Which cities is the Kolmo permit lookup verified for?

Ten cities: Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Sammamish, Issaquah, Renton, Kent, Federal Way, and Mercer Island. For these, every fee, threshold, and timeline is sourced from the city directly with the exact quote, URL, and the date Kolmo sourced it; an automated scanner monitors the source pages daily for drift. Outside these ten cities address lookup still works and we render the parcel and Washington-state baseline code, but per-city specifics are flagged as unverified.

Does the lookup cover unincorporated King, Pierce, or Snohomish County?

Address lookup works and parcels resolve to the county building department, but unincorporated coverage is currently baseline-only — Washington-state IRC, IBC, and WSEC plus state critical-area rules. Per-county fee and code deviations have not been verified to the same standard as the ten verified cities.

Will this replace calling the permit center?

For most homeowner projects — decks, kitchens, bathrooms, ADUs, fences, siding, windows, flooring, roofing, HVAC, electrical, plumbing — the published answer matches what the permit center will say, and the homeowner can submit with a pre-filled application packet. For variances, conditional uses, or unusual scope, calling the city planner is still recommended.

Where does the address go after submission?

The address is geocoded via Google Maps to identify the correct county, then queried against public county GIS endpoints. Parcel data is cached for 30 days. The address is not contacted, sold, or shared with third parties.

Who built this — and why?

Built by Kolmo Construction, a licensed Seattle-area general contractor. The team works with permit code daily and built this to fix the public web's poor coverage of homeowner permit questions. The lookup is free; if a homeowner wants a contractor for the project, Kolmo is one option.

Basement finish permits in City of Federal Way: fees, timeline & requirements (2026)

Everything you need to know about pulling a basement finish permit in City of Federal Way, Washington — when one is required, what it costs, how long review takes, what documents are required, and which inspections you can expect. Cited to Apply via MyBuildingPermit.com..

Permit required?

Yes — see threshold below

Permit fee

Plan-review fee scales with valuation. State surcharge $4.50.

Review timeline

—

When does a basement finish need a permit in City of Federal Way?

Finishing or converting a basement into habitable space is a remodel requiring a building permit; hard-wired smoke detectors must be shown on each floor including basements.

From City of Federal Way's own page

“Hard-wired smoke detectors shall be shown on each floor (including basements), in each sleeping room.”
Source ↗verified 2026-06-26

Required submittals

floor plan w/ egress windows + ceiling heights
electrical layout
plumbing diagram
mechanical / HVAC plan
WSEC compliance form (newly conditioned space)
smoke/CO alarm locations

Inspection sequence

rough-in (electrical/plumbing/mechanical)
framing
insulation
drywall
final

Contractor specialties needed

general, electrical-01-or-02, mechanical

Notes & caveats

Construction permit required for any habitable space addition. Smoke + CO alarms required (R314, R315). Any new circuits, plumbing fixtures, or HVAC requires trade permits.

Basement finish permit fee estimate in City of Federal Way

Worked example for a $40,000 basement finish project (building permit). Your actual fee scales with project valuation.

Building permit fee	$542.75
Plan review	$352.79
WA state surcharge	$4.5
Estimated total	$900.04

Plan-review fee scales with valuation. State surcharge $4.50. Computed from the City of Federal Way fee bracket schedule · source ↗. Impact/utility fees may apply separately.

How to apply

1. Confirm your parcel's zoning & overlays. Run an address lookup for your City of Federal Way basement finish — we'll pull your specific lot polygon, zoning, setbacks, and any shoreline/ECA/historic overlays.
2. Assemble submittals (6).
3. Submit through the city portal: Apply via MyBuildingPermit.com. ↗
4. Track review (typical: —). Respond to reviewer comments promptly.
5. Pay issuance fees (Plan-review fee scales with valuation. State surcharge $4.50.) and pick up the permit. Inspection card travels with the job.

Compare this against other cities

Side-by-side basement finish requirements across all 10 verified Seattle-area cities.

All City of Federal Way permits

Every project type — ADU, addition, kitchen, bath, deck, fence, and more — for City of Federal Way.

Basement finish permits in City of Federal Way — FAQ

When does a basement finish need a permit in City of Federal Way?

Finishing or converting a basement into habitable space is a remodel requiring a building permit; hard-wired smoke detectors must be shown on each floor including basements.

How much does a basement finish permit cost in City of Federal Way?

For a $40,000 basement finish project, the estimated City of Federal Way permit fee is about $900.04 — building fee $542.75 + plan review $352.79 + surcharges. Fees scale with project valuation per the city schedule.

City of Federal Way resourcesPermit portal ↗Fee schedule ↗