Franklin County, Washington Building Permit Guide

Building permits for unincorporated Franklin County come from the Franklin County Planning & Economic Development Department at 502 W Boeing Street in Pasco (509-545-3521), which also issues permits inside Connell for that city. You email the packet to permitsubmittal@franklincountywa.gov, one PDF per item, and the county’s “all or nothing” rule denies any application with a missing piece. Fees are set in the county code and are not due until the permit is issued.

What requires a building permit in Franklin County?

The county’s permit forms show what it regulates: new homes, additions, remodels, detached accessory structures, manufactured and factory-assembled structures, pools and hot tubs, solar panels, re-roofing, siding and stucco, demolition, fire systems, propane tank sets, grading and excavation, plus separate plumbing and mechanical permits. Fence placement rules are in a separate handout.

What the county decides and what the state holds

Chapter 15.12 of the county code, last amended by Ordinance 05-2024 on October 30, 2024, adopts the 2021 International Building Code with appendices C, D, E, H, I and J, the 2021 International Residential Code with appendices AF, AQ, AU, G, H, J and T, the 2021 Uniform Plumbing and International Mechanical codes and the 2021 Washington State Energy Code. The county’s own design values are a minimum 20 psf roof snow load, 110 mph ultimate wind speed with exposure C, seismic category C at minimum and a frost depth of 24 inches below finish grade.

Franklin County building department: who handles permitting

One department handles construction permits and inspection, land use permits and long-range planning, code enforcement, business registration, burn rules and the local fire code. The building official and inspectors work from the Boeing Street office, and appeals go to a board of appeals appointed jointly by Pasco, Kennewick, Richland, West Richland, Benton City and the Benton and Franklin county commissions.

Cities in Franklin County

Franklin County has four cities. None appears on L&I’s list of cities that permit electrical work themselves.

Franklin County permit types and what comes first

Residential permits

The New Residential Dwelling packet is a checklist, an application form and a contractor information sheet. Every contractor and subcontractor listed needs a UBI number and a Franklin County business license. Plans must be original electronic drawings, not scans, showing overall and wall heights; the packet also asks for engineer-stamped truss prints and layout, a final floor framing plan from the lumber supplier, a header schedule and footing sizes checked by an architect or engineer against those trusses, the energy code form with its credit table on the plans, and AHRI certificates for the heating, cooling and water heating equipment. Engineering is required for framed walls taller than 10 feet 1-1/8 inches, basement walls over 9 feet, point loads over 15,000 pounds or a structure over 6,000 sq ft. If the building owner and the landowner differ, include a notarized letter.

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

Commercial permits

Construction drawings that the code requires to be designed must carry the original wet stamp and signature of a Washington architect or engineer and the job site address. Commercial occupancies pay plan review at 65 percent of the permit fee, and a signed contract bid may be required for uses without a listed square-foot value.

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

• Septic: a sewage disposal construction permit signed by the Benton-Franklin Health District, unless the lot is in a sewer service area. Enlarging the footprint on a septic lot under 1 acre needs a Health District evaluation first.
• Water: one form of proof: the county’s water availability form, a well log, a shared-well approval from the Health District, a farm exemption letter, a state water facilities inventory, or a city connection receipt or application.
• Road approach: any structure valued at $25,000 or more needs an approach permit from county Public Works or, on a state route such as SR 17 or US 395, from WSDOT, approved before issuance.
• Fire setbacks: where no year-round hydrant or approved suppression system is within 500 feet by road, the county fire code sets 25-foot front and rear, 20-foot side and 15-foot between-building setbacks.
• Site constraints: the site plan must show irrigation district drain lines and easements, canals, slopes of 15 percent or more and wetlands; shoreline, critical areas (FCC 18.08) and flood (FCC 15.08) rules apply where mapped.

Franklin County building permit fees

Fees are set in Franklin County Code section 15.12.190, most recently amended by Ordinance 05-2024. Valuations come from the county’s own square-foot values, based on the ICC’s February 2020 valuation data, and the fee comes from the code’s table. Building, plumbing and mechanical fees are paid when the permit issues, and the department will estimate them beforehand.

Group R-3, the occupancy of most single-family homes, is not among the groups listed at 65 percent, so a house of 3,000 sq ft or less pays plan review at 5 percent, while any building over 3,000 sq ft pays 65 percent. Above $100,000 of valuation the code text lists conflicting starting amounts and rates for the same ranges, so ask the department for an estimate on a whole house rather than working it out yourself.

