City of Kent building permits: fees, timelines & requirements (2026)
Every fee, threshold, and review window for City of Kent permits — cited to the city's own page and re-verified weekly. Covers ADU, addition, kitchen, bathroom, basement, deck, fence, siding, windows, flooring, roofing, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and ancillary permits (King County).
21 of 24 project types have authoritative rules on file · 19 typically require a permit · 2 often do not.
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Get your lot in 3D with zoning, setbacks, and the exact permits your project needs — cited to City of Kent's source.
Permit department
Kent uses MyKent permits portal.
Adopted code cycles
2021 IRC w/ WA amendments · 2021 WSEC
Resources
Construction permits
| Project | Permit? | Threshold | Fee | Review days | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen remodel | Yes | 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. | Fees set by jurisdiction. WA Building Code Council surcharge: $4.50 per building permit. Trade permits separate. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Bathroom remodel | Yes | 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. | Fees set by jurisdiction. Plus separate electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Basement finish | Yes | Finishing a basement changes the living space and requires a residential building permit; submit a fully dimensioned floor plan for each floor including basements. | Plan-review fee scales with valuation. State surcharge $4.50. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Deck | Yes | 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. | Most jurisdictions handle decks as field-inspection or simplified plan review. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Fence | Often no | 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. | Typically no fee unless permit required. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Siding | Yes | Residential siding is processed as a Minor Work permit (portal: Minor Work Permits → Siding/Windows → Residential). Typically processed within 2–3 business days. | Typically minimal fee — like-for-like usually exempt. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | 2–3 days | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Window replacement | Yes | Window permits are processed as Minor Work and need a site plan and specifications; typically processed within 2–3 business days. | Like-for-like usually no permit fee. Structural changes scale with valuation. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | 2–3 days | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Flooring | Often no | Tiling or carpeting is a cosmetic improvement that does not need a permit. | No permit fee for surface flooring. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| ADU / DADU | Yes | 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). | Full Construction Permit (Addition/Alteration) fees. Sewer capacity charges may apply (King County: ~$8k-$10k). Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | 30–120 days | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Roofing | Yes | 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. | Flat fee or valuation-based. Typically $150-$400 for residential. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | 2–3 days | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| HVAC | Yes | 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. | Mechanical permit + electrical permit (if new circuit) + plumbing permit (if condensate to drain). Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | 2–3 days | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Electrical | Yes | 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. | L&I permit fees by circuit count + service size. Standard residential ~$60-$200. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Plumbing | Yes | 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. | Plumbing permit fees by fixture count. Standard residential ~$80-$250. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | 2–3 days | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Addition | Yes | 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. | Plan-review fee scales with valuation per UBC Table 1-A. State surcharge $4.50 per building permit. Trade permits (E/P/M) separate. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | 30–120 days | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
Ancillary & non-building permits
| Project | Permit? | Threshold | Fee | Review days | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demolition | Yes | 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. | Demolition fees commonly charged as flat fee or by structure size. State surcharge $4.50 applies. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-05-17 |
| Right-of-way | Yes | 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. | ROW permit fees vary widely by city; commonly $150-$500 for residential driveway/curb cut, plus per-day occupancy if street obstruction. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-05-17 |
| Side sewer | Yes | Side-sewer permits issued by the local utility (Seattle SPU; King County WTD; per-city utility elsewhere) under 2021 UPC + city utility code. Triggered by new connection, repair >2 ft of pipe, relining (CIPP), or capping at the property line for demolition. | Side-sewer permits typically $150-$500; depth-based surcharge in some cities. Utility-issued, not building-permit-issued. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-05-17 |
| Stormwater / drainage | Yes | KC Surface Water Design Manual 2021 (KCC 9.04 + adopted by reference in most KC cities) sets the 2,000 sqft new+replaced impervious threshold for "small project" drainage review; ≥5,000 sqft triggers full drainage review. Different thresholds in critical-area drainage basins. | Drainage review fee commonly tiered by project size; small project ~$300-$800, full drainage review $1,500+. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-05-17 |
| Land-use / zoning | Yes | 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). | Land-use fees vary widely; variance commonly $1,000-$3,000 + actual cost recovery for hearing examiner. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-05-17 |
| Tree removal | Yes | Triggered by removal of trees meeting the city's "significant tree" / "exceptional tree" / "tier" threshold. Common thresholds: ≥6in DBH (Bellevue tier 2+), ≥24in DBH (Seattle exceptional), or specific listed species. Single-family lots are sometimes exempt for non-exceptional trees. | Tree-removal permits commonly $50-$300 per tree; replacement bonds in some cities. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-05-17 |
| Signs | Yes | City sign code (typically Title 22 or 23) governs. Wall, freestanding, projecting, awning, and electronic message signs all require permits. Most cities exempt small temporary residential signs (real-estate, political) under area thresholds (~6 sqft). | Sign permit fees commonly $100-$400 plus electrical sub-permit. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-05-17 |
| Other / general | Pending verification | — | — | — | — |
How this page is built
Each row is the most-recently-verified authoritative rule on file for City of Kent and the listed project type. “Pending verification” means we have 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.