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PermitBase

Building Permit in Tacoma, Washington

Required for construction in Tacoma under TMC Title 2. The city adopts the state building code as amended from time to time, without naming an edition.

Reviewed 2026-09-16 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Built to the IBC, IRC and IEBC as adopted and amended by the Washington State Building Code Council - TMC 2.02.010 and 2.02.100 name no edition year
  • IRC Chapters 11 and 25 through 43 are NOT adopted; energy, plumbing, mechanical and electrical come from separate adoptions
  • Submitted through TacomaPermits.org

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building permit fee
TACOMA HAS A CHAPTER CALLED "FEE CODE" AND IT CONTAINS NO PRICES. Show full citationTACOMA HAS A CHAPTER CALLED "FEE CODE" AND IT CONTAINS NO PRICES. TMC Chapter 2.09 sets out the TYPES of fee and the METHOD of calculating them; TMC 2.09.010 provides that "Fee amounts shall be ratified by Resolution, or approved by the City Manager, or designee ... and shall be calculated pursuant to the PDS Fee Schedule (on file in Tacomapermits.org)." All five tables in the chapter were checked for a dollar figure and none carries one, so no amount is printed here. THE CITY PUBLISHES A FEE ESTIMATOR on tacomapermits.org, which is the right tool for an actual number. AND CHECK WHETHER YOU ARE EXEMPT BEFORE YOU PAY: TMC 2.09.030 and its Table I exempt or adjust permit fees for several classes of project, including alterations and repairs to a single-family home owned and occupied by a qualifying low-income senior or permanently disabled owner.
Not stated in this guide - see notes

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Building Permit permit actually take in Tacoma?

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

Inspection process

    Tips

    • In-person service is currently 9 AM to 1 PM, Monday to Thursday - schedule an appointment
    • Use the city's Fee Estimator rather than looking for amounts in the Fee Code chapter
    • Check Table I in TMC 2.09 before paying - you may be exempt
    • Inspections are requested through TacomaPermits.org

    Frequently asked questions

    Tacoma requires a building permit for: Built to the IBC, IRC and IEBC as adopted and amended by the Washington State Building Code Council - TMC 2.02.010 and 2.02.100 name no edition year; IRC Chapters 11 and 25 through 43 are NOT adopted; energy, plumbing, mechanical and electrical come from separate adoptions; Submitted through TacomaPermits.org. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Tacoma - Planning and Development Services at 253-591-5030 before starting work.

    Not in the Fee Code. TMC Chapter 2.09 sets the types of fee and how they are calculated, and provides that amounts are ratified by Resolution or approved by the City Manager and calculated under the PDS Fee Schedule held at Tacomapermits.org. The city publishes a Fee Estimator there; that is the tool to use.

    Tacoma does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Tacoma - Planning and Development Services at 253-591-5030 for current turnaround.

    You'll need: Permit application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through City of Tacoma - Planning and Development Services. Phone: 253-591-5030. Office hours: In-person services 9 AM to 1 PM, Monday through Thursday. Official information: https://www.tacomapermits.org/.

    Tacoma does not name one. TMC 2.02.010 adopts the IBC, IRC and IEBC as adopted and amended by the Washington State Building Code Council, and the definition it points to at TMC 2.02.100 lists the codes and their appendices without any edition year. The chapter goes further than most: it incorporates future state amendments automatically and says that if state provisions are renumbered, the city's references follow the new numbering.

    Sources & verification

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

    Online permit portal

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

    Property Access

    Tacoma's permit history is searchable by address

    83,280 permits in our copy of Tacoma's register — searchable by street address, with permit type, status, issued date and valuation where the city publishes them. This is what we hold, not a statement of everything Tacoma has issued.

    70,092 of these 83,280 permits — 84.2% — carry an issued date, and those run from 2016 to 2026. The remaining 13,188 have no date at all.

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    Other permits in Tacoma

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