Walla Walla County, Washington Building Permit Guide

On unincorporated land, outside the four cities, building permits are issued by the Walla Walla County Community Development Department, Suite 200 at 310 W. Poplar Street in Walla Walla (509-524-2610). Most applications go by email to permits@wwcowa.gov with a $75 application fee and a plan review deposit of 65 percent of the estimated permit fee. The fee schedule adopted by Ordinance No. 506 took effect on January 1, 2026, and the county says review can take up to 45 days.

What requires a building permit in Walla Walla County?

Building staff handle permits for new construction, alterations, additions, relocated structures and changes of use, as well as grading permits and the placement of modular buildings and manufactured homes. The county’s fee code lists the project types it permits, from foundation replacements and pole buildings to solar arrays, pools and towers, and the department publishes a “Complete Application Guide” for each kind of project.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The 2021 state codes have applied to county permits since March 15, 2024. The county adds its own permit procedures in Title 14 of the county code (application requirements under WWCC 14.07) and its building chapters in Title 15, and sets fees in chapter 3.08. Plans have to show compliance with the energy code, the 2021 IBC or IRC and those county chapters; plans that do not are returned for correction and resubmittal.

Walla Walla County building department: who handles permitting

The Community Development Department runs building, planning and code compliance; Melissa Shumake is acting director. The office doors are locked for security, so visitors use the keypad left of the entrance or book an appointment outside public hours.

Cities in Walla Walla County

None of the four cities is on L&I’s list of cities that run their own electrical program.

Walla Walla County permit types and what comes first

Residential permits

A house application needs signatures from all property owners or their representatives, one full set of construction plans with a site plan, the $75 application fee and the estimated plan review fee. Drawings must be to scale on sheets of at least 11 by 17 inches; small decks, kitchen or bath remodels and some small additions do not need an architect. House re-roofs, re-siding, window replacements and stand-alone plumbing or mechanical work are over-the-counter permits you can apply for in eTRAKiT, at a $50 application fee instead of $75. A manufactured home placement is $990.

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

Commercial permits

Tenant improvements and commercial re-roofs and re-siding are valued at project cost or valuation data, whichever is greater; signs and nonresidential solar arrays at project cost. All of them run through the same valuation table. A temporary certificate of occupancy for a commercial building costs $500 for the first 90 days.

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

• Planning screen: during the completeness check staff may refer you to planners; if your project needs a land use approval you file a separate land use application with its own fees.
• Septic: the Department of Community Health runs site and soil evaluations, permits new, repaired and expanded on-site sewage systems and does their final construction inspections.
• Public Works: access, addressing and stormwater are reviewed alongside the building permit.
• Shorelines and critical areas: the county links a regional Shoreline Master Program from its Community Development page. Under the 2026 planning fee schedule a critical areas permit is $1,001, a shoreline exemption $833 and a shoreline substantial development permit $3,514 plus hearing examiner costs above $1,150.
• Pre-application meeting: requested through an online form; it costs $422, credited to the application fees if you apply within a year, and a 30-minute staff consultation is $200.
• Parcel facts: the county offers an online Parcel Information Report and a Site Plan Builder.

Walla Walla County building permit fees

The building and fire fees in chapter 3.08 of the county code were updated by Ordinance No. 506, effective January 1, 2026. The permit fee for new construction comes from the valuation table, using the most recent ICC Building Valuation Data, which the ICC publishes twice a year. You pay the application fee and an estimated plan review fee to start review; the permit fee and the rest are due when the county emails that the permit is ready. The county’s building page still mentions a $200 application fee; the adopted 2026 schedule and the department’s FAQ set it at $75.

One band does not meet the next: the $25,001 to $50,000 band ends at $798.38 while the $50,001 band starts at $771.56, so keep an estimate inside a single band. RCW 19.27.085 sets the state surcharge at $6.50 for a residential building permit and $25 for a commercial one.

