SeaTac, Washington Building Permit Guide

In SeaTac, the City’s Permit Center in the Department of Community and Economic Development issues building permits and runs its own electrical program, so electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits also come from the City rather than Labor and Industries. Applications, payments and inspection requests go through the LAMA online portal. Under the fee schedule effective January 1, 2026, plan review is 65% of the building permit fee and a 5% technology fee is added to the permit fee; a new house or addition is estimated at 6 to 8 weeks for the first review.

The Permit Center is at SeaTac City Hall, 4800 South 188th Street, third floor. It is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; walk-in questions get about 15 minutes each, and staff answer 206-973-4750 and permitcenter@seatacwa.gov. The city had 34,578 residents in the Census estimate for 2025.

On Port-owned property used for the airport, the City defers to the Port of Seattle, which administers the building and other technical codes, electrical included, under its interlocal agreements with the City; the Port’s fire codes also prevail on parcels mapped inside the Airport Activity Area.

What requires a building permit in SeaTac?

SeaTac adopts the state’s building and residential codes in Title 13 of the SeaTac Municipal Code (SMC), and SMC 13.100.060 requires a separate permit for each building, structure or building service system unless a technical code exempts it. The City lists the work that normally needs no permit, and its FAQ answers the common household questions.

An emergency repair, such as a furnace that fails in cold weather, can be done at once, but the permit application is due the next business day.

What the city decides and what the state holds

The codes are the state’s. SeaTac adds its own amendments, including a sound transmission code for occupied buildings near the airport, permit time limits, a fee schedule, an electrical program under the National Electrical Code and the Washington Cities Electrical Code, the shoreline program for Angle Lake, and underground utilities for new construction. L&I lists SeaTac among the cities that issue their own electrical permits.

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

SeaTac building department: who handles permitting

The Permit Center takes and processes all City construction and land use applications and routes larger projects to the other departments for review; when they are done it sends either an approval notice or a comment letter. Planning answers zoning and land use questions, and engineering review covers clearing and grading, drainage and right-of-way permits. Under SMC 13.100.010, the City recognizes the Port’s concurrent authority over all the technical codes for airport-use projects on Port-owned property and defers to it there; elsewhere the City’s Department of Community and Economic Development is also the electrical authority under state electrical law.

Permit types

Residential permits

The City publishes checklists for a new house or addition, a deck, a detached garage or shed, demolition, residential drainage control, manufactured or modular homes and the trade permits, and every upload must follow its general standards for electronic documents. The new house and addition checklist asks for a City business license for the contractor, proof of water and sewer availability, a soils report unless the Building Official waives it, and a site plan at 1 inch to 10 or 20 feet with the property survey, lot coverage, nearest hydrants, a drainage plan, a siltation control plan and a utility plan; all utilities for new construction must be underground. Electrical plans are not needed for one- and two-family homes.

Homes inside the Port of Seattle Noise Remedy Program areas near the airport must be built to the City’s sound transmission code: in the Neighborhood Reinforcement Area bedrooms must reduce outside noise by 35 decibels and other rooms by 30, and in the Standard Insulation Area bedrooms by 30 and other rooms by 25. Additions must meet the same standard, and turning a space into a bedroom requires it. Sound insulation retrofits use a noise remedy permit, whose checklist asks for the windows’ sound ratings and a separate electrical permit for any wiring.

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

Commercial permits

New commercial and industrial buildings, multifamily, hotel and motel projects, tenant improvements and changes of use have their own checklists, and commercial exterior lighting must meet the City’s CPTED exterior lighting requirements. A new commercial building is estimated at 10 to 12 weeks for the first review and 18 to 20 weeks overall; a tenant improvement at 6 to 8 weeks and 8 to 10 weeks. A pre-application meeting costs $1,136. Commercial electrical work needs plan review in many cases, such as services over 400 amps, generators, healthcare occupancies or replacing half or more of the interior lighting. On parcels inside the Airport Activity Area, the Port of Seattle’s fire codes prevail where they conflict with the City’s.

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

What comes before the building permit

Land use approvals come first where they apply: site plan review, conditional use permits, variances, short plats and SEPA review (required for demolition of non-single-family buildings and structures over 4,000 sq ft). A shoreline exemption is estimated at 2 to 3 weeks for the first review, and a shoreline substantial development permit at 6 to 8. Clearing and grading over 50 cubic yards, drainage facilities and any work in the street need engineering permits, and an applicant can ask for concurrent review of related permits.

