Airway Heights, Washington Building Permit Guide

The Building Department of the City of Airway Heights issues building, mechanical and plumbing permits, checks plans and inspects construction inside the city limits. Applications go in as separate PDF files by email to bldgdept@cawh.org, an invoice for the plan review deposit follows, and review starts only once that deposit is paid; a new single-family home needs a $500 deposit. Electrical permits and inspections are handled by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I).

The department works from 1149 S Garfield Road, with office hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, but its counter is closed to walk-in traffic until further notice, so permit services run by phone and email. Building code questions go to 509-244-5514 and zoning or subdivision questions to the Planning Department at 509-244-2552. Airway Heights had 11,811 residents in the Census estimate for 2025; land outside the city on the West Plains is under Spokane County.

What requires a building permit in Airway Heights?

The City’s “When is a permit required?” page calls for a permit to replace a water heater, furnace or air conditioner, to install a shower or bathtub even in the same spot, to put in any carport or garage, to replace siding or roofing material, and to install solar collectors, spas, saunas or a pool 24 inches deep or more. Emergency repairs to equipment may go ahead first, but the permit must be taken out on the next working day.

Residential fences have zoning limits even without a permit: 42 inches inside the front setback, which is the first 25 feet from the front line, and 72 inches elsewhere, measured from existing grade. Electric, barbed and razor wire are allowed only in industrial and agricultural zones as permitted, and a temporary fence needs a permit and may stay up for 180 days.

What the city decides and what the state holds

Title 15 of the Airway Heights Municipal Code (AHMC) still reads as it was written in 2013 and names the 2012 editions of the building codes, with the 2021 International Fire Code added in 2024. The construction codes in force are the state’s, so the City has not written its own list of exempt work, and the City’s exemption page still carries a 6-foot fence line from an older edition. The local rules that matter are the City Manager’s role as Building Official, design values of 39 pounds per square foot of ground snow with a 30-pound minimum roof snow load and a 24-inch frost depth, the rule that a Washington-licensed designer must prepare plans for commercial buildings, buildings with five or more homes and work over 4,000 sq ft, and fees set by Council resolution.

Washington has a mandatory statewide building code under chapter 19.27 RCW that every city and county enforces and may make stricter; electrical permits come from the Department of Labor and Industries unless the city runs its own program or Tacoma Power serves the site. Building codes in Washington

Airway Heights building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department sits alongside the Planning Department under one director; the City Council agenda for October 26, 2026 lists Zachary Becker as Acting Director of Building and Planning. Public Works handles right-of-way, paving and civil permits, and the Airway Heights Fire Department takes fire sprinkler, alarm and fireworks permit applications. The City posted a notice that reviews are delayed by staff shortages and are handled in the order complete applications arrive, and in August 2026 it asked firms to bid for third-party plan review of commercial and residential projects.

The City returns business calls within two business days. Payment by credit card carries a 3% charge on the total.

Permit types

Residential permits

For a new house the City’s residential checklist asks for residential building, plumbing and mechanical applications, a public works application where the work touches the street or utilities, building plans at no less than 1/8-inch scale, a site plan, roof truss layouts and specifications, floor joist and beam calculations, footing calculations, the state energy code worksheets and the City’s mechanical ventilation form. Every residential job also needs the Agreement to Pay Fees, and the Landowner Agent Consent Form when the applicant is not the owner. Decks have their own construction guide, and manufactured homes use a placement permit application with a public works form and a foundation report where one applies.

The Agreement to Pay Fees commits the owner to paying review and inspection fees as the current Council resolution sets them, plus actual costs and a 15% administrative charge. Invoices not paid within 30 days carry a late fee of 1.5% a month and stop further review, and balances left 65 days may go to collection.

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit expediting, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial permits

All commercial projects must hold a pre-application conference with the City before applying, and a pre-development review is required before zoning and land use applications and many building permits, including commercial and industrial ones. The commercial package adds the commercial application, the special inspection and testing agreement, the fee agreement and owner consent, and separate mechanical, plumbing and fire safety applications. The City sends notes from each department after a pre-development review and answers follow-up questions by email and phone.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit applications through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

Two airports shape land use here. Airway Heights is mainly affected by Spokane International Airport’s Airport Compatibility Zone 5, where development with more than 180 people per net acre is prohibited along with uses such as schools, hospitals, day cares and residences in commercial or industrial zones. Fairchild Air Force Base’s Accident Potential Zone II, mainly south of Highway 2 and west of Lyons Road, bars all housing and many other uses, and its sound contours limit uses in noisy areas. The full lists are in AHMC chapters 17.15 and 17.16.

