Grant County, Washington Building Permit Guide

Outside the cities and towns, Grant County building permits are issued by the Building Division of Grant County Development Services, 264 Division Avenue West in Ephrata (509-754-2011 ext. 3001). You build the application in the county’s SmartGov portal, the county routes it to planning, the fire marshal, public works and the health district, and new homes average four to six weeks of review. Fees follow Resolution 23-055-CC: a valuation table tied to the ICC’s annual cost data, with plan review at 50 percent of the permit fee.

What requires a building permit in Grant County?

The Building Division reviews permit applications for structures in unincorporated Grant County and enforces chapter 19.27 RCW. Its handout of the 2021 residential code’s section R105 lists what needs no permit; everything else that builds, enlarges, alters, repairs, moves, demolishes or changes the use of a building, or installs gas, mechanical or plumbing systems, needs one.

What the county decides and what the state holds

All submittals since March 15, 2024 are reviewed under the 2021 state codes, and residential energy code reviews have followed the county’s Policy 2024-004 since December 5, 2024. The county’s design criteria for houses are seismic category C, 110 mph ultimate wind speed, a 20 psf roof live load with 30 psf ground snow, an 18-inch frost line, climate zone 5 and an air freezing index of 1,200; ice-shield underlayment is not required, and flood hazards follow the FEMA maps. Electrical work is not part of the county permit at all.

Grant County building department: who handles permitting

Development Services combines the Planning, Building, Fire Marshal and GIS divisions under director Jim Anderson-Cook. The Building Division employs ICC-certified plans examiners and inspectors; complaints about unpermitted building go to the division, while other land use and nuisance complaints go to the Sheriff’s Code Enforcement Unit.

Cities and towns in Grant County

The county reviews structures outside city limits, and its permit page asks you to confirm the property is not in a city before you apply. None of the cities is on L&I’s list of cities with their own electrical program.

Grant County permit types and what comes first

Residential permits

There is no paper application any more: the portal asks the application questions, and you upload the site plan, the Agent Authorization Form (or, for a homeowner with no agent, a statement saying so) and complete construction drawings checked against the county’s residential plan checklist. Every file must be a PDF named in the format set out in the county’s standards. Manufactured homes add the FAS moving form, and gas work an LP-gas piping schematic. A manufactured or mobile home is a $500 flat fee with no plan review.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial submittals follow the commercial checklist and average six to eight weeks. Where special inspection is required under IBC chapter 17, the owner, not the contractor, hires the approved agency, a statement of special inspections is a condition of issuance, and the reports are emailed to the division with the permit number.

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

• Planning: the division checks zoning and setbacks on submittals; shoreline determinations and permits, floodplain development permits, shrub-steppe review, variances and site addresses also go through Planning.
• Health District: septic design, site evaluation and permits, and proof of water such as well reports or shared-well agreements; adding bedrooms or restrooms means contacting the district first.
• City services: a lot that will connect to city water or sewer needs a confirmation letter from the city.
• Fire Marshal: access and fire flow; homes over 3,600 sq ft or short of the fire protection credits needed for fire flow may need separate Fire Marshal permits, and a fire flow worksheet for a home over 3,600 sq ft is $50.
• Access: Public Works must approve a road approach from a county road before issuance; a new access onto a state highway needs WSDOT.

Grant County building permit fees

The commissioners adopted the current Building and Fire fee schedule by Resolution No. 23-055-CC after a hearing on June 27, 2023, effective July 1, 2023. Instead of fixing dollar values per square foot, the county adopts the ICC’s February Building Valuation Data every July 1, so valuations move each year while the fee table stays put; the 2026 table is the ICC’s February 2026 data, which prices one- and two-family dwellings at $175.92 to $224.62 per sq ft depending on construction type and unfinished basements at $31.50. Plan review is 50 percent of the permit fee for both residential and commercial work.

The bands join up exactly, so the table can be used across them. Card payments in the portal carry a 2.7 percent bank fee; checks and cash are taken at the counter from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For a new house or a new commercial building the 50 percent plan review fee is due when you submit; other projects may be asked for a deposit after intake.

