San Juan County, Washington Building Permit Guide

Outside the Town of Friday Harbor, the San Juan County Department of Community Development (DCD) reviews plans and inspects construction on San Juan, Orcas, Lopez, Shaw and the smaller islands, from 135 Rhone Street in Friday Harbor. Building applications go in only through the online SJC Permit Center, while septic and water applications go separately to Health & Community Services. The county also runs an owner-builder permit for rural homes at reduced fees.

What requires a building permit in San Juan County?

San Juan County Code 15.04.050 adopts the state building, residential, mechanical, fuel gas, fire, plumbing, energy and pool codes as amended through chapter 19.27 RCW, plus the state manufactured home installation rules: a manufactured home permit is needed before a site is developed for one or a home is delivered. SJCC 15.04.070 then rewrites parts of the work-exempt lists.

The older exemption handout on DCD’s forms page (revised June 2013) adds limits the code text does not: a 16-foot height cap, one exempt building per parcel, 6 feet of separation, no exemption in flood hazard areas, and a call to DCD before building within 200 feet of a shoreline. The adopted code governs, but shoreline, critical area and flood rules apply to exempt buildings in any case. Unpermitted buildings built in 1977 or earlier, by the assessor’s date, are presumed legal.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The technical standards are the state’s 2021 codes. San Juan County’s own choices are the exemptions above, the IBC appendices it adopts (agricultural buildings, accessibility, flood-resistant construction, signs and grading), its permit time limits, a flood rule that sets a new home’s lowest floor at least 1 foot above base flood elevation (SJCC 15.12), and the owner-builder program described below. Electrical work is permitted and inspected by the Department of Labor and Industries.

San Juan County building department: who handles permitting

DCD’s building department is made up of the building official, plans examiners and building inspectors; the same department handles land use, shorelines, the fire marshal’s permits and code enforcement. Septic systems and water supply belong to Health & Community Services, whose applications and fees go in person or by mail, not through the online permit center.

Friday Harbor

The Town of Friday Harbor on San Juan Island is the county’s only incorporated place. The town’s Community Development and Planning department, at 60 Second Street (360-378-2810), takes building permit applications and has its own town inspector, so the county does not permit inside town limits. L&I issues electrical permits in the town as well.

Permit types and what comes first

Residential permits

Register in the SJC Permit Center, then upload the site plan, construction drawings, energy code worksheet, stormwater certificate and impervious surface worksheet, and plumbing and mechanical routing plans. The PDF application form is no longer required. Projects with more than 2,000 sq ft of impervious surface need a stormwater management plan. An agent authorization form lets someone else apply for the owner, and revisions to an open permit use the revision application.

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

Owner-builder permits

In the rural, agricultural, forest, conservancy and natural land use districts (not inside urban growth areas), SJCC 15.04.500 to .710 let a property owner build a home under an owner-builder permit. One owner-built residence and one appurtenant structure are allowed per owner in any five years; plans over 4,000 sq ft must be sealed by a Washington architect or engineer; the permit is recorded against the property; inspections cover life safety, energy, plumbing and mechanical work; buildings must stay 10 feet from property lines; and before any sale, lease or rental the owner gives 30 days’ notice for a life safety inspection. The owner may hire licensed electricians, plumbers and septic installers, but not other paid contractors beyond the small-job exception in state law.

Commercial permits

Commercial work follows the county’s Commercial IBC application checklist. Most commercial, assembly, lodging and apartment occupancies also need a fire code operational permit from the fire marshal’s office.

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

• Water: a new building with plumbing that depends on potable water needs a Certificate of Water Availability (SJCC 8.06.140), and so does a remodel that creates an accessory dwelling unit or turns a residence commercial or an accessory building residential. Without an approved certificate from the last 12 months, apply to Health and include the “received”-stamped copy, or the building application is incomplete. The health department also publishes a rainwater catchment packet and a hauled water approval checklist among its alternative water applications.
• Septic: new construction on a septic system needs the first page of the approved design (or proof it was received); any permit on a property with an existing system needs a current inspection on file with Health before issuance.
• Shorelines: shoreline rules (SJCC 18.50) reach 200 feet landward of the ordinary high water mark. Most single-family construction there is exempt from a shoreline permit but still needs a building permit; a site plan can be pre-approved through a pre-application request. New docks usually need a shoreline permit, while dock repairs, mooring buoys and small beach stairs usually need only an exemption. The current Shoreline Master Program took effect February 2, 2021.
• Critical areas: the critical areas ordinance dates from 2013, and an update is in progress with draft regulations posted.
• Public Works: address, access and drainage review fees ($150, $100 and $90) are collected when the permit is issued.

