PlainPermit

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

Last verified: · Confidence: high · 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: high

No permit for a single-story detached shed with a roof footprint of 120 sq ft or less on a slab, pier blocks or soil, outside environmentally critical areas.

What changes the answer

Note: SDCI's general list says "less than 120 square feet"; the sheds page says "120 square feet or less".

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

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.

Official sources

“The total area (or “footprint”) of the shed’s roof is 120 square feet or less.”

Source: https://www.seattle.gov/construction-and-inspections/permits/common-projects/sheds

“The shed is not in or near an environmentally critical area (ECA), for example a steep slope, wetland, or flood-prone area.”

Source: https://www.seattle.gov/construction-and-inspections/permits/common-projects/sheds

Verified: · Status: verified · Confidence: high

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Other projects in Seattle

Shed permits in other cities