Worked example: a house valued at $300,000 lands in the $100,001 to $500,000 band: $990 plus 200 × $6 is $2,190, which already includes the house’s plumbing and mechanical work. Plan review at 50 percent adds $1,095 and the state fee $6.50, for $3,291.50.

Trade permits and who may pull them

For a new house the county’s permit fee covers plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas work; for other projects residential plumbing and mechanical permits start at a $50 base, and commercial ones are priced on project valuation with plan review at 25 percent. Fire systems, propane tanks and roof-mounted solar on a house are Fire Marshal permits. Electrical permits come only from L&I, which has an office at 3001 W Broadway Avenue in Moses Lake.

• Gas piping: a gas line job needs the LP-gas piping schematic in the submittal, and the residential gas fee is $10 per appliance connection.
• Fire Marshal items on a house: a propane tank under 501 gallons is $50, a larger one $150, and a home fire sprinkler system $150.
• Special inspection: on commercial work the owner’s agency, not the contractor, files the special inspection reports with the division.
• Manufactured homes: since January 31, 2022 owners installing their own home must complete L&I training as an “approved homeowner” and buy installer certification tags before work starts.

State law decides who must hold a contractor registration or trade license and how much electrical or plumbing work owners may do themselves; our Washington licensing overview covers those rules.

How to apply for a Grant County building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The county’s averages are four weeks for small projects, four to six weeks for a new home and six to eight weeks for commercial work. A package returned at intake, an unpaid deposit, or a missing Health District, road approach or city utility approval holds the permit back. Revisions after issuance are billed at $50 an hour, and nothing is accepted or issued after 4 p.m.

Inspections in Grant County

Call the inspection line, 509-450-1117, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on a weekday with your name, phone number, permit number, site address and the inspections you need. The county does not do same-day inspections and cannot give times: keep the whole next business day free, as inspectors may arrive from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fire Marshal inspections are booked with the Fire Marshal at ext. 3006, and changes or cancellations go through a permit technician at ext. 3001.

The inspection card lists the required inspections; skipping one can lead to the permit being revoked or the certificate of occupancy being refused. A reinspection costs $100, and a permit about to expire at the final stage can get one free 30-day extension.

Flood maps and state code

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Grant County as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program with a current effective map of February 18, 2009, along with Coulee City, Ephrata, Hartline, Moses Lake, Quincy, Warden and Wilson Creek; Ephrata holds a class 8 rating in the Community Rating System. Electric City and Grand Coulee appear in the section for communities not in the program, with a sanction date of February 18, 2010.

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

Grant County building permit FAQ

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

$2,190 plus $1,095 for plan review and the $6.50 state fee; plumbing and mechanical are included for a new house.

How long does plan review take?

On average four weeks for small projects, four to six weeks for a new home and six to eight weeks for commercial work.

Can I build a shed without a permit?

Yes, if it is a one-story detached accessory structure of no more than 200 sq ft; the exemption does not excuse it from zoning or other county rules.

Can I drop off paper plans?

The county takes applications through SmartGov; for a paper review, call ext. 3001 first.

Who issues permits in Moses Lake or Quincy?

The cities themselves; the county handles only land outside city limits. L&I issues electrical permits in both cities.

Do I need a septic permit before the building permit?

Where there is no sewer, yes: the Grant County Health District reviews the septic design and proof of water as part of the county’s routing.

What happens if I build without a permit?

If a stop work order is not followed by a permit within 72 hours, the permit fee doubles.

Permit search and official resources

Applicants follow their own permits in SmartGov. The Building Division posts weekly lists of building and Fire Marshal permits issued; for older files or anything more specific, use the county’s public records request portal.

• Grant County Development Services
• Building permits: portal, packets and fees
• SmartGov permit portal
• Adopted building and fire fee schedule (Resolution 23-055-CC)
• Resolution No. 23-055-CC
• 2026 valuation table (ICC February 2026 data)
• Work exempt from permit (IRC R105)
• Handouts and design criteria
• Working with other offices
• Permit inspections
• Weekly permit reports
• Planning Division
• Shoreline Master Program
• Floodplain development
• Manufactured homes: homeowner installation rules
• Board of commissioners proceedings
• Public records requests
• L&I electrical permits and inspections
• FEMA Community Status Book, Washington

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