Clallam County, Washington Building Permit Guide

For land outside Port Angeles, Sequim and Forks, the Clallam County Department of Community Development’s Building Division issues building, mechanical, plumbing and fire code permits from the County Courthouse at 223 E. 4th St. in Port Angeles. Applications go through the county’s online permit portal; plan review is 65 percent of the permit fee, and the division reported a backlog of 4 to 8 weeks on October 19, 2026.

What requires a building permit in Clallam County?

The county’s rule is broad: a permit is required to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, convert or demolish a building or structure, and it names mobile home placement, wood stove installation and plumbing changes as examples. Its permit menu adds mechanical permits (heating and cooling, propane, solar panels, wood-burning appliances), a miscellaneous group (decks, fences, foundations, ham radio towers, plumbing, re-roofs, retaining walls, pools and hot tubs), signs, wireless facilities, fire code permits and underground storage tanks.

The 400 sq ft storage exemption is larger than the model code’s, but it comes with a list of conditions in the county’s handout. The total of all such buildings on a parcel cannot exceed 400 sq ft, there may be no loft, eaves are limited to 24 inches and walls to 10 feet, and the building must stand 6 feet from every other structure. Pole construction must be engineered, the use must stay unheated storage, and converting it to living or commercial space later needs a permit for the whole building. Zoning setbacks and critical area buffers still apply.

What the county decides and what the state holds

Clallam County applies the 2021 Washington codes through Title 21 of its county code. The October 21, 2026 notice spells out the local cut-over: from November 1, 2026 the Building Division no longer accepts new-construction submittals under the 2018 energy code, and every set of plans has to meet the 2021 Washington State Energy Code. Electrical work stays with the Department of Labor and Industries, except inside Port Angeles, which runs its own electrical permits.

Clallam County building department: who handles permitting

The Department of Community Development handles comprehensive planning, zoning and development and building permits. Its Building Division is led by George Bailey, the county’s building official and fire marshal, and reviews plans, issues permits and inspects. Public Works approves drainage plans and road approaches, and Environmental Health approves septic systems.

Port Angeles, Sequim and Forks

All three cities in the county permit inside their own limits; the county’s Building Division covers only unincorporated land.

Permit types and what comes first

Residential permits

A new house, addition or alteration needs a scaled site plan (between 1 inch to 20 feet and 1 inch to 200 feet) prepared to the county’s checklist, structural drawings with foundation, floor and roof framing, braced wall lines with site-specific seismic and wind calculations, four elevations, cross sections and truss designs, the 2021 WSEC-R energy worksheets and proof of ownership. Engineer- or architect-stamped calculations are required where the design calls for them. Anyone applying for the owner files an Authorized Agent Form, and co-owners each sign a letter approving the project. A lot with more than one road frontage must choose which is the front yard for setbacks, and an accessory dwelling unit adds the ADU worksheet.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial jobs add an 11 by 17 inch site plan, a stamped Clallam County Snow, Earthquake and Wind Design Data Form, a building code summary, a means of egress and emergency lighting floor plan, and the Deferred Submittal and Special Inspection forms. Fire alarm, sprinkler and fire code construction permits are valuation-based permits from the same division, whose head is also the fire marshal.

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

• Road approach and drainage: county code (CCC 5.100.240) requires an approved road approach permit and, where stormwater runoff is affected, an approved drainage plan from Public Works before other permits, including building permits.
• Water: a new house needs proof of potable water. In the Dungeness Water Rule area, a new well use (including most Group B systems) needs mitigation; homes on Group A systems do not.
• Septic or sewer: show a current septic approval from Environmental Health or proof of a sewer connection.
• Address: a 911 address assignment costs $100, plus a 10 percent GIS technical fee.
• Critical areas and flooding: sites near water or other critical areas get special conditions. The county has amended the frequently flooded areas part of its critical areas code (chapter 27.12) by Ordinance 1030 and has delineated a channel migration zone on the lower Elwha River.

Clallam County building permit fees

Building fees are Schedule 310-A of the county’s consolidated fee schedule, as amended by Ordinance 1036, which the commissioners adopted on January 6, 2026 with the schedule marked effective January 1, 2026. Plan review is due when you submit; planning review, the state building code fee and the permit fee are due before the permit is issued. County code lets the schedule rise each year with the consumer price index without another board vote.

