Woodinville, Washington Building Permit Guide

The City of Woodinville’s Development Services and Permit Center issues building permits, combined with the mechanical and plumbing work for the same project, along with fire, engineering, tree and land use permits, and most applications are filed through the City’s Accela Permit Portal. For wiring, owners and electricians deal with the state Department of Labor and Industries (L&I), which keeps a walk-in office in Bellevue at 616 120th Avenue NE. Under the 2026 fee schedule a building permit starts at $195, plan review adds 65%, and a permit is valid for 24 months.

The Permit Center is at City Hall, 17301 133rd Avenue NE, open Monday to Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; its line is 425-489-2754. Woodinville counted 14,548 residents in the 2025 Census estimate.

A Woodinville mailing address does not guarantee City jurisdiction: some are in unincorporated King County or Snohomish County, which issue those permits. The City’s My Property Info page shows which applies.

What requires a building permit in Woodinville?

Section 21.62.070 of the Woodinville Municipal Code (WMC) replaces the building and residential codes’ exemption lists with the City’s own. Gas, plumbing, mechanical and electrical exemptions stay as the state codes have them. The City’s FAQ adds a plain-language list of what needs a permit.

The City’s FAQ lists fences “not over 6 feet” as exempt, but the adopted code (WMC 21.62.070) exempts fences up to 7 feet, and the adopted code is the rule that applies.

What the city decides and what the state holds

WMC 21.62.010 (Ordinance 753 of 2024) adopts the 2021 International Building, Residential, Mechanical and Fire codes, the Wildland-Urban Interface code and the Uniform Plumbing Code with the State Building Code Council’s amendments, plus the state energy code, and L&I’s electrical code. Woodinville adds optional appendices (flood-resistant construction, patio covers, home day care and straw-bale and cob construction among them), its own valuation table, exemption list, permit life and appeal process. Design values are a 25 psf snow load, seismic category D-2 and a 12-inch frost line, with flood hazard areas set by WMC chapter 21.53.

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

Woodinville building department: who handles permitting

Development Services runs the Permit Center and reviews building, mechanical, plumbing, fire, engineering, land use and tree applications. Inspections are carried out by the City’s building inspectors, civil engineers, fire inspectors and planners, depending on the permit. The Building Official is appointed under the City Manager and works under the Development Services Director.

Permit types

Residential permits

Houses, additions and remodels use the Combined Building Permit, which covers building, mechanical and plumbing work in one record; the combined permit pays the normal building fee plus a per-fixture charge for each mechanical and plumbing item. Typical house plans include a site plan, floor plan, cross section, elevations, structural details and a window schedule, drawn to a usable scale such as a quarter inch to the foot. A stand-alone mechanical or plumbing permit, for example for a water heater or furnace, costs a $119 base fee plus $25 per fixture.

The City’s published review times are 4 to 7 weeks for a new single-family house, 2 to 5 weeks for a house addition or alteration, and about 1 week for mechanical, plumbing and tree removal permits. A single-family re-roof is $195, and a demolition $300.

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

Commercial permits

A change of use alone is $980. Commercial buildings and tenant improvements use the same combined permit and valuation table, with an extra fire plan review of 13.2% of the building plan review fee, and structural review sent to a consultant charged at cost (a deposit may be required when that cost is expected to reach $5,000 or more). A licensed architect is generally needed for buildings over 4,000 sq ft. Review times are 4 to 8 weeks for non-residential additions and alterations and 10 to 19 weeks for site development. New fire alarm systems are $1,637 and sprinkler tenant improvements of 20 heads or fewer $546.

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

What comes before the building permit

Land use and environmental reviews are priced in the same schedule: a stand-alone critical areas determination is $618 (or $2,805 with an alteration review), a shoreline exemption $673 and a substantial development permit $15,491, a flood improvement permit $8,624, and a SEPA threshold determination $5,720 ($2,397 when consolidated with another permit). Land use permits generally take about 120 days from the completeness letter to a decision. Any tree on private or public property needs a removal permit, which is $43 on its own or included in a construction permit. Water and sewer come from the Woodinville Water District, and septic approvals from Public Health – Seattle & King County.

