error
Work started before permit
PMC 17.04.080(4): where work has commenced without a permit the city may perform a special investigation and impose a fee “in an amount that compensates the city for performing the investigation”. Show full citationPMC 17.04.080(4): where work has commenced without a permit the city may perform a special investigation and impose a fee “in an amount that compensates the city for performing the investigation”. It is payable “whether or not a permit or approval is subsequently issued.” No amount is published.
Investigation fee if work starts early
Reissue after expiryPMC 17.04.120(2): a new permit for the unfinished work on a showing of good cause and payment of “half of the original permit or approval fee”. A materially changed law may apply to the new permit.
Reissue after expiry: half original fee

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Commercial Building Permit permit actually take in Puyallup?

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Inspection process

    Tips

    • The sprinkler thresholds are three independent triggers, not a combined test: 10,000 square feet of gross floor area, OR 40 or more feet in height, OR four or more stories. A wide single-storey building and a narrow four-storey one are caught by different limbs of the same sentence.
    • There is an off-ramp from sprinklers worth knowing about. PMC 17.36.080 lets the fire code official and building official accept smoke detectors plus an approved alarm system instead, where the building is entirely Type I or Type II construction and life-safety threat is low, or where the contents are “subject to great damage by the application of water”. The alarm must report to an off-premises monitored agency.
    • Only IBC Appendix E is adopted here, and unlike Edmonds the city takes it “in its entirety” rather than deleting sections from it — so the supplementary accessibility requirements apply in full.

    Frequently asked questions

    Puyallup requires a commercial building permit for: “The current edition of the International Building Code … as adopted by the Washington State Building Code Council in Chapter 51-50 WAC” (PMC 17.04.030); no edition year is named; Only one appendix is adopted — “Appendix E: Supplementary Accessibility Requirements”, taken in its entirety; The code is locally retitled “the Building Code of the City of Puyallup, Washington” (IBC 101.1 as amended); IBC 113.3 (“Qualifications”) is deleted from the Board of Appeals provisions; Automatic sprinklers are required above 10,000 sq ft gross floor area, 40 feet in height, or four stories (PMC 17.36.020). If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Puyallup at (253) 841-4321 before starting work.

    In Puyallup, the published Permit fee is: Set by city manager executive order. Additional published fees: Refund if withdrawn — Up to 80% refunded if no work is done; Refund if charged in error — 100% refunded if paid in error; Work started before permit — Investigation fee if work starts early; Reissue after expiry — Reissue after expiry: half original fee. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

    Puyallup does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Puyallup at (253) 841-4321 for current turnaround.

    You'll need: Building Permit Application; Construction Plans. Depending on your project, Puyallup may also ask for: Fire Sprinkler Plans (NFPA 13 or 13R). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through City of Puyallup at 333 S Meridian, Puyallup, WA 98371. Phone: (253) 841-4321. Official information: https://www.puyallupwa.gov/.

    Whatever the Washington State Building Code Council currently adopts. PMC 17.04.030 adopts “the current edition of the International Building Code, published by the International Code Council, Inc., as adopted by the Washington State Building Code Council in Chapter 51-50 WAC”, plus “Appendix E: Supplementary Accessibility Requirements” in its entirety. The city names no edition year anywhere in the chapter, so the operative edition moves with the WAC and never with a Puyallup ordinance.

    PMC 17.36.020 requires a fully automatic sprinkler system per NFPA 13 or 13R, currently adopted edition, “in buildings in excess of 10,000 square feet gross floor area, or 40 or more feet in height, or four or more stories in height with the exception of a building that has three or less dwelling units.” Floor area for this purpose is defined at PMC 17.36.025 as the area within the surrounding exterior walls, “exclusive of vent shafts, courts and grid irons”. PMC 17.36.030 adds a separate trigger for new structures where hazardous conditions exist; that section was not opened for this entry.

    Sources & verification

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

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