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

Everything you need to know about pulling a basement finish permit in City of Kent, Washington — when one is required, what it costs, how long review takes, what documents are required, and which inspections you can expect. Cited to Kent uses MyKent permits portal..

Permit required?
Yes — see threshold below
Permit fee
Plan-review fee scales with valuation. State surcharge $4.50. Apply via https://kentwa.gov/permits. Kent uses MyKent permits portal.
Review timeline

When does a basement finish need a permit in City of Kent?

2021 IRC R310: every sleeping room below grade requires emergency escape and rescue opening (egress window). Min sill height 44in, min net clear opening 5.7 sq ft (5.0 grade-floor), min width 20in, height 24in. Ceiling height min 7ft (R305). Entire newly conditioned area must comply with WSEC R402.

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

  1. rough-in (electrical/plumbing/mechanical)
  2. framing
  3. insulation
  4. drywall
  5. final

Contractor specialties needed

general, electrical-01-or-02, plumbing, 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.

How to apply

  1. 1. Confirm your parcel's zoning & overlays. Run an address lookup on the main permits page — we'll pull your specific lot polygon, zoning, setbacks, and any shoreline/ECA/historic overlays.
  2. 2. Assemble submittals (6).
  3. 3. Submit through the city portal: Kent uses MyKent permits portal.
  4. 4. Track review (typical: ). Respond to reviewer comments promptly.
  5. 5. Pay issuance fees (Plan-review fee scales with valuation. State surcharge $4.50. Apply via https://kentwa.gov/permits. Kent uses MyKent permits portal.) and pick up the permit. Inspection card travels with the job.
City of Kent resourcesPermit portal ↗Fee schedule ↗