Worked example: a 1,000 sq ft detached wood-framed shop is valued at 1,000 × $32.00 = $32,000, which falls in the $31,001 to $32,000 step: a permit fee of $399. As a Group U building it pays plan review at 65 percent, $259.35, for $658.35 before any plumbing, mechanical or state fee.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Plumbing and mechanical permits are county permits with their own application forms, each starting from a $40 permit fee; a residential solar installation without structural changes is listed at $100. Electrical permits come from L&I, and the county will not issue a certificate of occupancy until the L&I electrical work is approved along with the Health District’s sign-off.

• Business license: on top of state registration, every contractor and subcontractor on a county permit needs a Franklin County business license under FCC 5.04.020.
• Every trade on one sheet: the contractor information sheet has a line for each firm on the job, from excavation, foundations and concrete to plumbing, HVAC, framing, roofing and masonry, with its business address, UBI and county license number; the department must be told of any change of contractor.
• Fire systems: the county’s fee table prices a building fire extinguishing system at $200 plus $1 per head, a hood and duct system at $50 plus $1 per head and a fire alarm system at $150.

Registration, trade licenses and what owners may wire or plumb themselves follow state law, explained in our Washington licensing guide.

How to apply for a Franklin County building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Staff first decide whether the application is complete, and only then does official review start; under the all-or-nothing policy a single missing item means denial. Applications are reviewed in the order received and the county does not expedite. Bids or preliminary framing plans, scanned drawings and missing AHRI certificates are among the items the checklist singles out.

Inspections in Franklin County

Request inspections on 509-545-3522. Each re-inspection or special inspection costs $75. A permit expires if work does not start within 180 days of issuance or stops for 180 days, and in any case two years after issuance; demolition, water heater, siding, roofing, factory-assembled structure and HVAC repair permits last 90 days, and pool permits a year.

Ask for the final inspection before the permit expires. Once the exterior is complete, a six-month extension is available; further six-month extensions need a passed outstanding inspection, no more than four are issued, and each site visit is charged the $75 inspection fee; an expired permit can be revalidated once, for a year, at 25 percent of the original fee. The certificate of occupancy follows approval of all building inspections, the L&I electrical work and any Health District items.

Flood maps and state code

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Franklin County as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current effective map dated May 1, 1980; Connell, Kahlotus, Mesa and Pasco also participate. Development in mapped flood areas follows the county’s flood damage prevention code, FCC 15.08, as amended by Ordinance 02-2022.

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

Franklin County building permit FAQ

How do I submit a building permit application in Franklin County?

Email each item as its own PDF to permitsubmittal@franklincountywa.gov; do not send cloud-storage links.

Who issues building permits in Connell?

Franklin County. The City of Connell’s page says the county building official and inspectors handle review, permits and inspections there.

When do I pay?

Building, plumbing and mechanical fees are due when the permit is issued.

Do I need a road approach permit for a shop?

Yes if the structure is valued at $25,000 or more, from county Public Works or WSDOT on a state route.

Can the county speed up my review?

No. Applications are reviewed in the order received, and the county says it does not expedite.

What does it cost to build without a permit?

The permit fee is doubled, and the work still needs the permit and inspections.

How long does a Franklin County building permit last?

Work must start within 180 days and not stop for 180 days, and the permit ends two years after issuance unless extended; roofing, siding, demolition and water heater permits last 90 days.

Who issues electrical permits in Pasco and Connell?

L&I, which has an office at 4310 W 24th Avenue in Kennewick.

Permit search and official resources

To look up an existing county permit, ask the department at 509-545-3521 or file a public records request through the county’s records page. Commissioners’ agendas are posted weekly.

• Franklin County Planning & Economic Development
• Building division
• Building and planning application forms
• New residential dwelling application packet
• Building fees
• FCC chapter 15.12, Franklin County building code and fees
• Miscellaneous building handouts
• 2023 Shoreline Master Program
• Critical areas ordinance (FCC 18.08)
• Flood damage prevention code (FCC 15.08)
• City of Connell building permits
• Board of commissioners agendas
• Public records requests
• L&I electrical permits and inspections
• FEMA Community Status Book, Washington

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