Worked example: a $300,000 project falls in the $100,001 to $500,000 band: $1,194.50 plus 200 × $6.72 = $2,538.50 for the building permit. Plan review is a further 65 percent of that, paid at submittal. Starting work without a permit can add an investigation fee equal to the permit fee. A revision that changes the valuation is charged on the difference in value or one hour of plan review, whichever is greater. Cards carry a 3.95 percent service fee ($2.50 minimum) and eChecks $2.50; cash and checks are also taken.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The Building Division issues mechanical and plumbing permits itself, many at the flat fees above. Electrical permits are never county permits: L&I issues them in unincorporated Clallam County, Sequim and Forks, while Port Angeles issues its own inside city limits. Whoever builds for pay must hold an L&I contractor registration; electrical and plumbing work also calls for L&I licensing, while homeowners may take on some work on their own house within state rules (details: Washington contractor licensing).

• Exempt sheds: even under the 400 sq ft exemption, any plumbing needs a county permit and any wiring an L&I permit.

How to apply for a Clallam County building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The Building Division posted a backlog of 4 to 8 weeks on October 19, 2026, so a complete first submittal matters. Any change to plans already submitted has to come in on the Revision/Correction Submittal Form, and from November 1, 2026 plans drawn to the 2018 energy code are not accepted for new construction. Missing road approach or drainage approvals hold up issuance, because county code puts them ahead of the building permit.

Inspections

Requests must reach the Building Division in advance, and no later than 7:30 a.m. on the day you want the inspection. The daily inspection routing is posted in the permit portal by 9 a.m. Inspectors check footings and foundation walls (separately if poured separately), plumbing before or with framing, mechanical, framing and air sealing after L&I has approved the electrical rough-in, insulation and energy items, and the final. Before the final, Environmental Health must sign off the septic system and Public Works the drainage. A re-inspection fee can be charged if the work is not ready or the approved plans and permit are not on site, and the job-specific inspection list is printed on the back of each permit.

The county’s inspection notes set out what each visit needs. Footing inspections happen with forms up and steel in place, on undisturbed ground, with property lines marked by the owner or contractor so setbacks can be checked. Drain, waste and vent piping must hold a water or air test until inspected (plastic pipe is never air-tested), water lines take existing pressure or a 50 psi air test on a gauge, and a shower pan is filled with water before tile. At framing the building must be weathertight, chimneys complete, bath and kitchen vent ducts in, seismic straps and shear wall nailing visible before siding, and plates, boxes and openings sealed. The final needs exterior elements, working plumbing fixtures and smoke detectors, required exits, and guards and handrails in place.

Washington building code and flood maps

The county enforces the 2021 Washington codes through Title 21 of the Clallam County Code. In FEMA’s Community Status Book, Clallam County and the cities of Forks, Port Angeles and Sequim are participating communities in the National Flood Insurance Program; flood-zone rules for unincorporated land sit in the frequently flooded areas part of chapter 27.12.

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

Clallam County building permit FAQ

How big a shed can I build without a permit in Clallam County?

Up to 400 sq ft of unheated, single-story storage per parcel, with no loft, 10-foot walls at most, 24-inch eaves and 6 feet from other buildings. Pole buildings must be engineered.

How much is a permit for a $300,000 house?

The building permit fee is $2,538.50 on the 2026 schedule, plus 65 percent plan review and the state fee.

How long does a permit take?

The county reported a 4 to 8 week backlog on October 19, 2026.

Do I need a permit for a wood stove?

Yes. A wood-burning appliance is a $100 mechanical permit, and clearances are inspected.

Who issues electrical permits?

L&I for unincorporated land, Sequim and Forks; the City of Port Angeles inside its own limits.

Can I still submit plans to the 2018 energy code?

Not for new construction from November 1, 2026; plans must meet the 2021 Washington State Energy Code.

What is the inspection cut-off?

7:30 a.m. on the day of the inspection.

Permit search and official resources

Permits in the current system can be looked up in the county’s permit portal, whose public side opened on July 15, 2024. The county stopped adding documents to its previous system in January 2024, so older plans or permits that cannot be found online are requested through the county’s Public Records Request platform.

• Clallam County Building Division
• Clallam County permit portal guides
• Clallam County permit portal (EnerGov)
• Building permits: what needs one and what does not
• 400 sq ft exemption for unheated storage buildings
• Residential permit requirements
• Commercial permit requirements
• Building inspections
• Clallam County Code 5.100.310, Building Division fees
• Ordinance 1036 and Schedule 310-A (2026)
• Notice: 2018 energy code no longer accepted from November 1, 2026
• Department of Community Development
• L&I list of city electrical programs
• L&I contractor registration
• FEMA Community Status Book, Washington

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