San Juan County building permit fees

Building fees come from Resolution 62-2016 as amended by Resolutions 43-2019 and 34-2020. The building official sets the value from current ICC Building Valuation Data with a 1.3 cost modifier, rounded up to the next $1,000, and plan review is 65 percent of the permit fee, collected as a deposit when you apply. DCD invoices review fees once the submittal is complete; they are due within 21 days, before formal review begins.

Worked example (printed on the schedule): a $249,364 project rounds up to $250,000; the permit fee is $1,027 plus 150 × $7, or $2,077, and plan review is $1,350.05, for $3,427.05 before plumbing and mechanical. As an owner-builder permit the same job is $1,194.28 plus $1,012.54, or $2,206.82. Work begun after a stop work order pays double.

Shoreline exemptions are $1,200 ($350 for a mooring buoy), and substantial development or shoreline conditional use permits run from $3,300 to $4,500 depending on project value.

Trade permits and who may pull them

DCD issues plumbing and mechanical permits, either with the building permit or as stand-alone permits; plans showing plumbing and mechanical routing and termination are now required on every permit.

• Electrical: L&I issues and inspects electrical permits on every island, and the owner-builder article itself says owner-builders using electricity must get L&I permits.
• Septic: Health & Community Services handles septic design and installation applications. Existing systems need regular inspections by a licensed wastewater inspector or a homeowner certified through the county class: gravity systems every three years (yearly in designated sensitive areas, usually near commercial shellfish beds) and other systems every year. A $10 charge on the property tax bill funds the program.
• Wells: the drinking water program oversees individual and shared wells and small Group B systems.

Outside the owner-builder program, the state rules on contractor registration and owner wiring or plumbing apply; see the Washington licensing notes.

How to apply for a San Juan County building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

DCD says review time depends on project complexity, closeness to the shoreline and whether cultural remains of indigenous people are present. Applications are not accepted on a parcel with an open land use or building violation unless the permit is needed to fix it. Work must start within a year of issuance (one written one-year extension is possible), and a permit expires 60 months after issuance if the job is unfinished. DCD has also warned of fake invoices that use its name and the hearing examiner’s.

Inspections

Request inspections in the Permit Center or on the hotline, 360-378-6270, and check the schedule after 9 a.m. on the day to see your place in the sequence. Each island has set days: San Juan, Brown, Henry, James, Pearl and Stuart on Tuesday and Friday; Orcas, Shaw, Blakely, Obstruction and Waldron on Monday and Thursday; Lopez, Center and Decatur on Wednesday. There are no inspections on holidays.

A temporary certificate of occupancy costs $222, and an owner-built home may be occupied after its life safety inspection passes.

Washington building code and flood maps

San Juan County enforces the 2021 Washington codes through SJCC 15.04, and the online code includes legislation through February 10, 2026. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists San Juan County as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with current maps dated June 20, 2018; the Town of Friday Harbor appears in the list of communities not in the program.

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

San Juan County building permit FAQ

Can I submit paper plans?

No. Building permit applications are accepted only through the online SJC Permit Center; septic and water applications go to Health & Community Services in person or by mail.

How big a shed can I build without a permit?

Up to 400 sq ft of projected roof area, one story, not used for sleeping or living, and within setbacks, under SJCC 15.04.070.

Do I need a permit to re-roof my house?

No. The county code exempts re-roofing and re-siding of one- and two-family homes and their accessory buildings.

What is an owner-builder permit?

A rural-area permit for building your own home at 57.5 percent of the normal permit fee, with life safety inspections and a recorded notice on the title.

What day will my inspection be?

It depends on the island: for example Tuesday or Friday on San Juan Island, Monday or Thursday on Orcas, Wednesday on Lopez.

Do I need proof of water?

Yes, for a new building with plumbing that uses potable water: a Certificate of Water Availability from Health & Community Services.

Who permits in Friday Harbor?

The Town of Friday Harbor, through its own Community Development and Planning department.

Permit search and official resources

The Permit Center’s Reports button runs searches of the county permitting data, including monthly reports for the current year, and the Documents button holds applications and guides. Older permit files can be requested through a public records request.

• Applying for a permit
• SJC Permit Center (SmartGov)
• Building permit forms and information
• DCD building division
• DCD fee schedule
• San Juan County Code (Title 15)
• Owner-builder guidelines
• Exempt structures handout (2013)
• Water availability requirements
• Sewage system documentation requirements
• On-site sewage program
• Drinking water program
• Developing shoreline property
• Critical areas ordinance update
• County department directory and hours
• Town of Friday Harbor community development
• L&I list of cities with their own electrical inspections
• FEMA Community Status Book, Washington

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