City of Kent building permits: fees, timelines & requirements (2026)
What needs a permit in the City of Kent and what triggers one — each row quoted from the city's own code or permit page, with the source linked and the source page checked weekly for changes. Fees and review times appear where the city publishes them. Covers ADU, addition, kitchen, bathroom, basement, deck, fence, siding, windows, flooring, roofing, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and ancillary permits (King County).
22 of 23 project types have authoritative rules on file · 13 always require a permit · 10 depend on the scope · 0 do not.
Get your lot in 3D with zoning, setbacks, and the exact permits your project needs — cited to the City of Kent's source.
Permit department
Kent Economic and Community Development
Adopted code cycles
2021 IRC w/ WA amendments · 2021 WSEC
Resources
Construction permits
| Project | Threshold | Fee | Review days | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen remodel Depends on scope | Under the state code cabinets, counters, paint and tile need no permit. Replacing a sink or faucet, even in the same spot, or moving or adding plumbing needs a plumbing permit: the state plumbing code exempts only clearing a stoppage or fixing a leak with nothing replaced. Gas or venting work, new circuits and moving a wall need permits too. Cosmetic finish work (cabinets, countertops, tile, paint) is exempt; altering structure or moving electrical/gas/mechanical/plumbing triggers a Residential Alteration permit. Electrical permits route to WA L&I. | FeeAbout $1,891 for a $35,000 project, when a permit is needed | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Bathroom remodel Depends on scope | Under the state code tile, paint and other finish work need no permit. Replacing a toilet, sink, faucet, shower valve, tub or shower, even in the same spot, or moving or adding plumbing needs a plumbing permit: the state plumbing code exempts only clearing a stoppage or fixing a leak with nothing replaced. New circuits need an electrical permit, and moving a wall a building permit. Replacing plumbing or fixtures in the same location without removing surfaces (gypsum, framing) is treated as minor plumbing work; opening surfaces or rearranging fixtures requires a permit. | FeeAbout $1,344 for a $22,000 project, when a permit is needed | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Basement finish Always | Finishing a basement into habitable space needs a building permit; egress and ceiling height are the usual review items. Finishing a basement changes the living space and requires a residential building permit; submit a fully dimensioned floor plan for each floor including basements. | FeeAbout $2,084 for a $40,000 project | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Deck Depends on scope | Exempt only when all hold: 200 sq ft or under, 30 in or under at any point, not attached, and not serving a required exit door. A deck is exempt only if ≤200 sq ft, ≤30 inches above grade at any point, not attached to a dwelling, and does not serve a required exit door (IRC R311.2); otherwise a building permit is required. | FeeAbout $1,129 for an $18,000 project, when a permit is needed | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Fence Depends on scope | No permit for a fence 7 ft or under. Fences 7 feet or under are exempt from a building permit; fences over 7 feet require a permit. Corner/driveway-adjacent fences must show the sight-distance triangle. | FeeAbout $486 for a $6,000 project, when a permit is needed | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Siding Always | Kent processes residential siding as a Minor Work permit. Residential siding is processed as a Minor Work permit (portal: Minor Work Permits → Siding/Windows → Residential). Typically processed within 2–3 business days. | FeeAbout $1,129 for an $18,000 project | Review2–3 days | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Window replacement Always | Kent processes window replacement as a Minor Work permit. Window permits are processed as Minor Work and need a site plan and specifications; typically processed within 2–3 business days. | FeeAbout $593 for an $8,000 project | Review2–3 days | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Flooring Depends on scope | Floor finishes are exempt. Modifying the subfloor or joists, or installing radiant heat, needs a permit. Tiling or carpeting is a cosmetic improvement that does not need a permit. | FeeAbout $486 for a $6,000 project, when a permit is needed | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| ADU / DADU Always | An ADU or DADU always needs a building permit, and usually trade permits with it. Two ADUs per lot are allowed (one attached + one detached, two attached, or two detached) per KCC 15.08.350. A detached ADU shall not exceed 24 feet in height. One additional parking space is required per ADU unless within 1/2 mile of a major transit stop (KCC 15.05.040). Owner-occupancy is no longer required (HB 1337). | FeeAbout $5,960 for a $200,000 project | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Roofing Always | A re-roof needs a Minor Work permit. A re-roof permit (Minor Work) is required; state the materials being removed, the underlayment, and the new materials being installed. Typically processed within 2–3 business days. | FeeWhere a re-roof needs a building permit in Kent, it is priced on the value of the work: $52.82 up to $500, $52.82 for the first $500 plus $6.88 for each $100 more up to $2,000, and $155.95 for the first $2,000 plus $31.55 for each $1,000 more up to $25,000. | Review2–3 days | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| HVAC Depends on scope | Installing or replacing heating, cooling or ventilation equipment needs a mechanical permit; a portable unit or a minor part replacement does not. A mechanical permit is required for heating/cooling systems, HVAC, gas pipes, gas water-heater replacements, and other mechanical systems; portable appliances are exempt. Typically processed within 2–3 business days. | FeeKent prices a mechanical permit as an issuance fee plus a fee for each unit, with plan review at 25% of the permit fee (Resolution 2052, Exhibit D). | Review2–3 days | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Electrical Depends on scope | Essentially all electrical work needs a permit. The only exemption is like-in-kind replacement on the L&I minor list — and an exempt job still needs an inspection request. Altering an electrical system requires a permit, but Kent does not issue residential electrical permits — those are issued and inspected by Washington State Labor & Industries. | FeeKent charges no electrical permit fee: L&I issues electrical permits in Kent and sets and collects their fees. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Plumbing Depends on scope | Under the state code stopping a leak or clearing a stoppage needs no plumbing permit. Replacing anything, even a faucet or a fixture in the same spot, or the water heater, needs one, and so do new or moved fixtures and piping. A plumbing permit is required for replacing plumbing/fixtures in the same location and for electric water-heater replacements; leak-stopping, clearing stoppages, and like-for-like water-closet reset are exempt. Typically processed within 2–3 business days. | FeeKent issues its own plumbing permits, priced separately from the building permit, and the City's posted fee documents (its 2026 building permit fee table and land use fees) list no plumbing fees, so the Permit Center (253-856-5300) quotes them. | Review2–3 days | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Addition Always | Adding floor area always needs a building permit. A residential building permit is required for most construction, alteration, or repair work — including changing a building's occupancy, structure, or living space. Intake fees are billed when the submittal is deemed complete (pay within 15 days); issuance fees are due before the permit is issued. | FeeAbout $4,241 for a $120,000 project | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Solar (rooftop PV) Always | Rooftop solar needs an electrical permit from L&I and a City building permit for the racking: Kent adopts the IRC's list of work exempt from a permit unamended, and it names no solar installation (KCC 14.01.010, IRC R105.2). | FeeThe electrical permit comes from L&I, at L&I's fees. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-11-07 |
| Heat pump Depends on scope | Installing or replacing a heat pump needs a City mechanical permit, and its circuit an electrical permit from L&I; a portable unit, work on the piping inside the equipment, a minor part replacement or a self-contained unit with 10 lb of refrigerant or less or a motor of 1 hp or less does not need the mechanical permit. | FeeKent prices a heat pump's mechanical permit as an issuance fee plus a fee for each unit, with plan review at 25% of the permit fee (Resolution 2052, Exhibit D). | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-11-07 |
Ancillary & non-building permits
| Project | Threshold | Fee | Review days | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demolition Always | Demolishing a structure or a substantial part of one needs a permit; asbestos and lead notifications are separate. 2021 IBC Section 105.1 + WA-adopted IRC R105.1: demolition of any structure or portion thereof requires a permit. Tear-out of interior finishes only is generally treated as alteration. Asbestos / lead notification often required separately under WAC 173-303 / 296-62. | FeeKent's posted fee documents (its 2026 building permit fee table and land use fees) carry no demolition fee, so the Permit Center (253-856-5300) quotes it. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-10-02 |
| Right-of-way Always | Any work in or occupation of the public right of way needs a right-of-way permit from the city, or from the agency that owns the street. Issued by city public works (or SDOT in Seattle) under local ROW ordinance. Triggered by physical occupation of or work within the public ROW including driveway aprons, curb cuts, sidewalk replacement, utility tie-ins, hauling routes, and temporary construction staging. | FeeKent posts no right-of-way permit fee: for Public Works fees, the City's permit page says to call Development Engineering at 253-856-5490. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-06 |
| Side sewer Always | Where the City owns the sewer, any work to build, extend, relay or repair a building sewer or side sewer, and any connection, needs a City permit, with no minimum length; where a district owns the main, that district issues it. Where the City of Kent owns the sewer, a permit is required for all work to construct, extend, relay or repair a building sewer or a side sewer, and to make any connection to a side stub or the public sewer, on private property or in the right-of-way (KCC 7.04.050), so any repair counts, with no minimum length. The owner or a licensed contractor does the work. Where a sewer district owns the main, that district issues the permit under its own code, so confirm the owner of the main before applying. WAC 51-56, the state plumbing code, governs how the building sewer is laid. | FeeWhere the City's sewer utility serves the lot, ask Development Engineering (253-856-5490) for the side sewer fee, as the City's permit page says for Public Works fees. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-10-24 |