Worked example: a new house valued at $300,000 sits in the $100,001 to $500,000 band: $1,205.56 plus 200 × $6.94 is a permit fee of $2,593.56. Plan review at 65 percent is $1,685.81, the 3 percent technology fee is $77.81 and the application fee $75, for $4,432.18 before the state surcharge and the two 15 percent mechanical and plumbing charges.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The county issues mechanical and plumbing permits. On a new building each is charged at 15 percent of the building permit fee; as a stand-alone job it is an over-the-counter permit applied for in eTRAKiT. Electrical permits and inspections come from L&I in the county and in all four cities.

• Contractor portal: eTRAKiT has separate public and contractor logins with walk-through instructions for each.
• Solar: a roof-mounted array on a house is $75 plus a $155 permit fee and plan review, a ground-mounted one $75 plus $205, each with $80 for every inspection after the first two; commercial arrays are priced on project cost.
• Fire systems and fire permits: alarms, suppression systems and on-site fire supplies are valued on project cost through the same table, and operational fire permits are $75 plus a $140 permit fee.
• Payments: the department warned on September 23, 2026 that it never takes wire transfers; treat any email asking for one as a scam and call the office.

The state, not the county, decides who needs a contractor registration or trade license and how much wiring or plumbing an owner may do; read the licensing part of our Washington guide for those limits.

How to apply for a Walla Walla County building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Applications are screened in the order received, which can take up to five business days. If staff find items missing, the corrected application goes to the end of the current queue, so a complete first submittal saves the most time. Review itself can take up to 45 days, and land use permits, septic approval and other agencies can stretch it.

Inspections in Walla Walla County

Book in eTRAKiT up to 5:45 a.m. on the day of the inspection, or call 509-524-2611 before 3:30 p.m. on a weekday for the next business day. Give the permit number, owner name, site address, type of inspection, a contact and phone number, a morning or afternoon preference and any gate code; cancellations go to 509-524-2610. Keep the permit and the approved drawings, printed full size and in color with the site plan and engineering, on site.

An issued permit is valid for 180 days, and each approved inspection extends it another 180 days. If a permit is close to expiring, file the extension request form with a written reason; some expired permits can be renewed for a fee based on the share of inspections already approved.

Flood maps and state code

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Walla Walla County as a participating community with a current effective flood map dated January 18, 2002; College Place, Prescott, Waitsburg and the City of Walla Walla also participate.

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

Walla Walla County building permit FAQ

How much does a building permit cost for a $300,000 house?

A $2,593.56 permit fee, $1,685.81 in plan review, a $77.81 technology fee and the $75 application fee, plus the state surcharge and mechanical and plumbing charges.

How long does the county take to review a permit?

Screening takes up to five business days and review up to 45 days, though most take less.

Which permits can I apply for online?

Siding and windows, re-roofs and plumbing or mechanical permits go through eTRAKiT; everything else by email, mail or drop box.

When is the office open to walk-ins?

Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; other times by appointment.

How do I keep my permit from expiring?

Pass an inspection at least every 180 days, or file an extension request with a written reason before the permit lapses.

Who issues permits inside the City of Walla Walla?

The city’s own Community Development Department; the county permits only unincorporated land.

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

Yes. A residential re-roof is an over-the-counter permit in eTRAKiT: a $50 application fee and a $160 permit fee, with $80 for each inspection after the first two.

Where do I get a septic permit?

From the Walla Walla County Department of Community Health, which evaluates the site and soil, issues the permit and inspects the installation.

Permit search and official resources

Many building and land use records are digitized and can be searched any time in eTRAKiT with a free public login. For detailed records, especially for construction since 1988, file a request through the county’s public records portal.

• Walla Walla County Community Development
• Building permits and inspections
• Building FAQs
• eTRAKiT web portal instructions
• eTRAKiT permit portal
• Applications, guides and checklists
• Complete Application Guide
• 2026 Building and Fire Fee Schedule (Ordinance No. 506)
• 2026 Planning Fee Schedule
• On-site sewage program, Department of Community Health
• Public records requests
• L&I electrical permits and inspections
• FEMA Community Status Book, Washington

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