PermitBasepermitbase.app
Residential building permit — Mountlake Terrace, Washington · Requirements sheet
Verified 2026-09-16 · Source: https://ecode360.com/48217328
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 Mountlake Terrace, Washington
Permit to build, alter, add to or change the occupancy of a house in Mountlake Terrace, under the International Residential Code adopted at MTMC 15.05.060.
Verified 2026-09-16 · Source
When you need this permit
- MTMC 15.05.030(B) adopts the “International Residential Code, 2021 Edition, published by the International Code Council, with state of Washington amendments”, and MTMC 15.05.060 adopts the same year.
- MTMC 15.05.210 requires a permit before you “construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure”, and makes all such work “subject to inspection by the City”.
- The IRC keeps its own exemption list here; MTMC 15.05.070(B) changes only item 5, to “Sidewalks and driveways, except for required civil permits.”
- One-family dwellings of 3,000 square feet or greater must meet IRC Appendix S for residential fire sprinklers, inserted by MTMC 15.05.070(D) via WAC 51-51-60107.
- In the TC zoning districts, additions, improvements, alterations or repairs exceeding 50 percent of assessed value IN ANY FIVE-YEAR PERIOD bring the whole building up to IRC new-building safety requirements (MTMC 15.05.070(C)).
- Design criteria are fixed locally by the Table R301.2(1) inserted at MTMC 15.05.070(A): 25 lbs./sq. foot ground snow load, 85 mph wind, seismic D2, 12-inch frost line depth, 27° F winter design temperature, no ice shield underlayment required.
Required documents
Check off what you have — your progress is saved on this device.
Not ready yet — 0 of 1 required documents checked.
This checker covers one permit. A full project usually triggers several — our checklist will assemble all of them, free →
Fee schedule
Permit fee
No dollar figure is published in the municipal code. Show full citationHide
No dollar figure is published in the municipal code. MTMC 15.05.220(A) says permit fees “are established pursuant to MTMC § 3.150.090”, and 3.150.090 sets a mechanism rather than an amount: schedules “shall be established annually”, fees “shall be based upon a cost of service study completed every three years”, and they are “adjusted annually, based on the Seattle Area Consumer Price Index (CPI)” for All Urban Consumers over one 12-month period. Building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical permit and plan check fees are separately “adjusted annually based upon building valuation data or otherwise recognized sources”. Ask the city for the current schedule; it is not derivable from the code.Set by annually adopted fee schedule
Review timeline
Plan review
Not published — contact the department
Inspection process
Tips
- A kitchen or bathroom remodel that stays inside existing walls may qualify for the streamlined “No Review” Minor Residential Remodel Permit, up to three spaces on one permit. Move a wall and it becomes a full plan review.
- The 50-percent rule in the TC districts counts work across a five-year window, so a second project can pull an earlier one over the line and trigger full IRC compliance for the existing house.
Frequently asked questions
Only structures at or under 80 square feet with no side wall over 6 feet are exempt, under IBC Section 105.2 as set out in MTMC 15.05.050(B). That is a lower bar than many Washington cities, so a 10-by-10 shed needs a permit here.
In Mountlake Terrace, the published Permit fee is: Set by annually adopted fee schedule. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.
Mountlake Terrace does not publish a permit life. MTMC 15.05.050 amends IBC Section 105.2 but leaves Section 105.5 alone, so expiry follows the state-amended IBC rather than a city rule. Ask the Building Official for the date that applies to your permit.
You'll need: Permit application. Depending on your project, Mountlake Terrace may also ask for: Plans prepared by a licensed professional where required; Performance guarantee where improvements are required. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.
Apply through City of Mountlake Terrace Community Development Department at 23204 58th Avenue W, Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043. Phone: (425) 776-1161, email: permitspecialist@mltwa.gov. Office hours: Permit staff: Monday 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Tuesday to Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed Friday.. Official information: https://www.cityofmlt.com/1993/Permits-Licenses.
