Island County, Washington Building Permit Guide

On unincorporated Whidbey and Camano islands, building permits come from the Island County Planning & Community Development Building Department at 1 NE 6th Street in Coupeville or the Camano Annex. Applications and inspection requests go through the county’s SmartGov Public Portal, and since March 1, 2024 a house permit is only accepted with the septic design, water availability, address and access approvals already done. Fees rose under Resolution C-65-25 on January 15, 2026.

What requires a building permit in Island County?

The county requires permits for new houses, accessory buildings, additions, remodels, decks, demolition, manufactured homes and swimming pools, and it posts its own reminder that new and replacement roofing needs a building permit. Plumbing and mechanical work, from a furnace to a propane tank, is permitted on a separate fee schedule. Solar racking is now taken in person or online.

The county posts that exempt list as section R105.2 of the 2021 International Residential Code. It adds that an exemption never authorizes work that breaks the code or other county ordinances, so a 200 sq ft shed still has to meet zoning setbacks, and an emergency repair needs a permit application by the next working day.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The 2021 Washington codes have governed permits here since March 15, 2024. What Island County sets on top is mostly about place: a Noise Level Reduction Ordinance (Island County Code chapter 14.01B) requires sound-reducing construction for any building meant for human occupancy in the mapped noise zones; parcels in the mapped Aviation Notify Zone need an FAA screenshot or memo before submittal; and a vacant parcel under 2.5 acres without a house may carry a garage or shop of no more than 800 sq ft. The Building Department also announced that 13 detached accessory dwelling unit (DADU) certificates are available for 2026.

Island County building department: who handles permitting

Planning & Community Development, directed by Jonathan Lange, holds planning, the Building Department and long-range planning under one roof. The Building Department reviews plans, issues building, plumbing and mechanical permits and does the inspections; septic and drinking water approvals come from Island County Public Health and driveway access from Public Works.

The three incorporated places

Each of Island County’s cities and its one town runs its own building permits; the county covers everything outside their limits.

Permit types and what comes first

Residential permits

A house submittal is a paper-style package: two copies of the application completed in ink, two sets of scaled plans, two sets of engineering where required, the Washington State Energy Code worksheet and a plot plan no larger than 11 by 17 inches at an engineering scale no coarser than 1 inch to 60 feet, showing the water and septic lines, tank, drainfield and reserve area. The single-family checklist adds the address application, the approved septic permit or as-built (or a sewer certificate from the Holmes Harbor or Penn Cove sewer district), an approved water availability verification issued within the year, and the approved access permit. Repeat designs can go through the county’s stock plan process, valid for the code cycle in which they were reviewed.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial and multi-family work uses the same department and portal. Non-residential sites usually need site plan review first (Type II or Type III on the 2026 land use schedule), and a project under the Ebey’s Landing design guidelines needs a certificate of appropriateness submitted before or with the building application.

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

• Septic and water: since March 1, 2024 the county will not accept a house application without a site registration and a septic design by a qualified designer submitted to Public Health, plus water availability verification.
• Access and address: Public Works issues the driveway permit onto a county road ($223 for a single or double residential access in 2026); WSDOT handles a first access onto a state highway. The address comes from the planning counter.
• Floodplain: a flood development pre-application meeting is required before the building permit, held 10 to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays for Whidbey and Fridays for Camano. Since December 2020, flood-zone parcels also get a FEMA habitat assessment review by the floodplain administrator.
• Shoreline: work within 200 feet of the ordinary high water mark needs shoreline approval first; a shoreline exemption costs $1,099 in 2026.
• Critical areas and land use: variances, clearing and grading permits, reasonable use determinations and certificates of appropriateness must be submitted (pending or approved) before the building permit.
• Pre-application conference: a conference with Health, Public Works and Planning staff costs $557 in total on the 2026 schedule.

Island County building permit fees

Building fees are set by Resolution C-65-25 (PLG-009-25), effective January 15, 2026. The notice for the October 21, 2025 hearing on the amendment (then numbered C-54-25) proposed 40 percent for 2026, 20 percent for 2027 and consumer price index increases after that. The permit fee is worked out from valuation in bands, and every permit carries a 3 percent technology fee on the total.

