Port Townsend, Washington Building Permit Guide

The City of Port Townsend issues its own building, mechanical, plumbing, grading and demolition permits through the Planning and Community Development department (PCD), whose director acts as building official under the city code. Every application goes through the online permit portal; electrical permits belong to the state Department of Labor and Industries (L&I), whose Sequim office has taken visitors by appointment only since October 21, 2026. Under the City’s 2026 building fee schedule, plan review is 65% of the building permit fee and covers two rounds of review.

PCD is at City Hall, 250 Madison Street, Suite 3. The permit counter takes walk-ins Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., City Hall is closed to the public on Fridays, and staff prefer email (permittinghelp@cityofpt.us) to calls on 360-379-5095. Emma Bolin is the Planning and Community Development Director. Port Townsend had 10,678 residents in the Census estimate for 2025 and is Jefferson County’s only city; the county permits all land outside it.

What requires a building permit in Port Townsend?

The City’s homeowner handout opens with the advice to assume you need a permit for most new structures, remodels and repairs, including some sheds. Port Townsend Municipal Code (PTMC) chapter 16.04 adopts the 2021 state codes without rewriting their exempt-work lists; the handout explains how staff apply those exemptions to homes and duplexes, and adds conditions of its own.

An exempt structure still has to meet the 2021 residential code, the setbacks and lot coverage limits in PTMC 17.16, and the critical areas and shoreline rules: the handout says nothing may be built in a critical area or its buffer, or within 200 feet of a shoreline, without that review. Electrical work always needs an L&I permit, even in an exempt shed.

What the city decides and what the state holds

PTMC 16.04.020, last amended by Ordinance 3315 in 2024, adopts the 2021 building, existing building, swimming pool and spa, residential, mechanical, fire, wildland-urban interface and plumbing codes and the state energy code. The City’s own layer is administrative: the PCD director or a designee is the building official and fire code official, fees are set only by Council resolution, application and permit time limits differ from the model code, a City form is used for certificates of occupancy, and appeals go to the hearing examiner. The City’s design criteria set a 20 psf snow load up to 200 feet of elevation and 25 psf above it.

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

Port Townsend building department: who handles permitting

PCD’s Building Team performs residential and commercial plan review and inspections, and its planners review setbacks, lot coverage and other zoning limits on each building permit. Public Works issues street development and minor improvement permits for work in the right-of-way, including utility repairs, street trees, and gravel or paved parking or extensive landscaping in the right-of-way.

Permit types

Residential permits

In the portal, building, mechanical, plumbing, grading and demolition permits sit under the “Planning & Community Development” category. The forms page has a residential permit checklist, a final inspection checklist, window replacement and residential solar checklists, a 2021 energy code worksheet, a plumbing pressure test certification and a statement of special inspections. Repeat designs can be registered as standard plans for single-family homes or ADUs, then adapted to each site for $262 or $210. A new house pays flat mechanical ($210) and plumbing ($105) fees as part of a combination building permit. Tiny houses on wheels may be placed as an ADU or in a permitted tiny house community, with their own checklists and certification form.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial and multifamily projects use the commercial building checklist and the City’s handout on when a commercial permit is required. Fire code review of buildings in occupancy groups A, B, E, F, H, I, M, R-2, R-4, S and U costs 15% of the building permit fee (at least $105), sprinkler and alarm permits are priced by valuation with 65% plan review, and commercial energy code review runs from $315 to $630 by floor area. Complex projects can book a customer assistance meeting, a pre-application meeting or a technical conference through the portal to meet building, planning and public works staff together.

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

Land use permits come first where they apply: sign permits, historic preservation review in the historic district, critical areas, shoreline and flood development permits, short-term rentals and land division. The City says staffing and permit volumes add an estimated three months to statutory review deadlines for land use applications, and offers a paid Enhanced Capacity Review by an outside contractor; you tick the box on the application and approve a task order before the review starts. On a lot with a septic system, the City’s septic approval form for building permits is addressed to Jefferson County Environmental Health and must come with a site map and floor plan showing the buildings, property lines, septic tank, drainfield and water line.

