Sedro-Woolley, Washington Building Permit Guide

The City of Sedro-Woolley’s Building Division reviews, issues and inspects building, mechanical and plumbing permits inside the city limits, and applications go through the City’s iWorQ permit application portal. Wiring is permitted and inspected by the state Department of Labor and Industries (L&I), which serves Skagit County from Mount Vernon, not by the City. Under the Master Fee Schedule effective January 1, 2026 and updated July 8, 2026, plan check costs 65% of the building permit fee and is paid when you apply.

The division shares City Hall at 325 Metcalf Street, open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays except holidays; call 360-855-0771 for permits and 360-855-0139 for inspections. Sedro-Woolley had 13,308 residents in the Census estimate for 2025, and Skagit County permits unincorporated land around the city.

What requires a building permit in Sedro-Woolley?

Chapter 15.04 of the Sedro-Woolley Municipal Code (SWMC) adopts the state building codes and adds its own exempt work. One local rule is a value floor: under SWMC 15.04.035, any project valued at less than $2,000, using the City’s valuation method, needs no building permit under either the building or the residential code.

The deck handout and the code differ: the code exempts uncovered decks up to 30 inches high of any size, while the City’s July 2025 handout also asks for a permit for decks of 200 sq ft or more. The fee schedule also prices fences over 6 feet at $12.84 per linear foot, although the code does not change the state’s 7-foot fence exemption; check either case with the Building Division.

What the city decides and what the state holds

The codified text of SWMC 15.04.020, last amended by Ordinance 1975-21 in 2021, still names the 2018 editions of the international codes, while SWMC 15.04.030 adopts the State Building Code Council’s later amendments by reference; the state’s 2021 codes have applied statewide since March 15, 2024. The City’s own choices are the $2,000 floor, the deck and greenhouse exemptions, a Board of Appeals of non-employees appointed by the mayor, local mobile home placement standards in the residential code appendix, and a drainage rule requiring stumps and roots to be removed to 12 inches below a building and the ground to slope 2% away from the walls.

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

Sedro-Woolley building department: who handles permitting

The Building Division administers the building code through the City’s building official, and the Planning Department handles shoreline, critical areas, floodplain, SEPA and land use applications. The Sedro-Woolley Fire Chief administers the fire code and fire access rules.

Permit types

Residential permits

The building forms page carries an ADU application, a demolition permit application, a manufactured home permit application with a placement and installation packet, the deck handout, solar panel policies and the City’s architect and engineer stamp requirements. Manufactured homes cost $500 to place and modular homes $750 plus the foundation or basement permit fee. Outside an approved park, a mobile or manufactured home must have at least two sections each 12 by 36 feet or larger, a perimeter foundation, a roof pitch of 3 in 12 or more, siding like a site-built house and a HUD insignia. Deck permits are valued at $12.84 per sq ft unless you provide a contractor’s estimate.

Rooftop solar on a house can go without a building permit under the City’s July 2025 solar policy if the installer confirms every condition: an engineered mounting system on a lightweight roof such as shingles, panels no more than 18 inches above the roof and not above the ridge, a total dead load of 5 pounds per sq ft or less, no more than 50 pounds on any one framing member, the maker’s attachment and a stated weatherproofing method, and compliance with setbacks and height limits. Ground-mounted systems, commercial systems and solar that is part of an alteration or addition worth over $6,000 (not counting the solar equipment) need a building permit. An L&I electrical permit is always required, and a solar hot water system needs a City plumbing permit.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work has its own guidance on tenant improvements in shell buildings and commercial hood requirements, and a fire alarm and sprinkler application. Any plans the building official requires an engineer or architect to prepare must carry the stamp and original signature on every page, or the application is not complete. A change of use permit is $100 and a temporary certificate of occupancy $250. Fire access roads must be at least 20 feet wide with 13 feet 6 inches of clearance for roads serving more than two homes, and driveways over 150 feet need a 12-foot surface and a turnaround the Fire Marshal accepts.

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

What comes before the building permit

The Planning Department publishes the Shoreline Master Plan, a critical areas checklist, a floodplain permit application, a pre-application meeting request packet, a SEPA checklist and a shoreline substantial development permit application. In a flood hazard area, an elevation certificate sealed by a registered design professional must be presented once the lowest floor is placed and before any further vertical construction. New homes also carry a general facility charge of $10,202.29 per unit under Resolution 1171-25 and a $75 sewer inspection; on a lot without sewer, Skagit County Public Health permits the septic system.

Sedro-Woolley permit costs and fees

Building fees are in Attachment B of the City’s Master Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2026 and updated July 8, 2026, and Resolution 1171-25 updated the schedule. Valuation uses the ICC building valuation data, and the City posts its own 2026 valuation table, effective August 2026. Plan review and application fees are due with the application, and every other fee before the permit is issued.