| Stormwater / drainage Always | New or replaced impervious surface and land disturbance are reviewed under the drainage manual this jurisdiction adopts; the threshold is the manual's. Ecology's Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington (SWMMWW, 2024 edition) is the state floor. A municipal stormwater permittee may instead adopt a REGIONAL manual Ecology has determined equivalent, and most do — some counties publish their own, some cities publish their own, and others adopt Ecology's directly. Which manual applies is a per-jurisdiction fact and it changes the numbers: review thresholds for new plus replaced impervious surface and for land-disturbing activity differ between manuals, so read this jurisdiction's own adopting chapter before quoting one. Critical-area and closed-basin parcels get stricter review under every manual. | FeeKent posts no drainage review fee: for Public Works fees, the City's permit page says to call Development Engineering at 253-856-5490. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-06 |
| Land-use / zoning Always | A variance, conditional use, plat or design review is a land-use decision that precedes the building permit. Triggered when a project does not conform to the strict letter of the zoning code. Variances require a hardship finding under most city codes. Design review thresholds vary (Seattle: most multifamily + non-residential >4,000 sqft; many cities: design review only in designated districts). | FeeKent's variance for a single-family house is $924.86 and an administrative variance $1,056.79; a conditional use permit is $6,613.09, or $1,056.80 for a minor one, and a lot line adjustment $2,927.83. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-06 |
| Tree removal Depends on scope | Kent sets no tree permit for a lot with a building on it. On undeveloped land every tree 6 in across or more at 4.5 ft is kept, unless a tree retention plan approved with the permit for a new house or duplex allows its removal, and a tree removed illegally there is replaced with two to six new trees (KCC 15.08.240 B, E, I). In a critical area or its buffer, removing any tree, a hazard tree included, needs the City's critical area review. A tree between the property line and the curb is a street tree. Outside a critical area and its buffer, Kent sets no tree removal permit for a lot that already has a building on it. On undeveloped land, every tree 6 in or more across, measured 4.5 ft above the ground, is kept where it grows (KCC 15.08.240 B, D.2). The rule reaches a new house or duplex: its development permit issues only after the City approves a tree retention plan, and that plan is the only way such a tree comes down (15.08.240 C.1, E). Multifamily, commercial, institutional and industrial development is exempt from it (C.2). A tree removed illegally from undeveloped land, or one a plan kept that is damaged or destroyed, is replaced by two new trees for one of 6 in, and one more for each further 3 in, up to six (15.08.240 I). In a critical area or its buffer, removing a tree, a hazard tree included, needs the City's critical area review or the director's approval first, on any lot (11.06.030 A.6, B); the hazard tree exemption covers only a public agency's work on public property (11.06.040 A.14). Planting, removing, trimming, pruning or cutting a tree between the property line and the curb needs the parks director's written permit (6.10.060 B), and removing a tree anywhere in the public right-of-way needs the public works director's permit, given only for a fire, safety or health hazard (8.07.050 C, 8.07.090 A). | FeeWhere tree removal in Kent needs the City's critical area review, a critical areas exempt determination is $246.82, plus a technology fee of 3%, at least $10. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-10-28 |
| Signs Always | A building and planning sign permit is needed to put up, alter or relocate a sign; real estate signs within the size limits need none. Kent requires a sign permit from the building and planning departments to erect, install, apply, affix, alter or relocate a sign, except as its sign code provides (KCC 15.06.080(A)). Real estate signs need no permit: for a house or duplex, one sign per street frontage, up to 4 square feet per face and no higher than 5 feet above the street, unlit (KCC 15.06.040(Q)), and portable signs and farm product signs that meet their own rules need none either. | FeeKent's sign permit is $397.17 for a wall sign and $530.50 for a freestanding sign 7 feet high or less; a temporary sign is $200. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-10-24 |
Building in the City of Kent?
Kolmo Construction is a licensed Washington general contractor — KOLMOL*753JS, bonded and insured — working throughout the City of Kent and King County. We pull the building permits listed above and build the project. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work, and those permits, go to licensed trade subcontractors that Kolmo manages.
How this page is built
Each row is the most-recently-verified authoritative rule on file for the City of Kent and the listed project type. “Pending verification” means we have the City of Kent in our database but haven't yet personally checked the city page for that project — those rows fall back to King-County or Washington-state baselines until verified.
See the data-quality leaderboard for how we keep these current, or run an address-specific lookup on the main permits page.