Worked example: a project valued at $300,000 falls in the $100,000.01 to $500,000 band: $1,872.49 plus 200 × $8.85 = $3,642.49, before the 3 percent technology fee. The band starting figures do not chain exactly (the $50,000 band ends at $1,872.54), so keep an estimate inside one band.

The Building Permits page still links an older table under PLG-004-18 that priced the same $300,000 project at $2,344 plus a $1,524 plan check fee; Resolution C-65-25 is the schedule in force. The 2026 table prints no separate plan-check or plan-review rate, so ask the Building Department (360-679-7339) whether plan review is added. Neither county schedule itemizes the state fee of RCW 19.27.085, which adds $6.50 to each residential permit and $25 to each commercial one.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Plumbing and mechanical permits are issued by the county Building Department on unit fees: a permit issuance charge plus a fee for each fixture or appliance (a forced-air furnace is $34 in 2026). Electrical permits are not county permits anywhere in Island County, including the three cities: Labor and Industries sells them and sends its own inspector.

• Contractors: the county asks for a Washington-registered contractor on every application. If none is listed, the owner signs the Statement of Contractor Verification (owner-contractor) form instead.
• Septic: about 72 percent of Island County residents rely on septic systems; designs are prepared by qualified septic designers and reviewed by Public Health before the building application can be filed.

How to apply for an Island County building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The biggest delays here happen before submittal. An application missing the septic design, water verification, address or access permit is refused at the counter, and in a flood zone the pre-application meeting slots are first come, first served.

Inspections

Inspections are booked only through the Public Portal. A request made before 3 p.m. on a business day is inspected the next business day, and results are posted to the portal; the county describes its inspections as 100 percent digital. To link existing permits to a portal account you need an access code, which staff provide on 360-679-7339. If the portal fails and staff cannot be reached, a request can be emailed to BuildingDept@islandcountywa.gov. A third re-inspection on the same issue costs $103. Snow, wind and seismic values for each site come from the county’s 2021 climatic and geographic design criteria handout. The L&I electrical inspection and the Public Health septic inspection run on their own schedules.

Washington building code and flood maps

The Building Department applies the 2021 Washington codes, effective March 15, 2024, together with the county’s flood ordinance (chapter 14.02A) and the flood provisions of IRC R322 and IBC 1612, using the most restrictive where they conflict. FEMA lists Island County, Oak Harbor, Langley and Coupeville as participating communities in the National Flood Insurance Program, and the county requires a FEMA elevation certificate, completed by a Washington-licensed surveyor, for structures in a mapped flood zone.

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

Island County building permit FAQ

Why was my house permit application not accepted?

Since March 1, 2024 the county requires the septic design and site registration, water availability verification, address and access permit before it will take a house application.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof?

Yes. Island County requires a building permit for new and replacement roofing.

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

$3,642.49 permit fee on the 2026 schedule, plus the 3 percent technology fee and the state fee. The schedule prints no separate plan-review rate, so ask the Building Department (360-679-7339) whether plan review is added.

Can I be my own contractor?

Yes. You sign the county’s owner-contractor (Statement of Contractor Verification) form with the application.

Can I build a garage before the house?

On a parcel under 2.5 acres with no residence, a garage or shop is limited to 800 sq ft.

When will my inspection happen?

The next business day if you request it in the Public Portal before 3 p.m.

Does the county issue permits in Oak Harbor or Langley?

No. Oak Harbor, Langley and Coupeville each issue their own building permits.

Permit search and official resources

Existing county permits, applications and inspection results can be looked up in the Island County Public Portal. For plans and older files, ask the Building Department or file a public records request with the county.

• Island County building permits: submittal requirements and FAQ
• Island County Building Department
• Island County Public Portal (SmartGov)
• Building permit applications and forms
• Building codes, design criteria and noise zones
• 2021 IRC work exempt from a building permit
• 2026 land use and building fee schedule (Resolution C-65-25)
• Notice of the October 2025 fee hearing
• Earlier building permit fee table (PLG-004-18)
• Island County onsite sewage (septic) systems
• Planning & Community Development
• L&I city electrical inspection list
• L&I contractor registration
• FEMA Community Status Book, Washington

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