City of Kirkland building permits: fees, timelines & requirements (2026)
What needs a permit in City of Kirkland 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 daily 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).
21 of 24 project types have authoritative rules on file · 13 always require a permit · 8 depend on the scope · 1 do not.
Get your lot in 3D with zoning, setbacks, and the exact permits your project needs — cited to City of Kirkland's source.
Permit department
Apply via MyBuildingPermit.com.
Adopted code cycles
2021 IRC w/ WA amendments · 2021 WSEC
Resources
Construction permits
| Project | Permit? | Threshold | Fee | Review days | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen remodel | Depends on scope | No permit for cabinets, counters, paint or tile. A permit once you move plumbing, add circuits, run gas or change walls. Cabinet/countertop/finish swaps are exempt. Like-for-like fixture replacement without plumbing-line modification (sinks, toilets) needs no permit; moving plumbing lines, adding circuits, or structural/layout changes trigger a permit. Electrical is permitted separately by WA L&I. | Fees set by jurisdiction. WA Building Code Council surcharge: $6.50 per building permit. Trade permits separate. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-24 |
| Bathroom remodel | Depends on scope | No permit for tile, paint or a same-spot fixture swap. A permit once plumbing moves, circuits are added or the tub or shower goes. Like-for-like sink/toilet swap without plumbing-line modification is exempt, but tub and shower replacement does require a permit. New/relocated fixtures or new circuits trigger a permit. | Fees set by jurisdiction. Plus separate electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-24 |
| Basement finish | Always | Finishing a basement into habitable space needs a building permit; egress and ceiling height are the usual review items. Finishing/converting a basement into habitable space is an alteration/change-of-use and requires a building permit (egress, framing, electrical, mechanical). No Kirkland basement-specific exemption is published. | Plan-review fee scales with valuation. State surcharge $6.50. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-24 |
| Deck | Depends on scope | Exempt only when all three hold: 30 in or under above grade, not over a basement or story below, and not part of an accessible route. KMC 21.06.215(5): a building permit is NOT required for a deck that is (a) not more than 30 inches above grade, AND (b) not over any basement or story below, AND (c) not part of an accessible route. All three must hold — a 24-inch deck over a basement, or one forming an accessible route to an entrance, still requires a permit. Decking-board replacement that does not change/add structural members or remove guardrails is separately exempt. The guard is not covered by this exemption: Kirkland Development Services confirmed at the counter on 2026-08-06 that a deck may be exempt while its railing still requires a permit, so the deck and the guard are evaluated separately. | Most jurisdictions handle decks as field-inspection or simplified plan review. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-24 |
| Fence | Depends on scope | No permit for a fence 6 ft or under. A building permit is required for any fence over 6 feet in height; fences 6 feet and under are exempt. Height is also limited in front-yard setbacks and sight-distance triangles per KZC 115.40. | Typically no fee unless permit required. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-06 |
| Siding | Depends on scope | Non-structural siding is exempt. EIFS, veneer, stucco, or altered structure needs a permit. Non-structural siding replacement is exempt. A permit IS required for exterior finish and insulation systems (EIFS), veneer, or stucco, or where structural members are altered. | Typically minimal fee — like-for-like usually exempt. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-24 |
| Window replacement | Depends on scope | In-kind replacement is exempt when no framing changes and egress, safety glazing and energy code are met. A new or enlarged opening needs a permit. In-kind window/door replacement is exempt when no structural members are altered, the U-value meets the prescriptive energy code, safety glazing and fall protection are provided where required, and egress is maintained. A new or enlarged opening requires a permit. | Like-for-like usually no permit fee. Structural changes scale with valuation. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-24 |
| Flooring | No permit | Flooring is interior finish work and exempt. Interior finish work (flooring, carpet, tile, paint) is exempt from a building permit. | No permit fee for surface flooring. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-24 |
| ADU / DADU | Always | An ADU or DADU always needs a building permit, and usually trade permits with it. Up to two ADUs per lot, each either attached or detached. Maximum size 1,200 square feet. Owner-occupancy is not required for newly constructed ADUs (HB 1337 / RCW 36.70A.681). An ADU may be segregated in ownership from the primary dwelling, except in the Residential-L Shoreline Environment, and a DADU may be placed on its own unit lot through a unit lot subdivision. No off-street parking within one-half mile of a major transit stop; outside that, one space for the first ADU unless on-street parking is available within 600 feet or the property is within one-half mile of frequent transit. Must meet the development standards — floor area ratio, lot coverage, setbacks — that regulate the primary dwelling. Two ATTACHED ADUs need Building Code guidance from Planning and Building (425-587-3600). | Full Construction Permit (Addition/Alteration) fees. A new ADU connection commonly also triggers a ONE-TIME sewer and/or water connection charge from the utility that serves the property — called a general facility charge, a capacity charge or a system development charge depending on the utility. WHICH UTILITY AND WHICH CHARGE IS A PER-PROPERTY FACT, not a city or county one, and a single lot can sit inside a city for permitting and outside its sewer district. Ask the utility that will actually serve the ADU; this charge is often the largest single line in an ADU budget after construction. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-24 |
