Newcastle, Washington Building Permit Guide

Newcastle’s Community Development Department reviews and inspects building, plumbing, mechanical, right-of-way and land use applications, and since June 2026 it takes them through OpenGov instead of MyBuildingPermit.com. Fire code review and fire permits are handled by the City of Bellevue Fire Department, and electrical permits by the state Department of Labor and Industries (L&I). The building permit fee is set in the City’s own code, with plan review at 65% of it, and a 4% fee on top of permit and review fees in the schedule effective April 8, 2026.

City Hall is at 12835 Newcastle Way, Suite 200. Since October 1, 2026 the lobby is open Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m., and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; the Permit Center answers at 425-386-4103 and permit@newcastlewa.gov, and staff also meet applicants by virtual appointment. Newcastle is home to 13,128 people (Census Bureau, 2025 estimate).

These rules apply inside Newcastle city limits; King County handles permits on unincorporated land nearby.

What requires a building permit in Newcastle?

Newcastle writes its own Construction Administrative Code in chapter 15.05 of the Newcastle Municipal Code (NMC). Section 15.05.105.2 lists exempt work, but none of those exemptions applies in a flood hazard area, a wildland-urban interface area or a critical area unless the work stays entirely inside or on the outer shell of an existing legal building. The City is updating its critical areas rules for wetlands, streams, steep slopes and coal mine hazard zones, and has written to about 500 owners whose land may be affected.

The same section exempts portable heating, cooling and ventilation appliances, small self-contained refrigeration units and minor part replacements from mechanical permits, and leak repairs and stoppage clearing from plumbing permits. Work done mainly in the public right-of-way is outside the building permit, though it needs a City right-of-way permit ($267 for a resident).

What the city decides and what the state holds

Title 15 of the NMC adopts the 2021 International Building Code (with accessibility, flood-resistant construction and grading appendices), the 2021 International Residential Code (with radon, tiny house and dwelling sprinkler appendices), the mechanical, fuel gas, fire, existing building, swimming pool and spa, property maintenance and wildland-urban interface codes, the Uniform Plumbing Code and the state energy code, all with the State Building Code Council’s amendments. The City replaces chapter 1 of those codes with its own administrative rules, including its fee table, exemption list and permit terms.

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

Newcastle building department: who handles permitting

The Building division coordinates construction, right-of-way and land use applications, reviews building permits and inspects work from start to finish; Planning reviews subdivisions, lot line adjustments and environmental rules. The Community Development Director is Erin Fitzgibbons. Where fire review is needed, the application is still made to Newcastle, but the City of Bellevue Fire Department must approve it before the City does, and fire permits follow Bellevue’s administrative rules.

Permit types

Residential permits

Single-family homes, additions, decks, accessory structures and retaining walls are building permits in OpenGov, and plumbing, mechanical and re-roof permits are filed there too. Residential plumbing and mechanical fees follow the size of the job: for a new house or a remodel valued at $50,000 or more, each is 12% of the building permit fee; for smaller remodels or stand-alone work, $25 per plumbing fixture or $50 per mechanical appliance, with an $80 minimum and $300 maximum. Replacing a water heater or furnace like for like is a flat $80 (an electric water heater under a plumbing permit, a gas one under a mechanical permit).

Qualifying rooftop solar can use a streamlined permit ($313 or cost), and the City publishes a standard operating procedure for residential solar permits. For a new building, a licensed civil engineer or land surveyor must set the building corners before the footings are approved.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial buildings, tenant improvements and multifamily projects pay the same building fee table, with commercial plumbing and mechanical permits priced on the value of that work (plumbing from $80 plus $7 per added $1,000, mechanical from $80 plus $17.25) and their own 65% plan review. Bellevue Fire Department approval is part of the review. A pre-application conference costs $2,356 and a one-hour consultation $312.

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

Critical areas often set the pace. The City points owners to King County iMap and its own recorded plat maps, where native growth protection easements and sensitive area tracts often appear, but only a wetland scientist’s survey fixes a boundary; a wetland and stream preliminary verification is $1,403 and a SEPA checklist $1,148. Up to 9 significant trees can be removed from a private lot that is not under permit review without a clearing and grading permit, but not in critical areas, easements or plat-protected tracts; removing 10 or more needs a clearing and grading permit. Grading plan review starts at $103 for 51 to 100 cubic yards. In a mapped flood hazard area the application must include the information required by NMC chapter 14.25, and work on an existing building there is checked for substantial improvement. Septic systems fall under Public Health – Seattle & King County.

