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Residential Building Permit (New Construction) — Edmonds, Washington · Requirements sheet
Verified 2026-09-16 · Source: https://edmonds.municipal.codes/ECDC/19.05
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 (New Construction) in Edmonds, Washington
Required for new one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses in Edmonds, reviewed under the 2021 IRC as amended by the Washington State Building Code Council and by Chapter 19.05 ECDC.
Verified 2026-09-16 · Source
When you need this permit
- Reviewed under the 2021 IRC (ECDC 19.05.000) with Appendix Chapters E, F, K, Q, T, U and Y; IRC Chapter 1, Chapter 11, Part VII (Plumbing) and Part VIII (Electrical) are not adopted
- Design to the city's own climatic criteria: 25 psf non-reducible ground and roof snow load, 98 mph basic wind speed, Seismic Design Category D1, 18-inch frost depth (12 inches for porches and decks)
- Automatic fire sprinklers required if the dwelling exceeds 3,000 square feet of fire area, counting attached garages and covered porches and patios
- Rights vest when a “fully complete” application is filed under ECDC 19.00.025(I), per RCW 19.27.031 and 19.27.074
- Applications expire 12 months after filing; one extension up to 6 months is available, for an 18-month total application life (ECDC 19.00.025(H))
Required documents
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Fee schedule
Building permit
ECDC 19.70 is titled “Fees” and contains no monetary figure. Show full citationHide
ECDC 19.70 is titled “Fees” and contains no monetary figure. Its five live sections were opened in full this session: 19.70.010 states “Fee schedules are on file in the city clerk’s office.” while 19.70.010(C) and 19.70.020 both state the amounts are “set forth in this chapter” — a cross-reference that points at its own chapter and is wrong. The one pointer that leaves the chapter, ECDC 15.00.020(A), was also opened in full and ends outside the code: “Fees are established by resolution of the city council and can be accessed at the following hyperlink: Development Fees.” No dollar amount is therefore published in the Edmonds code, and none is asserted here.Set by council resolution; not in code
Plan reviewECDC 19.70.010(A): plan review fees “shall be in addition to, and a percentage of, the required permit fee”. The percentage itself is not stated in the code. The full plan review fee is collected before plans are accepted for review.
Plan review: a percentage of permit fee
Permit extension (third year)ECDC 19.00.025(K)(3): “Permit fees shall be charged at a rate of one quarter the original building permit fee to extend the permit.” Available once, prior to the second-year expiration.
3rd-year renewal: 25% of original fee
Refund if withdrawnECDC 19.70.025 permits refunding “not more than 80 percent of the permit fee paid when no work has been done”, and the same 80 percent cap on plan review fees withdrawn before any review. No refund is authorised on an expired permit.
Up to 80% refunded if no work is done
Review timeline
Plan review
Not published — contact the department
Inspection process
See the full Edmonds inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →
Tips
- Edmonds sets its own frost line at two depths, and mixing them up is the classic footing callout here: 18 inches for the primary structure but only 12 inches for porches and decks. Put both numbers on the foundation plan so the inspector does not have to guess which one you used.
- The 3,000 square foot sprinkler trigger is measured on “fire area”, not living area — ECDC 19.05.020(B) folds attached garages and covered porches and patios into the count. A 2,700 sq ft house with a 400 sq ft attached garage is over the line.
- Vesting is worth planning around: ECDC 19.00.025(I) vests your rights at the moment a fully complete application is filed, but an application that sits without a permit for 12 months expires, and you can only extend it once by 6 months.
Frequently asked questions
Only above a threshold. ECDC 19.05.020(B) requires an approved automatic fire sprinkler system in new one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses “exceeding 3,000 square feet of fire area”, and in any new building containing three or more attached dwelling units. Fire area is defined broadly for this purpose: it “shall include all areas of the primary structure including all dwelling units, attached garages and covered porches and patios.” Systems are designed to NFPA 13D.
In Edmonds, the published Building permit is: Set by council resolution; not in code. Additional published fees: Plan review — Plan review: a percentage of permit fee; Permit extension (third year) — 3rd-year renewal: 25% of original fee; Refund if withdrawn — Up to 80% refunded if no work is done. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.
Two years from issuance. Under ECDC 19.00.025(K) you may request, in writing and before the second-year expiration, one extension to a third and final year, charged at one quarter of the original building permit fee. Three years is the hard ceiling — after that “the permit shall become null and void”, a new permit with full fees is required, and “the voiding of the prior permit shall negate all previous vesting of zoning or Building codes.”
You'll need: Building Permit Application; Construction Drawings; Energy Code Compliance Documentation; Evidence of Potable Water Supply. Depending on your project, Edmonds may also ask for: Fire Sprinkler Plans (NFPA 13D). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.
