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Lynnwood building permits

Verified

Lynnwood, Washington — as published 2026-09-16.

Verified 2026-09-16 · Source

Codes adopted

NO EDITION YEAR IS NAMED FOR ANY CODE, AND THE CITY USES THREE DIFFERENT PHRASINGS FOR IT. The IBC is “the latest edition”, the IRC “the latest adopted version”, and the NEC “the Washington State adopted National Electrical Code”. A delegated binding has no canonical wording, so it cannot be found by searching for a phrase.IBC — LMC 16.04.010: “As amended by the provisions of this chapter and the State of Washington Building Code Council, under Chapter 51-50 WAC, the latest edition of the International Building Code, published by the International Code Council, together with Appendices E, G, and J, one copy of which, along with the State of Washington Building Code Council’s amendments, shall be on file in the office of the Lynnwood city clerk, are adopted by reference.”IRC — LMC 16.09.010: “… the latest adopted version of the International Residential Code (IRC), published by the International Code Council, except Chapters 11 and 25 through 43 … is adopted by reference.” Chapter 11 (energy) and Chapters 25 through 43 (the plumbing, mechanical and electrical parts of the IRC) are excluded, which is why plumbing and mechanical sit in LMC Title 15 and electrical in LMC Chapter 16.10.IECC — LMC 16.05.010: “As amended by this chapter and the State of Washington Building Code Council, under Chapters 51-11R and 51-11C WAC, the latest edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), as published by the International Code Council … is adopted by this reference.”UPC — LMC 15.04.010: “… under Chapters 51-56 and 51-57 WAC, the latest edition of the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) less Chapters 12 and 15 published by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials … are adopted by this reference; provided, that in the event of a conflict between the International Fire Code and the Uniform Plumbing Code, the International Fire Code shall govern.”IMC — LMC 15.08.010: “As amended by this chapter and the State of Washington Building Code Council, the latest edition of the International Mechanical Code (IMC), as published by the International Code Council … are adopted by this reference.” NOTE THE ASYMMETRY: this is the ONLY adoption section in either title that does not cite a Chapter 51-xx WAC number. Every sibling names one.NEC — LMC 16.10.050: “As amended by the provisions of this chapter, the Washington State adopted National Electrical Code (NEC) issued by the National Fire Protection Association including Annex A, B, and C is adopted by reference.”STRUCTURE: the mechanical code lives in the PLUMBING title. LMC Title 15 is headed “PLUMBING” and contains exactly two chapters — 15.04 Uniform Plumbing Code and 15.08 International Mechanical Code. Title 16 (Building) carries the IBC, IRC, IECC, electrical, ISPSC, IPMC and flood provisions, and its own footnote directs: “for plumbing, see LMC Title 15”.NOT OPENED FOR THIS ENTRY and therefore not asserted: LMC 16.24 (International Swimming Pool and Spa Code), 16.44 (International Property Maintenance Code), 16.46 (Flood Hazard Area Regulations), 16.08 (Regulation and Abatement of Unsafe and Unsanitary Structures), 16.20 (Building Moving), 16.14 (Underground Utilities), 16.40 (Temporary Sales/Leasing Office) and 16.50 (Appeals).

Permit types & fees

Residential Building Permit (New Construction)

Verified

Required for new one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses in Lynnwood, reviewed under whichever International Residential Code edition the Washington State Building Code Council currently adopts in Chapter 51-51 WAC.

Verified 2026-09-16 · Source

Requirements

Reviewed under “the latest adopted version of the International Residential Code (IRC) … except Chapters 11 and 25 through 43” (LMC 16.09.010) — no edition year is named
Design to the city's own criteria at LMC 16.09.100: ground snow load 25, wind speed 110 mph, Seismic Design Category D2, frost line depth 18 inches, winter design temp 22, ice barrier underlayment not required
Energy compliance comes from the separately adopted IECC (LMC 16.05.010), not from IRC Chapter 11
Plumbing, mechanical and electrical work is permitted under LMC Title 15 and LMC Chapter 16.10, because IRC Chapters 25 through 43 are not adopted
Appeals go to the hearing examiner under Chapter 16.50 LMC; the examiner cannot waive code requirements (LMC 16.09.070)

Required documents

RequiredBuilding Permit ApplicationFiled with the building official under LMC Title 16. The code sets no application or permit expiry period — the sections that did (LMC 16.09.045, 16.04.072) were repealed by Ord. 3396 in 2021.
RequiredConstruction DrawingsReviewed against the currently adopted IRC and the Washington State Building Code Council amendments, a copy of which is kept on file with the Lynnwood city clerk.
RequiredEnergy Code Compliance DocumentationDemonstrating compliance with the currently adopted IECC under Chapters 51-11R and 51-11C WAC (LMC 16.05.010).

