Ellensburg, Washington Building Permit Guide

The Building Division of Ellensburg’s Community Development Department issues building, mechanical, plumbing, sign and demolition permits and inspects the work inside the city. Applications go in through the City’s SmartGov online portal, by email to the division, or in person, and electrical permits are handled by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) under the City’s own code. Review fees for new construction are the project valuation from the ICC’s August 2025 table times 0.0115, under fees the City Council adopted in March 2026.

The division is at 501 N Anderson Street and answers on 509-962-7239 (permits@ellensburgwa.gov); Lia Sommer is the Building Official (509-925-8663). In-person meetings with staff are by appointment. Ellensburg had 21,308 residents in the Census estimate for 2025; Kittitas County Community Development Services permits the land outside the city.

What requires a building permit in Ellensburg?

A building permit is required for all residential projects unless the code exempts them, and the City’s FAQ is explicit that new roofing, new windows and replacement siding need a permit on houses, apartments and commercial buildings alike; only a building that was itself exempt, such as a small shed, can be re-roofed or re-sided without one.

The City’s exemption bulletin (BB-11) prints the amended building code list for houses too, but the City amended only the International Building Code’s list; the residential code that governs one- and two-family homes keeps the state’s own exemptions, so check a fence over 7 feet or a water heater swap at a house with the division before relying on the bulletin. Exempt work still has to meet critical area, setback, lot coverage and parking rules.

What the city decides and what the state holds

Ellensburg City Code (ECC) 3.01.080 adopts the most current state editions of the building, residential, existing building, mechanical, fire, plumbing and energy codes, last amended by Ordinance 4990 on July 6, 2026. The City’s own changes are the building code exemption list above, a one-year life for permits instead of the model code’s 180 days, a building code fire district (Appendix D) covering the Central Commercial zone, rules for using easements as fire separation, and residential code appendices A to D. ECC 3.17.010 makes the owner or agent responsible for getting electrical permits and inspections from L&I.

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

Ellensburg building department: who handles permitting

Commercial permits, pre-application building questions and code interpretations go to the Building Official; residential permits and general questions go to the inspector-plans examiner. The City’s utilities are its own: Energy Services handles electric and natural gas service connections, and Public Works handles sewer and water. Fire sprinkler and alarm submittals go to the Fire Marshal’s office (509-933-7241).

Permit types

Residential permits

The residential bulletin (BB-03) lists what a house permit needs: a signed building application (BA-01) and mechanical/plumbing application (BA-02), drawings on paper at least 18 by 24 inches at quarter-inch scale with foundation, framing, truss, elevation, section and energy details, a 1:20 site plan showing setbacks, grades, streams, floodplains and utilities, current state contractor and City business licenses unless the owner is exempt, and a permit deposit equal to the plan review amount. Projects in or near a critical area add the critical area review form. Plans and calculations must be stamped where a registered design professional is required (bulletin BB-13), and civil drawings may be asked for for new road or sidewalk construction and for substantially remodeled projects.

The City publishes its own checklists and bulletins for solar panels, EV chargers, manufactured home installation affidavits, egress windows, CSST gas pipe, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, exterior flashing and design criteria, and a pre-application meeting form (BF-04).

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

Commercial permits

Commercial and multifamily projects follow their own submittal bulletins (BB-01 and BB-02) and the commercial plan review checklist, and a pre-application meeting costs $450. Large repeat projects can use a master plan, reviewed for 25% of the building permit fee, with each site-specific permit after that at 75%.

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

What comes before the building permit

Critical areas, including wetlands, floodplains, streams and slopes, are governed by Title 15, Article 6 of the code; a critical area determination is $450 and a critical area variance $1,900. Ellensburg has its own Shoreline Master Program for shoreline areas inside the city. Site development permits cost $450, or $1,120 when SEPA review is needed, and design review runs $450 (minor) or $1,120 (major). On August 3, 2026 the Council replaced the urban forestry chapter of the code, ECC 4.36 (Ordinance 4992). Septic systems, where sewer is not available, are permitted by Kittitas County Public Health.

Other land use fees in the same 2026 resolution that often come before a building permit: a boundary line adjustment or home occupation is $450, an administrative variance $560, a preliminary short subdivision, binding site plan, SEPA review or temporary use permit $1,120, a conditional use permit, full variance or appeal $1,900, and a preliminary subdivision, rezone or development agreement $2,790. Affordable housing agreements are monitored at $60 an hour.

