Grays Harbor County, Washington Building Permit Guide

For unincorporated Grays Harbor County, building permits come from the Planning & Building Division of the Department of Public Services, 100 West Broadway in Montesano (360-249-5579). Since July 25, 2022 applications are taken only through the SmartGov portal, apart from construction drawings. A house starts with a $268 site plan review that tells you which other permits you need; a commercial job starts with a pre-application conference.

What requires a building permit in Grays Harbor County?

The division publishes its own two-column list. Its “required” column is a sample; its exempt column is meant to be complete, and it is more generous than the model code for accessory buildings beside a house.

The division adds that exempt work is not exempt from other permits that apply to the project. A residential re-roof that only replaces the covering, without touching the structure or sheathing, is not on the required list.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The county follows the 2021 editions of the IBC, IRC, IFC, IMC, IFGC and IEBC, the Uniform Plumbing Code and the Washington State Energy Code, with state and local amendments in Title 15 of the county code. Ordinance No. 505, adopted November 25, 2025, made minor amendments to Title 15. The 2021 Wildland Urban Interface Code is postponed until the state’s new hazard maps are done. The county also has a Building Codes Advisory Council. Electrical work belongs to the Department of Labor and Industries.

Grays Harbor County building department: who handles permitting

The Planning & Building Division sits in the Department of Public Services with the fire marshal, the Environmental Health Division and Public Works. A building permit is issued once each reviewing office has signed off: planning for critical areas and setbacks, Environmental Health for septic and drinking water, the fire marshal for driveway access, Public Works for road access, and the Building Division for plan review.

The nine cities

All nine cities run their own building permits; the county permits unincorporated land only and says that permit records inside city limits must come from the cities.

Permit types and what comes first

Residential permits

Residential building permits cover single-family homes, duplexes, town homes, accessory structures, alterations, changes of use, additions, remodels, repairs and grading and filling. The process has three steps. First a Site Plan Review in SmartGov ($268); the approval letter lists every other permit and approval the project needs. Second, those related permits (road access, address, septic, fire access, water availability and so on). Third, the building permit itself, filed with the documents on the residential plans submittal checklist when the county tells you to.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work (new buildings, tenant improvements, alterations, changes of use, demolition and accessory structures) runs in four steps and must begin with a pre-application conference ($415), requested through the portal, before the site plan review. A commercial or industrial site plan review is $3,285 plus $106 an acre, and the commercial submittal checklist sets out the drawings.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Critical areas and setbacks: the Planning Division reviews these in the site plan review under the critical area protection ordinance, last updated in 2018 and covering aquifer recharge areas, frequently flooded areas, geologic hazards and fish and wildlife habitat; a special study tied to an onsite sewage, shoreline exemption or building permit is $313.
• Shorelines: a shoreline exemption notice, including for a single-family house, is $300; a shoreline permit starts at $529.
• Flood zones: a flood development permit, with an elevation certificate, is $208 and applies to all development permits in the floodplain.
• Septic and water: the county’s Environmental Health Division permits septic systems and confirms water availability. On its 2026 schedule (Board of Health Resolution 2024-02) a new residential septic permit is $1,032 for a conventional system and $1,342 for an alternative one, and a soils determination alone is $258. Water availability for a house on a well drilled on or after January 19, 2018 is $697 in water resource inventory areas 22 and 23, which includes the state’s $500 streamflow-law fee (ESSB 6091); for an older well it is $197, and for a public water connection $155.
• Road and driveway: a single residential road access permit is $319; a fire equipment access driveway review is $132.
• Address: $133 per address.
• SEPA: a residential environmental checklist review is $755, and grading over 100 cubic yards carries SEPA review.
• Variances and exceptions: a flood development permit with a variance is $1,198, a reasonable use exception or a critical areas protection variance $1,922, and a zoning variance $1,121. A shoreline substantial development, conditional use or variance permit is $1,059 plus $16 for each $1,000 of project value, and a later shoreline permit revision $1,978. A zoning certification is $184.

Environmental Health’s 2026 schedule also sets the follow-on septic charges: a permit can be extended for $310 a year for up to three more years from its original expiry, a repair permit for a failure the county has confirmed is half the base fee if the work is finished within six months, and an existing system evaluation (for a loan or a development review) is $310, or $413 with a water sample. The $258 soils determination can be deducted from a standard septic permit filed within two years with a design for the area evaluated.