Mountlake Terrace, Washington has adopted: IBC — MTMC 15.05.030(A): “International Building Code, 2021 Edition, published by the International Code Council, with state of Washington amendments”. Its own adopting section, 15.05.040, also names 2021.; IRC — MTMC 15.05.030(B): “International Residential Code, 2021 Edition, published by the International Code Council, with state of Washington amendments”. Its own adopting section, 15.05.060, also names 2021.; IMC — MTMC 15.05.030(C): “International Mechanical Code, 2021 Edition, published by the International Code Council, with state of Washington amendments”. 15.05.080 agrees.; IFC — MTMC 15.05.030(D) names the 2021 Edition “as adopted in Chapter 15.10 MTMC”, and 15.10.010 independently names “The International Fire Code (‘IFC’), 2021 Edition, as published by the ICC, together with any additions, deletions and exceptions currently enacted or as may be amended from time to time by the state of Washington, as set forth in Chapter 51-54A WAC”. The two agree.; UPC — MTMC 15.05.030(E): “Uniform Plumbing Code, 2021 Edition, with state of Washington amendments, and Uniform Plumbing Code Standards, published by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials”. 15.05.090 agrees.; International Performance Code for Buildings and Facilities — MTMC 15.05.030(F), 2021 Edition. 15.05.100 agrees.; International Green Construction Code — MTMC 15.05.030(G) lists it at the 2021 Edition, BUT ITS OWN ADOPTING SECTION, 15.05.110, READS “Reserved.” A code reviser's note records that Ordinance 2621 removed the Uniform Housing Code provisions and reserved the section for the IGCC. The list names it; the section is empty.; IFGC — MTMC 15.05.030(H): “International Fuel Gas Code, 2021 Edition, published by the International Code Council, with state of Washington amendments”. 15.05.120 agrees.; Electrical — MTMC 15.05.030(I) adopts TWO codes at TWO YEARS in one lettered item: “National Electrical Code, 2023 Edition, published by the National Fire Protection Association; and the Washington Cities Electrical Code, 2020 Edition, published by Washington Association of Building Officials”. 15.05.130 adds a third instrument, the state “Department of Labor and Industries, Electrical Inspection Section, Rules and Regulations for Installing Electric Wiring and Equipment”.; IECC — MTMC 15.05.030(J), 2021 Edition.; IEBC — MTMC 15.05.030(K), 2021 Edition. 15.05.155 agrees.; Accessibility — MTMC 15.05.030(L): “Washington State accessibility provisions for physically disabled or elderly persons as provided in RCW 70.92.100 through 70.92.160”. No edition year, because the instrument is a statute.; Uniform Code for Abatement of Dangerous Buildings — MTMC 15.05.030(M), “1997 Edition, published by the International Conference of Building Officials”. THE OLDEST EDITION YEAR ANY CITY IN THIS WASHINGTON SERIES NAMES.; IPMC — MTMC 15.05.030(N), 2021 Edition.; WSEC — MTMC 15.05.030(O) says “Washington State Energy Code (Commercial and Residential), 2021 Editions”, BUT 15.05.160 says “the Washington State Energy Code, 2018 Edition, with any amendments established by Chapters 51-11C and 51-11R WAC, as now exist or shall be amended”. BOTH ARE RECORDED AND NEITHER IS ADJUDICATED.. Local amendments apply — see the Mountlake Terrace overview page for the full list.
Sources & verification
Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-16.
Fee schedules
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 Mountlake Terrace building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.
Mountlake Terrace's permit history isn't searchable here yet
This page covers what the permit requires. What we don't have for Mountlake Terrace yet is the record of permits actually issued — the history you'd search by street address. That is a gap in our coverage, not a statement about any particular property.
Your email, and the place — never an address. We only use it to tell you when Mountlake Terrace lands. Privacy.
Other permits in Mountlake Terrace
Residential building permit in other cities
Compare residential building permit fees across Washington →
Look up this fee in a different city →
Related guides
Now live
Build your Mountlake Terrace project checklist
Describe your project once and get every permit, document, and fee it triggers in Mountlake Terrace — in one checklist. Free, for any city and any number of projects.
Get started →