Newcastle permit costs and fees

Building, plumbing and mechanical fees are written into NMC 15.05.109, and the City’s Consolidated Fee Schedule, effective April 8, 2026, sets the hourly rates and other charges. The plan review fee, or a deposit, is paid when you submit; for online applications it must be paid within 3 days or the application may be voided.

The bands join up: each starts where the one below ends. Worked example. Here is the arithmetic for a $60,000 addition under NMC 15.05.109: $1,315 for the first $50,000 and $110 for the rest gives a $1,425 permit fee; plan review (65%) is $926.25, the 4% system fee on both is $94.05 and the residential state surcharge $6.50, for $2,451.80. Plumbing and mechanical permits for that addition would add 12% of the building permit fee each, and the electrical permit is bought from L&I.

New homes pay impact fees: $11,046 for transportation per single-family detached house ($3,125 or $5,523 for an ADU, by size) and $2,019 per bedroom for parks and trails. The Issaquah and Renton school districts’ fees are $0 in the 2026 schedule.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Newcastle is not on L&I’s list of cities with their own electrical program, so wiring, service changes and the electrical side of solar or EV chargers are permitted and inspected by L&I. The City issues plumbing and mechanical permits; on their own they last 1 year, and with a building permit they expire with it.

How to apply for a Newcastle building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Plan review covers two rounds; changes, deferred submittals or further rounds are billed at $173 an hour or the consultant’s cost. An application paid late, a low account balance, or a fire review not yet approved by Bellevue can all hold a permit up.

Inspections in Newcastle

Inspections are requested through the OpenGov portal. Work must stay uncovered and reachable until it is approved, manufacturer installation instructions must be on site, and the building corners of a new building must be surveyed before the footing inspection is approved. Re-inspections and after-hours inspections are charged at the $173 hourly rate (after-hours with a 2-hour minimum), and inspections with no set fee carry a half-hour minimum.

Under NMC 15.05.105.5 a permit expires 2 years after issuance. If work has started, an expired permit can be renewed once, within 180 days, to run until 1 year past its original expiration date, at half the original fee; after 180 days a new permit is priced on the remaining work. The Building Official may also allow a 30-day extension to finish a final inspection on an expired permit.

Newcastle permit search and official resources

Current projects and permits can be looked up in OpenGov under Active Projects; recorded plans and subdivision maps are in the City’s Document Center. Newcastle participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, and FEMA lists its current effective flood map as August 19, 2020.

• Newcastle Community Development
• OpenGov permit portal
• June 2026 move to OpenGov
• City Hall lobby hours from October 1, 2026
• Fee schedule folder (Document Center)
• 2026 Consolidated Fee Schedule, effective April 8, 2026 (PDF)
• Permit forms, checklists and sample site plans
• Newcastle Municipal Code (Title 15, building and construction)
• Tree removal rules
• Critical areas update
• Property information resources
• L&I list of cities with their own electrical permits

Newcastle building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Newcastle?

The City’s Community Development Department at City Hall, 12835 Newcastle Way, Suite 200 (Permit Center 425-386-4103). Wiring permits are bought from L&I, not the City.

Can I still apply on MyBuildingPermit.com?

No. Newcastle moved its permits and inspections to OpenGov in June 2026.

Who reviews fire sprinklers and fire alarms?

The City of Bellevue Fire Department, which must approve fire review before Newcastle issues the permit.

How much is a building permit in Newcastle?

A $60,000 addition pays $1,425 for the permit, $926.25 plan review, $94.05 in the 4% fee and the $6.50 state surcharge: $2,451.80.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed?

Not for a fence up to 6 feet or a shed up to 200 sq ft, unless the work is in a critical area, flood hazard area or wildland-urban interface area.

How long does a Newcastle permit last?

Two years from issuance. If work has started, an expired permit can be renewed once within 180 days, to 1 year past the original expiration date, at half the original fee.

Can I cut down trees on my lot?

Up to 9 significant trees without a clearing and grading permit if the lot is not under permit review and the trees are not protected; 10 or more need a permit.

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