Fee schedule

Fee type	Amount	Notes
Permit fee	Set by city council fee ordinance	Lynnwood deletes the model code's own fee schedule in every code it adopts and replaces it with the same sentence. Show full citationHide Lynnwood deletes the model code's own fee schedule in every code it adopts and replaces it with the same sentence. LMC 16.04.100 (IBC § 109.2): “Fees shall be set forth in a fee ordinance adopted, and from time to time amended, by the city council.” LMC 16.09.050 repeats it for the IRC, LMC 15.04.040 for the UPC, LMC 15.08.030 for the IMC and LMC 16.10.090 for electrical. NO DOLLAR AMOUNT APPEARS IN THE CODE and none is asserted here. NOTE THE INSTRUMENT: a fee ORDINANCE, which is a third distinct authority within this Washington set — Edmonds uses a council RESOLUTION and Puyallup an EXECUTIVE ORDER of the city manager. Ask the city for the current fee ordinance.

Commercial Building Permit

Verified

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

Verified 2026-09-16 · Source

Requirements

“the latest edition of the International Building Code … together with Appendices E, G, and J” (LMC 16.04.010); no edition year is named
Only three sections of Chapter 16.04 are live — adoption, board of appeals and the fee schedule; the rest were repealed by Ord. 3396 in 2021
Appeals go to the hearing examiner under Chapter 16.50 LMC (LMC 16.04.035)
Fees are set by a fee ordinance of the city council (LMC 16.04.100)

Required documents

RequiredBuilding Permit ApplicationFiled with the building official under LMC Chapter 16.04.
RequiredPlans and SpecificationsReviewed against the currently adopted IBC with Appendices E, G and J, plus the State Building Code Council amendments on file with the city clerk.

Fee schedule

Fee type	Amount	Notes
Permit fee	Set by city council fee ordinance	Lynnwood deletes the model code's own fee schedule in every code it adopts and replaces it with the same sentence. Show full citationHide Lynnwood deletes the model code's own fee schedule in every code it adopts and replaces it with the same sentence. LMC 16.04.100 (IBC § 109.2): “Fees shall be set forth in a fee ordinance adopted, and from time to time amended, by the city council.” LMC 16.09.050 repeats it for the IRC, LMC 15.04.040 for the UPC, LMC 15.08.030 for the IMC and LMC 16.10.090 for electrical. NO DOLLAR AMOUNT APPEARS IN THE CODE and none is asserted here. NOTE THE INSTRUMENT: a fee ORDINANCE, which is a third distinct authority within this Washington set — Edmonds uses a council RESOLUTION and Puyallup an EXECUTIVE ORDER of the city manager. Ask the city for the current fee ordinance.

Mechanical Permit

Verified

Required for mechanical work in Lynnwood under LMC Chapter 15.08 — which sits inside Title 15, headed “Plumbing”.

Verified 2026-09-16 · Source

Requirements

“the latest edition of the International Mechanical Code (IMC), as published by the International Code Council … are adopted by this reference” (LMC 15.08.010)
THIS IS THE ONLY ADOPTION SECTION IN EITHER TITLE THAT CITES NO Chapter 51-xx WAC number — it names the State Building Code Council but not the chapter
IRC Chapters 25 through 43 are not adopted, so residential mechanical work comes here too
Mechanical permit fees are set by a fee ordinance of the city council (LMC 15.08.030)

Required documents

RequiredMechanical Permit ApplicationFiled under LMC Chapter 15.08. Note the chapter sits in Title 15 (Plumbing), not Title 16 (Building).

