Asotin County, Washington Building Permit Guide

For land outside Clarkston and the City of Asotin, building permits come from the Asotin County Building & Planning Department (PO Box 610, Asotin, WA 99402; 509-243-2020), open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The same office handles zoning, variances, conditional uses and subdivisions, and it needs 24 hours’ notice for each inspection. Septic systems are permitted by the Asotin County Health District, and electrical work by L&I.

What requires a building permit in Asotin County?

Washington’s State Building Code Act applies in Asotin County as in every county, and the department enforces the 2021 state codes adopted by the State Building Code Council; the residential code is the 2021 International Residential Code as amended in chapter 51-51 WAC, with plumbing under the Uniform Plumbing Code and energy under the Washington State Energy Code. The county’s own inspection handout shows the work it permits and inspects:

For a small shed, fence or deck, ask the department on 509-243-2020 whether a county permit applies before you build.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The codes, including the 2024 editions that take effect statewide on May 3, 2027, come from the state. The county controls the administration, its zoning ordinance and setbacks, its subdivision ordinance and the local design values it hands out at the counter on a structural load requirements sheet. It also sets rules that touch building sites directly: Ordinance 16-11 protects the Snake River beaches, and Open Burning Ordinance 06-14 bans burning building materials and demolition debris at any time.

Asotin County building department: who handles permitting

One county office, Building & Planning, handles both building permits and land use for the unincorporated county. It takes zoning applications, variances, conditional use permits, short and long plats, mobile home and RV park applications and SEPA checklists, and it issues the building, mechanical and gas-piping permits and inspects the work.

Cities in Asotin County

Asotin County has two incorporated cities, and both run their own permit offices.

The City of Asotin’s stick-frame application lists six inspections (footing, foundation, framing with sheathing on but before siding, insulation, sheetrock and final) and warns that occupying a building before the building official approves it is illegal.

Asotin County permit types and what comes first

Residential permits

A house permit covers the structure, plumbing and building sewer; mechanical and gas piping need their own county permit, and wiring needs an L&I permit. The county wants engineered floor designs where required and the engineered roof truss design kept on the job site, along with installation instructions for fireplaces and specialty gas appliances. Its front-counter handouts cover crawl spaces, 8-foot concrete walls, slabs on grade, foundation clearances from slopes, emergency escape openings, hazardous glazing, stairs, guards and handrails, and a summary of the state energy code, which sets the R-values the insulation inspection checks.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial buildings go through the same department under the International Building Code and the commercial energy code. Mobile home parks and RV parks have their own application forms, and SEPA checklists and conditional use applications are filed with the same office, so land use and building review sit under one roof.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning: file the county zoning application for the parcel; variances and conditional uses have separate forms, and the counter’s typical site plan handout shows the county’s zoning setbacks.
• Septic: homes and businesses more than 200 feet from a sewer need an on-site sewage permit from the Health District, which handles perk testing, design review, inspection and permitting. Its 2024 fee schedule lists $95 for a site and soil evaluation and $240 for application, plan review and final inspection of a new residential system.
• Road right of way: utility lines, approaches and other work in a county road need a right-of-way permit from the County Engineer, invoiced under Ordinance 16-18; work must start within 30 days and the permit lapses after six months if unfinished.
• Shorelines: the county updated its Shoreline Master Program jointly with neighboring counties and cities and received a 2017 Governor’s Smart Communities Award for it; shoreline questions start with Building & Planning.
• Land divisions: short plats and long plats come before building on a newly divided lot.
• Rezones: a use the zone does not allow needs a rezone. The county’s zoning packet describes ten districts, from Agricultural and Rural Residential to Industrial and Public/Semi-Public, and a $250 non-refundable application fee. Notice is posted on the property at least 10 days before the Planning Commission hearing and mailed to owners within 300 feet; the Board of County Commissioners decides, and its decision can be appealed to Superior Court within 15 days.

Asotin County permit fees

Building & Planning quotes the building permit fee when it reviews the application (509-243-2020); its web page carries no fee table or fee resolution. What the county’s own records show is how the fee is built: its permit report to the state’s open data portal breaks each year’s permits into the permit fee, the plan review fee, the state building fee and sewer hookup fees, so expect each of those lines on a county invoice.