Apply through City of Edmonds Planning and Development Department – Building Division at 121 5th Ave N, Edmonds, WA 98020. Phone: (425) 775-2525. Official information: https://www.edmondswa.gov/.
Edmonds, Washington has adopted: THE 2021 IBC, NAMED, WITH A ROLLING WAC CLAUSE. ECDC 19.00.020: “The International Building Code (IBC), 2021 Edition, published by the International Code Council, as amended by the Washington State Building Code Council in Chapter 51-50 WAC, and as subsequently amended by this chapter, is hereby adopted along with Appendix Chapters E, G, H, I, J and P.”; 2021 IRC. ECDC 19.05.000: “The International Residential Code (IRC), 2021 Edition, published by the International Code Council, as amended by the Washington State Building Code Council in Chapter 51-51 WAC, and as subsequently amended by this chapter, is hereby adopted along with Appendix Chapters E, F, K, Q, T, U and Y.” Chapter 1, Chapter 11, Part VII (Plumbing) and Part VIII (Electrical) are NOT adopted (ECDC 19.05.010, 19.05.015).; 2021 IMC. ECDC 19.15.000: “The International Mechanical Code (IMC), 2021 Edition, published by the International Code Council, as amended by the Washington State Building Code Council in Chapter 51-52 WAC, and as subsequently amended by this chapter is hereby adopted.” Chapter 1 is not adopted.; 2021 IFGC. ECDC 19.15.010: “The International Fuel Gas Code, 2021 Edition, published by the International Code Council, as amended by the Washington State Building Code Council in Chapter 51-52 WAC inclusive of NFPA 54 and 58, and as subsequently amended by this chapter, is hereby adopted.”; 2021 UPC — NOT the IPC. ECDC 19.20.000: “The Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), 2021 Edition, including Appendices A, B, I and M, published by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, as amended by the Washington State Building Code Council in Chapter 51-56 WAC, and as subsequently amended by this chapter; provided, that any provisions that affect fuel gas piping are not adopted, is hereby adopted.” Chapter 12 (fuel piping) and Chapter 14 (firestop protection) are deleted.; 2021 WASHINGTON STATE ENERGY CODE. ECDC 19.30.000: “The Washington State Energy Code, 2021 Edition, as adopted and amended by the Washington State Building Code Council in Chapters 51-11C and 51-11R WAC, is hereby adopted.”; 2021 IFC, ON ITS OWN ORDINANCE CYCLE. ECDC 19.25.000: “Under the statutory authority of RCW 19.27.031 and 19.27.074, the International Fire Code (IFC), 2021 Edition, as published by the International Code Council including amendments set forth in Chapter 51-54A WAC, and subsequently revised by this chapter, is hereby adopted, including Appendices B, C, I, and L.” Its ordinance trail leads with Ord. 4407, 2025 — newer than the Ord. 4350, 2024 that re-adopted the rest of Title 19.; 2021 IWUIC — uncommon in this set. ECDC 19.52.000: “The International Wildland Urban Interface Code, 2021 Edition, published by the International Code Council, as amended by the Washington State Building Code Council in Chapter 51-55 WAC, and as subsequently amended by this chapter, is hereby adopted.” The chapter carries a single-ordinance trail (Ord. 4350, 2024), making it the newest chapter in Title 19.; 2021 ISPSC — THE ONE STATIC BINDING IN THE TITLE. ECDC 19.35.000: “The International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, 2021 Edition, published by the International Code Council, is hereby adopted.” Unlike every sibling chapter it carries NO “as amended by the Washington State Building Code Council” clause. Public swimming pool barriers are instead regulated by WAC 246-260-031(4), and other “water recreation facilities” as defined in RCW 70.90.110 under Chapters 246-260 and 246-262 WAC.; ELECTRICAL IS DELEGATED, WITH NO EDITION YEAR AT ALL. ECDC 19.55.000: “Under the statutory authority of RCW 35A.70.050 and 19.28.141, the city of Edmonds may enforce the same permitting and inspection standards applicable to basic electrical work as are enforced by the Department of Labor and Industries, including but not limited to the version of the National Electrical Code that the Department of Labor and Industries has most recently adopted by rule.” ECDC 19.55.005 supplies a fallback if the state ceases to inspect.. Local amendments apply — see the Edmonds overview page for the full list.
The 2021 International Residential Code, adopted at ECDC 19.05.000 “as amended by the Washington State Building Code Council in Chapter 51-51 WAC”, together with Appendix Chapters E, F, K, Q, T, U and Y. IRC Chapter 1 is not adopted (administration comes from IBC Chapter 1 via ECDC 19.00.015), and IRC Chapter 11, Part VII (Plumbing) and Part VIII (Electrical) are not adopted either — plumbing is the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code under Chapter 19.20 ECDC and electrical is handled under Chapter 19.55 ECDC.
Sources & verification
Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-16.
Fee schedules
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 Edmonds building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.
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