The City Council replaced the critical areas title of the code on July 20, 2026 (Ordinance C-1129). Wetlands, critical aquifer recharge areas and fish and wildlife habitat now come under AHMC Title 19, and a project that is not exempt starts with a critical area identification form and a site inspection by the City Planner. Septic systems are permitted by the Spokane Regional Health District. AHMC 15.03.090 states that the city is not within a 100-year floodplain.

Airway Heights permit costs and fees

Building, mechanical and plumbing fees are set by the most recent City fee resolution (AHMC 15.03.070 and chapter 15.08). The City does not post its building fee table online; its building page tells applicants to ask building staff for current fees, and its checklist says fees are based on ICC square-foot valuation rates adopted by resolution. What the City does publish:

The state building code fee set by RCW 19.27.085 applies to building permits here as everywhere in Washington; Airway Heights posts no fee table that shows it.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Mechanical and plumbing permits are City permits with their own application forms; a new house submits them with the building application. L&I issues and inspects every electrical permit in Airway Heights, which is not on L&I’s list of cities with their own electrical program, and the City’s sign rules point sign wiring to L&I’s standards. Gas lines for barbecues, cooktops, dryers and water heaters need a mechanical permit, and a lawn sprinkler system needs a permit for its backflow device.

How to apply for an Airway Heights building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The City’s own notice warns of review delays from staff shortages, with applications handled in the order complete materials arrive. An application is treated as abandoned 180 days after filing unless it has been pursued in good faith, and extensions must be asked for in writing. The residential checklist warns that an application missing any of its minimum items may not be accepted or processed, and unpaid invoices stop review. Building official decisions can be appealed to the hearing examiner within 14 calendar days.

Inspections in Airway Heights

Call the inspection line at 509-850-9364 at least 24 hours ahead, or log in to the Citizen Connect portal to request an inspection online. Inspectors work Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; there are no Friday inspections, so a Friday request is booked into the next week. The inspection types for each job are listed on the Progress Inspection Record issued with the permit, and the City runs one-hour Citizen Connect demonstrations every Friday, with Zoom sessions on request.

A permit expires if work does not start within 180 days, if work stops for 180 days, or two years after it was issued whether or not the work is done; only an inspection the building official approves counts as work. An expired job needs a new permit priced on the value of the work left. A demolition must take out floors, footings and walls to at least 18 inches below grade, fill and grade the site, and pass a final site inspection.

Airway Heights permit search and official resources

Once logged in to Citizen Connect, people tied to a permit can see its status, total fees and balance due, inspection comments and reviews. For older permits or plans, file a request through the City Clerk’s public records page. FEMA’s Community Status Book for Washington does not list Airway Heights in either its participating or its non-participating section.

• Airway Heights Building Department: submittals, inspections, contacts
• When is a permit required? (City list)
• Permit applications, forms and guidelines
• Residential building permit checklist (PDF)
• Fence installation guidelines (PDF)
• 2026 City of Airway Heights planning fees (PDF)
• Citizen Connect permit and inspection portal
• Airway Heights Municipal Code (Titles 15, 17 and 19)
• Aviation impact areas: airport zones and limits
• Planning applications and forms
• Public Works permitting
• Public records request
• Spokane Regional Health District programs (septic)

Airway Heights building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Airway Heights?

The City’s Building Department at 1149 S Garfield Road, reached at 509-244-5514 or bldgdept@cawh.org. Electrical permits come from L&I.

Can I drop off plans in person?

Not at present. The counter is closed to walk-in traffic until further notice; plans go in by email as separate PDF files, and the department arranges paper submittals only where they are needed.

How much is a building permit in Airway Heights?

Fees follow the City’s fee resolution and ICC valuation rates, which are not posted online, so ask building staff for a figure. A new single-family home needs a $500 plan review deposit before review begins.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Not in a residential zone, though the fence must stay within 42 inches in the front setback and 72 inches elsewhere. Commercial and industrial fences and temporary fences need a permit.

Do I need a permit to replace a water heater or furnace?

Yes. The City requires a permit to replace a water heater, furnace or air conditioner, and to extend or replace ductwork.

Are there inspections on Fridays?

No. Inspections run Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and need 24 hours’ notice by phone or through Citizen Connect.

Can I build near the airport or Fairchild?

Housing is barred in Fairchild’s Accident Potential Zone II, and Airport Compatibility Zone 5 limits density and certain uses, so check the zone before you design.

Simplify Airway Heights permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Washington. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Airway Heights permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.