Port Townsend permit costs and fees

PTMC 16.04.060 voids the fee tables in the model codes and sets every fee by Council resolution; the current figures are in the City’s 2026 Building Permit Fee Schedule. The building official sets valuation from the ICC building valuation data published each August. The sheet itself has no line for the state building code fee, so ask the permit technicians, who also give fee estimates.

Worked example. A new house valued at $400,000 falls in the $100,001 to $500,000 band: $1,027 plus 300 × $7 ($2,100) gives a building permit fee of $3,127. Plan review at 65% adds $2,032.55; the combination mechanical ($210) and plumbing ($105) fees and the $105 energy code review bring the City fees to $5,579.55, before L&I’s electrical permit, the state building code fee and utility charges. The City also posts fee deferral forms for low-income housing and for system development charges.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Mechanical and plumbing permits are City permits filed in the same portal category as building permits, and a stand-alone mechanical or plumbing permit starts at $42. L&I handles every electrical permit in the city, since Port Townsend is not on its list of cities with their own electrical programs. The forms page includes a Washington State contractor requirements sheet and a handout on what to know before hiring a contractor, remodeler or handyman; the state rules behind them are summarized in the licensing section of our Washington guide.

How to apply for a Port Townsend building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The City’s handout gives typical review and issue times: 2 to 3 business days for a new roof, water heater or heat pump; 1 to 2 weeks for a sewer or water line; 2 to 3 weeks for a fence, shed or window replacement; 3 to 6 weeks for minor to moderate interior remodels; 4 to 8 weeks for a detached ADU or a major remodel; and 1 to 3 months for larger residential projects. A critical area or a historic house adds time. Expedited permits exist only for public health and safety problems or to restore heat, water or sewer; in a qualified emergency, apply online by the next business day, email staff, photograph the work and leave it uncovered where you can. Both owners and contractors may apply, and the City asks that any contractor hold a Port Townsend business license.

PTMC 16.04.070 treats an application as abandoned 180 days after it is deemed complete unless it is pursued in good faith, with extensions of up to 90 days at a time, and an approved application ready for issuance is abandoned if the permit is not picked up within 90 days. Once issued, a permit becomes invalid if work does not start within 365 days or stops for 365 days; the building official may grant written extensions of up to 180 days each. There is no public computer, printer or scanner at City Hall, so applicants without a computer are pointed to the library’s digital navigator and to a print shop for scanning large plans.

Inspections in Port Townsend

The building inspection hotline has been discontinued. Inspections are booked in the portal under the permit’s inspections tab, using the access code issued with the permit, and results are posted there; the inspection schedule can be viewed without an account. Review the list of required inspections before starting, because work covered before inspection may have to be uncovered. Construction is allowed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and legal holidays. The City also posts a residential final inspection checklist.

Port Townsend permit search and official resources

Anyone can look up property and permit information in the portal without an account, and approved plans and permits can be printed from it by the applicant. Older records are in the City’s online records library or through a public records request. Port Townsend appears as community 530070 among the National Flood Insurance Program’s participating communities, with a current flood map of June 7, 2019; work in a flood area needs the City’s flood development permit.

• Port Townsend permitting services
• Inspection and permitting portal FAQ
• When is a residential building permit required? (PDF)
• 2026 building permit fee schedule (PDF)
• Forms, checklists and handouts
• Online permit portal
• PTMC chapter 16.04, building construction code
• Enhanced capacity permit review

Port Townsend building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Port Townsend?

The City’s Planning and Community Development department at 250 Madison Street, Suite 3 (360-379-5095); Jefferson County permits outside the city.

Can I apply on paper?

No. Paper applications are no longer accepted; everything goes through the online portal.

Who issues electrical permits?

L&I; an electrical permit is needed even for wiring in an exempt shed.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Not for a detached one-story storage shed of 200 sq ft or less that meets the City’s eave, heating, plumbing and use conditions.

How tall can a fence be?

Up to 7 feet without a permit; fences over 7 feet need one, and 8 feet is the maximum.

How much is a permit for a $400,000 house?

$3,127 for the building permit plus $2,032.55 plan review, and $420 in flat mechanical, plumbing and energy fees.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Online in the portal with the access code issued with your permit; the phone hotline has been discontinued.

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