Grays Harbor County building permit fees

The division’s fees are prescribed by Resolution 2024-096, adopted on August 27, 2024, and gathered in the 2026 Fee Brochure (updated February 2, 2026). The building permit fee itself depends on the project’s value, from square footage and type of construction, and the brochure does not print that valuation table, so the division’s permit coordinators give the figure for a specific project. What the brochure does publish:

Any activity on the schedule that starts before the permit is issued, or without all applicable approvals, is subject to an investigation fee on top of the permit fees. Grade and fill permits are priced by volume: $33 up to 50 cubic yards, and SEPA review is added from 101 cubic yards.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Plumbing and mechanical work in unincorporated areas is permitted by the county; the county’s required list names water heaters, propane tanks, ductless heat pumps and fireplaces, and the brochure asks you to call for those fees. Electrical work is permitted and inspected by L&I everywhere except inside Aberdeen, which runs its own electrical program.

• Owner-builders: the county lets property owners do the work on their own property; at application you sign a form acknowledging the state self-contracting laws (RCW 18.27). Owner wiring and plumbing still need their permits and inspections.
• L&I office: the Montesano office has been closed since July 7, 2025, with its phone line listed for weekdays.

How to apply for a Grays Harbor County building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The building permit cannot issue until every reviewing office has approved its part, so the slowest of planning, Environmental Health, the fire marshal, Public Works and building review sets the pace. Status is visible in the portal, or by phone from a permit coordinator. Plan review of changes is billed at $175 an hour. Once issued, a permit stays valid for 180 days from the last approved inspection, and the division can extend it if you ask in writing before it expires.

Inspections

The required inspections are listed, in order, when the permit is issued, and none may be skipped. Request them through SmartGov. The division does no same-day inspections and offers no time slots: inspections run Monday to Friday and usually happen the business day after the request, and the work must be complete and ready. A re-inspection fee applies when there is no access, the approved plans are not on site, the work is unfinished, corrections have not been made, or the work does not match the plans.

Environmental Health inspections for septic and well permits are not booked by appointment: staff schedule them once told the site is prepared, and most happen within two weeks. Planning special site visits ($175 an hour) do not need the owner present.

Washington building code and flood maps

Grays Harbor County applies the 2021 Washington codes with Title 15 amendments. In FEMA’s Community Status Book the county and all nine of its cities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program; Westport also holds a Community Rating System class 8. Any development permit in the county’s floodplain needs the $208 flood development permit and an elevation certificate.

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

Grays Harbor County building permit FAQ

Can I file a paper application at the Montesano office?

No. Since July 25, 2022 the division accepts applications only through SmartGov; only construction drawings may still come on paper.

Do I need a permit for a garage or shop next to my house?

The exempt list covers IRC accessory structures of 800 sq ft or less on the same lot as a residence, but the required list names garages, covered patios and carports, so confirm a garage with a permit coordinator before you build.

What does a building permit cost?

It is based on the project’s valuation; ask a permit coordinator for the figure. The first step for a house, the site plan review, is $268.

Do I need a permit for a new roof?

On a house, only if structural parts or sheathing are replaced or repaired; on a commercial building, for any roof covering.

Can I get a same-day inspection?

No. Requests are generally inspected the following business day.

Who handles electrical permits?

L&I, except inside the City of Aberdeen, which issues its own.

Permit search and official resources

The county’s old issued-permit reports stopped updating on July 20, 2022; permits since then are found with the Parcel Search tool in SmartGov, which also shows historic permits. Records for property inside a city are kept by that city. For copies of older county files, use a public records request.

• Grays Harbor County Planning & Building Division
• Building Division homepage and code news
• Property development and permitting process
• SmartGov permit portal
• Permit vs exempt list
• Inspections
• 2026 Fee Brochure (Resolution 2024-096)
• Site plan resources
• Critical areas
• Shoreline Master Program
• Issued permit reports (to July 2022)
• L&I city electrical programs
• L&I contractor registration
• FEMA Community Status Book, Washington

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