| Roofing | Depends on scope | Same-type tear-off is exempt if the sheathing is untouched; an overlay is exempt up to two layers. Sheathing, structure or a material change needs a permit. A re-roof tear-off-and-replace using the same type of roofing is exempt provided the roof sheathing is not altered; an overlay is exempt up to 2 total layers of roofing material. Changing roof sheathing, structure, or material type requires a permit. | Flat fee or valuation-based, per the city's fee schedule. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-24 |
| HVAC | Always | New or replaced equipment and gas piping need a mechanical permit. A mechanical permit is required for new/replaced mechanical equipment and gas piping. Fuel-gas piping and new fuel-gas fixtures require a Mechanical Permit (not a plumbing permit). | Mechanical permit + electrical permit (if new circuit) + plumbing permit (if condensate to drain). Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-24 |
| Electrical | Always | Circuits and services need an electrical permit, issued and inspected by WA L&I. Electrical circuits and services require a permit, but in Kirkland electrical permits are issued and inspected by Washington State Labor & Industries, not the City. | Electrical permit fees are set by circuit count and service size in the issuing agency's fee schedule. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-24 |
| Plumbing | Depends on scope | Piping, a water heater, a backflow device or a hose bib all need a plumbing permit — from Public Health, not the City. Plumbing work (water/waste/vent piping, backflow devices, water-heater replacement, hose bibs) requires a permit. In Kirkland, plumbing permits are regulated by Public Health – Seattle & King County, not the City. | Plumbing permit fees are set by fixture count in the city's fee schedule. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-24 |
| Addition | Always | Adding floor area always needs a building permit. A building permit is required to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, or change the use of a building. Whole-house ventilation compliance is required for new construction and additions greater than 500 square feet of heated space. | Plan-review fee scales with valuation per UBC Table 1-A. State surcharge $6.50 per building permit. Trade permits (E/P/M) separate. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-24 |
Ancillary & non-building permits
| Project | Permit? | 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. | Demolition fees commonly charged as flat fee or by structure size. State surcharge $6.50 applies. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Right-of-way | Always | Any work in or occupation of the public right of way needs a right-of-way permit from public works. 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. | Right-of-way permit fees vary by city: a base fee for a residential driveway or curb cut, plus a per-day occupancy charge if the street is obstructed. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Side sewer | Always | A new side-sewer connection, a repair beyond about 2 ft, relining or capping needs a permit from whichever utility owns the main. The side-sewer permit is issued by whichever utility owns the sanitary sewer — the city, a sewer or water district, or a regional utility — under that utility's own code, with WAC 51-56 (2021 UPC) governing how the building sewer is laid. WHICH UTILITY IS A PER-PROPERTY FACT: a lot can sit inside a city for permitting and outside its sewer district, so confirm the owner of the main before applying. Triggered by a new connection, repair of more than about 2 ft of pipe, relining (CIPP), or capping at the property line for a demolition. | Side-sewer permit fees are set by the utility that owns the main; some add a depth-based surcharge. Utility-issued, not building-permit-issued. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-06 |
| 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. | Drainage review fees are commonly tiered by project size in the city's fee schedule. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| 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). | Land-use fees vary widely; a variance usually carries an application fee plus cost recovery for the hearing examiner. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-24 |
| Tree removal | Not verified | This city protects trees under its own ordinance and Kolmo has not verified the size threshold. Ask the city before cutting; some cities prohibit removal above a size rather than permit it. Triggered by removal of a tree that the city's own tree ordinance protects — commonly defined by a diameter at breast or standard height, a listed-species table, a grove or heritage designation, or a canopy-cover target. This baseline row carries NO verified local threshold; read the city's tree chapter before quoting a number. Some cities do not permit removal above a size at all — they prohibit removal of regulated trees outside enumerated exceptions, so a "permit required at X inches" reading is wrong there. | Tree-removal permit fees are set per permit or per tree in the city's fee schedule; some cities require replacement bonds. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-06 |
| Signs | Always | Permanent signs need a sign permit; small temporary residential signs are usually exempt. 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 are set in the city's fee schedule, plus an electrical sub-permit for an illuminated sign. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | Not published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-06 |
Building in City of Kirkland?
Kolmo Construction is a licensed Washington general contractor — KOLMOL*753JS, bonded and insured — working throughout City of Kirkland and King County. We pull the permits listed above and build the project.
How this page is built
Each row is the most-recently-verified authoritative rule on file for City of Kirkland and the listed project type. “Pending verification” means we have City of Kirkland 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.