Ellensburg permit costs and fees

The Council adopted Resolution 2026-06 on March 16, 2026, and the City says the new schedule took effect on March 23 for applications filed on or after that date. On May 4, 2026 Resolution 2026-08 added the remodel and master plan fees that had been left out. For new construction, the review fee is the valuation from the ICC August 2025 square-foot construction cost table times a multiplier of 0.0115, which works out to $1,150 for every $100,000 of valuation. For remodels the resolution lists 20%, 50% or 80% “of remodel valuation based on square footage”, by the scope of the work.

Impact fees are in the code itself. The park impact fee is $1,925 per single-family home, $1,650 per apartment or manufactured home space and $962 per accessory dwelling unit (ECC 14.02.120). The traffic impact fee is $2,324 per PM peak-hour trip (Ordinance 4971, September 15, 2025), with an ADU paying half the single-family amount, permits in commercial and industrial zones paying half, and no fee in the Central Commercial zone. A single-family builder may defer both until final inspection or 18 months after issue, whichever comes first, for a $50 fee and a recorded lien. The resolution does not list the state building code fee that RCW 19.27.085 adds to building permits.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Mechanical and plumbing permits are City permits on form BA-02 and are inspected by the division. Ellensburg is not on L&I’s list of cities with their own electrical program, and ECC 3.17.010 says that inside the city all electrical permits and inspections are administered by the state, while reserving the City’s right to use its own electrical inspector in future. Because the City runs the electric and gas utility, new or altered service also needs an application to Energy Services.

The mechanical schedule charges by appliance after the $100 issuance fee: $160 for each furnace, floor furnace, wall or unit heater, decorative insert or wood stove, $210 or $310 for a package heating and cooling unit under or over 100,000 Btu, $50 for an evaporative cooler, $30 for a ventilation fan on a single duct or an appliance vent installed on its own, and $310 for a kitchen hood with its ducts.

How to apply for an Ellensburg building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Bulletin BB-03 lists what a residential submittal must contain, including truss sheets, energy forms, structural calculations for work that is not prescriptive and, where it applies, the critical area form, so a file without them is not complete. Projects with a designated staff member should send questions to that person. Under ECC 3.01.080 a permit becomes invalid if work does not start within one year of issue or stops for a year; the building official may grant one extension of up to a year, requested in writing between 7 and 60 days before the permit lapses.

Inspections in Ellensburg

Schedule inspections in SmartGov or on the inspection request line, 509-962-7142, by 4 p.m. for an inspection the next day. The line is cleared at 4 p.m., so later requests are booked two business days out unless you ask for another day. Re-inspections are billed at $100 an hour. Electrical inspections are booked with L&I.

The City posts building permit activity reports and summaries for 2026, which show what has been issued across the city.

Ellensburg permit search and official resources

SmartGov lets applicants view detailed permit information, schedule inspections and follow the approval process. Ellensburg is a participating community in the National Flood Insurance Program, and FEMA lists September 24, 2021 as its current map date.

• Ellensburg Building Division: forms, bulletins, staff
• SmartGov online permitting and inspection portal
• Resolution 2026-08, community development fees (PDF)
• Inspection requests
• BB-03 residential permit submittal requirements (PDF)
• BB-11 permit exemptions bulletin (PDF)
• BB-12 contractor license requirements (PDF)
• BB-14 design criteria and codes (PDF)
• BF-04 pre-application meeting form (PDF)
• ECC chapter 3.01: building codes and amendments
• ECC Title 14: park and traffic impact fees
• Kittitas County Public Health: on-site sewage

Ellensburg building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Ellensburg?

The City’s Building Division at 501 N Anderson Street (509-962-7239); Lia Sommer is the Building Official. Electrical permits come from L&I.

How is the building permit fee worked out?

For new construction, the ICC August 2025 valuation times 0.0115, or $1,150 per $100,000 of value; remodels are priced on 20%, 50% or 80% of remodel valuation based on square footage, by scope.

Do I need a permit to replace windows or a roof?

Yes. A residential re-roof is $210, and window replacement is $205 for three or fewer windows and $410 for more.

How long is a permit good for?

Work must start within a year of issue and must not stop for a year; one extension of up to a year can be requested in writing.

What impact fees apply to a new house?

A $1,925 park impact fee and a traffic impact fee of $2,324 per PM peak-hour trip, both deferrable to final inspection or 18 months.

Do I need a permit to replace a water heater?

The City’s building code amendment exempts replacing a home’s domestic water heater within the same dwelling unit, but that amendment sits in the building code rather than the residential code, so confirm with the division before replacing one in a house.

Who connects electric and gas service?

The City’s Energy Services department (509-962-7124), which runs the electric and natural gas utility; the wiring permit itself comes from L&I.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Through SmartGov or by calling 509-962-7142 before 4 p.m. the day before.

Can I apply in person?

Yes, though staff meetings are by appointment; the City also takes applications by email and through SmartGov.

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