Fee schedule

Fee type	Amount	Notes
Permit fee	Set by city council fee ordinance	Lynnwood deletes the model code's own fee schedule in every code it adopts and replaces it with the same sentence. Show full citationHide Lynnwood deletes the model code's own fee schedule in every code it adopts and replaces it with the same sentence. LMC 16.04.100 (IBC § 109.2): “Fees shall be set forth in a fee ordinance adopted, and from time to time amended, by the city council.” LMC 16.09.050 repeats it for the IRC, LMC 15.04.040 for the UPC, LMC 15.08.030 for the IMC and LMC 16.10.090 for electrical. NO DOLLAR AMOUNT APPEARS IN THE CODE and none is asserted here. NOTE THE INSTRUMENT: a fee ORDINANCE, which is a third distinct authority within this Washington set — Edmonds uses a council RESOLUTION and Puyallup an EXECUTIVE ORDER of the city manager. Ask the city for the current fee ordinance.

Plumbing Permit

Verified

Required for plumbing work in Lynnwood under LMC Chapter 15.04, using the Uniform Plumbing Code rather than the International Plumbing Code.

Verified 2026-09-16 · Source

Requirements

“the latest edition of the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) less Chapters 12 and 15”, under Chapters 51-56 and 51-57 WAC (LMC 15.04.010)
A conflict rule is written into the adopting sentence: “in the event of a conflict between the International Fire Code and the Uniform Plumbing Code, the International Fire Code shall govern”
IRC Chapters 25 through 43 are not adopted, so residential plumbing is permitted here
Valuation for fee purposes “shall include all costs related to construction and shall be set by the Building Official using a nationally recognized value table” (LMC 15.04.040)

Required documents

RequiredPlumbing Permit ApplicationFiled under LMC Chapter 15.04.

Fee schedule

Fee type	Amount	Notes
Permit fee	Set by city council fee ordinance	Lynnwood deletes the model code's own fee schedule in every code it adopts and replaces it with the same sentence. Show full citationHide Lynnwood deletes the model code's own fee schedule in every code it adopts and replaces it with the same sentence. LMC 16.04.100 (IBC § 109.2): “Fees shall be set forth in a fee ordinance adopted, and from time to time amended, by the city council.” LMC 16.09.050 repeats it for the IRC, LMC 15.04.040 for the UPC, LMC 15.08.030 for the IMC and LMC 16.10.090 for electrical. NO DOLLAR AMOUNT APPEARS IN THE CODE and none is asserted here. NOTE THE INSTRUMENT: a fee ORDINANCE, which is a third distinct authority within this Washington set — Edmonds uses a council RESOLUTION and Puyallup an EXECUTIVE ORDER of the city manager. Ask the city for the current fee ordinance.

Electrical Permit

Verified

Electrical work in Lynnwood is permitted under LMC Chapter 16.10, which adopts the National Electrical Code as adopted by Washington State.

Verified 2026-09-16 · Source

Requirements

“the Washington State adopted National Electrical Code (NEC) issued by the National Fire Protection Association including Annex A, B, and C is adopted by reference” (LMC 16.10.050)
No edition year is named; the binding is to the state's adoption
IRC Chapters 25 through 43 are not adopted, so residential electrical work is permitted here
Electrical permit fees are set by a fee ordinance of the city council (LMC 16.10.090)
The chapter does not apply to installations existing at adoption except where the building official finds them “dangerous to life or property” (LMC 16.10.120)

Required documents

RequiredElectrical Permit ApplicationFiled under LMC Chapter 16.10. The city keeps at least one copy of the adopted codes on file with the city clerk for public reference (LMC 16.10.010).

Fee schedule

Fee type	Amount	Notes
Permit fee	Set by city council fee ordinance	Lynnwood deletes the model code's own fee schedule in every code it adopts and replaces it with the same sentence. Show full citationHide Lynnwood deletes the model code's own fee schedule in every code it adopts and replaces it with the same sentence. LMC 16.04.100 (IBC § 109.2): “Fees shall be set forth in a fee ordinance adopted, and from time to time amended, by the city council.” LMC 16.09.050 repeats it for the IRC, LMC 15.04.040 for the UPC, LMC 15.08.030 for the IMC and LMC 16.10.090 for electrical. NO DOLLAR AMOUNT APPEARS IN THE CODE and none is asserted here. NOTE THE INSTRUMENT: a fee ORDINANCE, which is a third distinct authority within this Washington set — Edmonds uses a council RESOLUTION and Puyallup an EXECUTIVE ORDER of the city manager. Ask the city for the current fee ordinance.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-16.

City of Lynnwood — official building department

Codes & ordinances

Department & other records

City of Lynnwood

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

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