SeaTac permit costs and fees

Fees are set by the City of SeaTac Fee Schedule effective January 1, 2026, as SMC 13.100.070 directs. Valuation comes from the ICC’s August building valuation data, or the actual value of the work where the table does not apply, and is set by the Building Official. The standard hourly rate is $168. The schedule words the state fee as a “Washington State Surcharge (Per RCW 19.27.085)”.

Worked example. A $60,000 house remodel is in the $50,001 to $100,000 band: $1,623 plus 10 × $18 ($180) is a permit fee of $1,803. Plan review at 65% adds $1,171.95, the 5% technology fee $90.15 and the residential state surcharge $6.50, for $3,071.60, before any electrical, mechanical or plumbing permit.

Trade permits and who may pull them

All three trade permits are the City’s. For a house, adding or altering up to five circuits without a service change is $111 (more than five, $186), a service change $136, a garage, pool or outbuilding $208 and a noise remedy electrical permit $186; mechanical work is $110 for up to two appliances and $288 for three or more or new ductwork; plumbing is $288 for a new house and $105 to $288 for adding fixtures in a remodel. The technology fee applies to each. An owner doing their own electrical work buys the permit with the owner affidavit under RCW 19.28.261; a hired electrical contractor pulls its own permit.

How to apply for a SeaTac building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The City’s estimates (first review, then overall) are 6 to 8 and 10 to 12 weeks for a new house, ADU or addition; 3 to 4 and 5 to 7 weeks for an interior remodel, accessory structure or deck; and 4 to 5 and 6 to 8 weeks for trade plan review. An application must lead to an issued permit within 18 months; time can be tolled for up to 180 days while a land use approval or related permit is pending, and one 30-day extension is allowed for paying fees and posting sureties.

Inspections in SeaTac

Each permit has its own required inspections, requested through LAMA; a request made before 5 p.m. is scheduled for the next business day. Inspections outside normal business hours are charged at one and a half times the hourly rate with a 4-hour minimum.

Under SMC 13.100.060 as amended in 2026, permits for a new building or an addition expire two years after issue and other construction permits after one year (the City’s older expiration handout still says two years for all building permits). One extension is possible: up to 12 months for a new building or addition if asked for before expiry, and up to 6 months for trade permits. A lapsed permit can get 30 days to finish its final inspection if no more than 180 days have passed, and a permit can be renewed once if the plans have not changed.

SeaTac permit search and official resources

LAMA lets applicants manage permits online, and the Permit Center (206-973-4750) can confirm amounts owed before a fee is mailed; older records are available through the City’s public records request page. SeaTac participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, and FEMA’s status book gives August 19, 2020 as its current map date.

• SeaTac types of permits, exemptions and inspections
• Permits and land use applications: checklists and forms
• LAMA permitting portal
• City of SeaTac fee schedule, effective January 1, 2026 (PDF)
• Permit time estimate sheet (PDF)
• Permit expiration fact sheet (PDF)
• Residential new and additions checklist (PDF)
• Noise remedy permit checklist (PDF)
• Electrical permit checklist (PDF)
• Engineering review forms and fees
• SeaTac Municipal Code (Title 13, buildings)
• L&I list of cities that issue electrical permits

SeaTac building permit FAQ

Who issues building and electrical permits in SeaTac?

The City’s Permit Center, on the third floor of City Hall at 4800 South 188th Street, issues both; SeaTac runs its own electrical program.

How much is a building permit?

Under the 2026 schedule, a $60,000 remodel pays $1,803 plus $1,171.95 plan review, a $90.15 technology fee and the $6.50 state surcharge.

Do I need a permit for a deck?

Yes for any deck attached to a building, whatever its size or height, according to the City’s FAQ.

Do I need a permit to replace a water heater?

Yes. The City treats it as a replacement, not a minor repair; replacing a toilet does not need a permit.

How do I book an inspection?

In the LAMA portal. Requests made before 5 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day.

My house is near the airport. Are there extra rules?

Yes, inside the Port of Seattle Noise Remedy Program areas new homes and additions must meet the City’s sound transmission code, with higher noise reduction for bedrooms.

How long is a permit valid?

Two years for a new building or addition and one year for other work, with one extension available if you ask before it expires.

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