The schedule’s State Building Code Council line still reads $4.50 per building permit, while RCW 19.27.085 now sets the fee at $6.50 for a residential permit and $25 for a commercial one. The $25,001 to $50,000 band is printed with a $391.75 base, which does not quite follow from the band below ($391.25 at $25,000).

Worked example. A house valued at $380,000 falls in the $100,001 to $500,000 band: $993.75 plus 280 × $5.60 ($1,568) gives a building permit fee of $2,561.75, and plan check at 65% adds $1,665.14. For a 2,000 sq ft house with a 400 sq ft garage outside the downtown business district, the 2026 impact fees add $672 for fire ($0.28 per sq ft including the garage), $2,455 for parks, $4,461 for schools plus a $35 school administration fee, and $4,783 for traffic, and the general facility charge adds $10,202.29 and the sewer inspection $75.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Mechanical and plumbing permits are issued by the Building Division, with a $25 issuance fee for mechanical work. Sedro-Woolley is not on L&I’s list of cities with their own electrical programs, so electrical permits and inspections come from L&I; the nearest L&I office is on East College Way in Mount Vernon. State registration for contractors and certificates for electricians and plumbers are summarized in our Washington licensing section.

How to apply for a Sedro-Woolley building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

SWMC 15.04.040 makes every permit application expire six months after it is submitted, so an approved permit must be paid for and issued within that window; the City may tell applicants a permit is ready by phone, fax or mail, and applicants must keep their contact details current. Plan review fees are not refundable, and up to 80% of an unused permit fee can be refunded on a written request within 180 days of payment. Work begun without a permit triggers a special investigation and an investigation fee on top of the permit fees.

Inspections in Sedro-Woolley

Call the inspection line, 360-855-0139, with the permit number, site address, inspection type and a contact name and phone. Residential inspections run Monday to Friday; under the City’s July 2025 inspection policy, requests made after 8 a.m. are scheduled for the next business day, while the 2026 fee schedule charges $50 for an expedited inspection requested after 8:30 a.m. Commercial inspections need 24 hours’ notice unless a schedule was agreed at a pre-construction meeting. The City cannot promise a time of day; to arrange one, call the office at 360-855-0771 between 8:30 and 9 a.m. after booking. A re-inspection fee of $50 applies after the first re-inspection of the same item and must be paid first.

The City’s policy lists the residential inspections in order: footings and foundations before concrete is poured, underfloor framing before sheathing, plumbing and mechanical rough-in, shear walls and hold-down hardware before siding, side sewer lines, masonry veneer before anchors are hidden, framing once rough electrical, plumbing and heating are approved, insulation, drywall nailing and the final. The final waits until finish grading is done, the house number is up, railings, kitchen and bathroom equipment and smoke detectors are installed, the sewer is connected and the side sewer as-built plans have been submitted. In a flood-prone area, a final elevation certificate must reach the building official before the certificate of occupancy is issued.

Sedro-Woolley permit search and official resources

Applicants follow their permits in the iWorQ portal; older permit records come through a public records request, and the City links to the Washington State Digital Archives for historical records. Sedro-Woolley (community 530159) participates in the National Flood Insurance Program on a FEMA map dated December 5, 1989, and the Planning Department handles its floodplain permits.

• Sedro-Woolley Building Division
• Building forms and documents
• iWorQ permit application portal
• Master Fee Schedule, 2026 (PDF)
• 2026 residential impact fee schedule (PDF)
• Building inspection policies (PDF)
• Planning forms: shoreline, critical areas, floodplain, SEPA
• SWMC chapter 15.04, building code

Sedro-Woolley building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Sedro-Woolley?

The City’s Building Division at 325 Metcalf Street (360-855-0771); Skagit County permits outside the city.

Is small work exempt?

Yes. SWMC 15.04.035 exempts any project valued under $2,000 from a building permit.

Who issues electrical permits?

L&I; the City does not run an electrical program.

Do I need a permit for a deck?

The code exempts uncovered decks up to 30 inches high; the City’s handout asks for a permit if a deck is roofed, over a story, 200 sq ft or larger, or higher than 30 inches.

What impact fees apply to a new house?

For 2026: parks $2,455, schools $4,461 plus $35, fire $0.28 per sq ft, and traffic $4,783 outside downtown ($2,660 downtown).

Do I need a building permit for rooftop solar?

Not always: a house system that meets every condition in the City’s July 2025 solar policy needs no building permit, but it still needs an L&I electrical permit.

How do I book an inspection?

Call 360-855-0139; requests after 8 a.m. go to the next business day.

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