Woodinville permit costs and fees

Fees come from the City of Woodinville 2026 Fee Schedule (Resolution No. 668). Valuation for new buildings and additions uses the City’s own square-foot table in WMC 21.62.060 (for example $165.67 per sq ft for a wood-frame, type VB house, and $31.50 for an unfinished basement); remodels and repairs are valued from the applicant’s estimate, which must include labor, design, overhead and profit. Plan review is due at submittal and the permit fee at issuance.

The bands join up, each starting where the last ends. Worked example. Woodinville’s fee for a $60,000 addition starts from $910 at $50,000 and adds $12 for each of the ten thousands above it, giving $1,030; plan review at 65% is $669.50 and the residential state surcharge $6.50, for $1,706 before mechanical and plumbing fixture fees and the L&I electrical permit. The City’s FAQ still describes the state fee as “an additional $4.50 per permit”; the adopted 2026 schedule charges $6.50 for a residential permit.

New buildings may also owe park, transportation and school impact fees, which the schedule refers to WMC 3.36.170, 3.39.085 and 3.38.060.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical permits are handled by L&I, which does not list Woodinville among cities with their own electrical program. Mechanical and plumbing work is permitted by the City, either inside the combined building permit or as a stand-alone permit; a stand-alone mechanical or plumbing permit lasts six months (one extension of up to six months), and one tied to a building permit lasts as long as the building permit does.

How to apply for a Woodinville building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Plan review covers the first review and two resubmittals; a third round, or a significant change of scope, is billed at actual cost. Field changes after issuance are reviewed hourly with a $202 minimum, and work must follow the approved plans until a revision is approved.

Inspections in Woodinville

Inspections are scheduled in the Permit Portal (search the permit number, open Inspections, pick a date and an AM or PM preference) or by phone at 425-489-2754 by 3 p.m. the business day before. Morning or afternoon requests are honored where possible but not guaranteed. An inspection can be cancelled online until 6 a.m. on the day; after that, call, since an uncancelled inspection can be charged, and work not ready when the inspector arrives costs $53.

A permit is valid for 24 months from issuance, with one written extension of up to 12 months if work has not stopped. A certificate of occupancy, requested by email, phone or in person, is included in the permit fee; buildings accessory to a one- or two-family home do not need one, and a temporary certificate for a house is $292 ($585 for other buildings), valid for up to a year. Where a site development or other related permit goes with the building permit, the certificate waits until all of that work is inspected and paid for, unless the Building Official accepts a financial guarantee.

If a building permit expires with work or inspections unfinished, the owner restarts on a new permit whose fee reflects the share of inspections already done, and any fees still owed on the old permit must be paid first; other expired permits are renewed at the full new fee.

Woodinville permit search and official resources

Permits, plan review status, inspections and issued documents can be looked up in the Accela Permit Portal by permit number. Woodinville participates in the National Flood Insurance Program; FEMA lists its current effective map as August 19, 2020.

• Woodinville Permitting: hours, forms, FAQs
• How to apply in the Permit Portal
• Accela Permit Portal
• Commercial and residential construction permits
• Inspections: scheduling and cancelling
• Permitting FAQs, including review times
• Fees page
• 2026 Fee Schedule, Resolution No. 668 (PDF)
• WMC chapter 21.62: building codes
• My Property Info: is the lot in the city?
• L&I list of cities with their own electrical permits

Woodinville building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Woodinville?

The City’s Development Services and Permit Center at City Hall, 17301 133rd Avenue NE (425-489-2754). L&I issues electrical permits.

How much is a building permit in Woodinville?

A $60,000 addition pays a $1,030 permit fee and $669.50 plan review, plus the $6.50 state surcharge. The smallest permit is $195.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Not for a fence up to 7 feet under the adopted code, measured to the top including caps; the City’s FAQ still says 6 feet.

How long does review take?

The City lists 4 to 7 weeks for a new house, 2 to 5 weeks for an addition or alteration and about 1 week for mechanical and plumbing permits.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Online in the Permit Portal, or by phone at 425-489-2754 by 3 p.m. the business day before.

Can I do the work myself?

Yes. The City allows owners to work on their own single-family or commercial property; anyone you hire must be a Washington-licensed contractor.

Do I need a permit to cut down a tree?

Yes. Removing any tree on private or public property needs a permit, $43 when it is not part of a construction permit.

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