PlainPermit

Do I need a permit for a deck in Seattle, WA?

Short answer: It depends on the details for a deck in Seattle, WA (for example: 18 in or more above grade: permit).

Last verified: · Confidence: medium · Status: Verified from official source

Not legal advice. Always confirm with your local building department. Rules change, and your parcel's zoning, HOA, historic district, floodplain or utility work can change the answer. We show the official source and the date we last checked it so you can verify for yourself.
Depends on your project Confidence: medium

No permit for platforms and walks less than 18 in above grade and not over a basement. Higher decks need a permit.

What changes the answer

Note: From SDCI's general exemption list; SDCI's deck page was not checked.

Cost

Fee not extracted; see SDCI's Fee Subtitle. Unverified, confirm locally

Fee source: https://www.seattle.gov/sdci/permits/do-you-need-a-permit · All verified Seattle permit fees

Where to apply

Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (Seattle Services Portal)

Permitting authority: Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI); plumbing permits by Public Health – Seattle & King County. Rules differ in environmentally critical areas (steep slopes, wetlands, flood-prone areas). Plumbing and gas piping permits, including water heaters, are issued by Public Health – Seattle & King County, not SDCI. See also: how to apply for a building permit.

Official sources

“Platforms, walks, and driveways. You do not need a permit for these if they are less than 18 inches above grade and not over a basement or other building story.”

Source: https://www.seattle.gov/sdci/permits/do-you-need-a-permit

Verified: · Status: verified · Confidence: medium

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Other projects in Seattle

Deck permits in other cities

Compare deck permit rules in all 25 cities · All Washington cities