Ask for the quote in writing before budgeting, and confirm whether a mechanical or gas-piping permit will be billed separately from the building permit, as the inspection handout indicates.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Inside the unincorporated county, Building & Planning issues the plumbing and mechanical permits and inspects gas piping. L&I issues and inspects every electrical permit, in the county and in both cities, since neither Clarkston nor Asotin is on L&I’s list of local electrical programs; the county’s handout points to L&I’s Electrical Division in Pullman. The electrical final has to be done before the county’s final inspection and certificate of occupancy.

• Septic repairs without a permit: the Health District does not require an on-site sewage permit to replace or repair a broken building sewer, riser or lid, tank lid, baffle or pump, pump float, pipes between tanks, or an inspection box or port, as long as no tank, treatment component or drainfield has to be replaced. New systems, tank replacements, modifications, minor repairs and commercial systems do need one.
• Owner septic installation: the Health District allows a homeowner or immediate family to install a septic system once every two years, for a home they live in or will live in for at least two years, after passing the District’s installer test (given four times a year) and with the District’s express permission; otherwise a licensed installer must do it. After the District’s final, the installer files an OSS record drawing before the operational permit is issued.

For work done for pay, and for the state rules on owners wiring or plumbing their own homes, see the Washington licensing overview.

How to apply for an Asotin County building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Because one office handles both zoning and building, an open zoning, setback or SEPA question holds up the building permit too. Septic approval is the other long step: the Health District must evaluate the soil and approve the design before the house can be permitted. Order the L&I electrical permit early: the county’s list puts the electrical cover inspection ahead of the stage at which walls are closed in.

Inspections in Asotin County

Call 509-243-2020 at least 24 hours before you need an inspection. The county’s required inspections run in this order: footings and foundation walls with forms and steel in place before concrete; slabs with thickened areas, vapor retarder and perimeter insulation where the space is heated; under-slab and in-ground plumbing before backfill; the building sewer before the trench is covered; rough plumbing, mechanical and gas piping, tested; framing once sheathing, roofing, bracing, fire blocking and draft stops are done and the rough-in plumbing, HVAC, gas and electrical cover inspections are complete; insulation before drywall; drywall nailing before taping; and the final.

Plumbing must be tested, drain and vent lines with water above the highest fitting and water lines at working pressure with potable water. The certificate of occupancy is issued after the final, once L&I has passed the electrical final.

Code editions and flood maps

The county applies the 2021 Washington State codes now in force. In FEMA’s Community Status Book, Asotin County and the City of Asotin participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, while Clarkston is listed among communities not in the program.

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

Asotin County building permit FAQ

Does the county issue permits in Clarkston?

No. Clarkston’s Building & Planning department issues its own permits through an iWorQ portal; the City of Asotin also runs its own building department.

How do I schedule a county inspection?

Call Building & Planning on 509-243-2020 at least 24 hours ahead, Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

How much does a building permit cost in Asotin County?

The county does not publish its building fee schedule online; it is based on the calculated value of the work, with a separate plan review fee and the state building code fee. Ask the department for a quote.

Who approves my septic system?

The Asotin County Health District. A site and soil evaluation is $95 and a new residential permit with plan review and final is $240.

Can I install my own septic system?

Yes, if you pass the Health District’s homeowner installer test, follow the approved design, have the District’s permission and will live in the home for at least two years; the allowance is once every two years.

Who issues electrical permits?

Washington L&I, from its Pullman office (509-334-5296), for the whole county including both cities.

Do fences and re-roofs need a permit in Clarkston?

Yes. Clarkston lists fences, re-roofs and siding among the projects that need a city building permit; apply through its iWorQ portal or by email to permits@clarkston-wa.com.

Can I burn construction debris on site?

No. The county’s open burning ordinance prohibits burning building materials and demolition debris at any time.

Permit search and official resources

Permit history for a county property comes from Building & Planning, or through a request on the county’s Records & Data (public records) page. Annual permit totals by construction type, compiled by the department, are on the state open data portal. Clarkston and the City of Asotin keep their own permit records, and L&I keeps electrical permits.

• Asotin County Building & Planning: forms and contacts
• Asotin County required inspections handout
• Asotin County zoning application
• Asotin County zoning and subdivision ordinances
• Code enforcement and open burning rules
• Public Works permit information and right-of-way forms
• Asotin County public records requests
• Asotin County building permits data (Washington open data portal)
• Asotin County Health District on-site sewage
• Health District 2024 septic fee schedule
• Asotin County on-site sewage code
• City of Clarkston Building and Planning
• Clarkston iWorQ permit portal
• City of Asotin
• L&I electrical permits and inspections
• FEMA Community Status Book, Washington

Simplify Asotin County 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 Asotin County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.