City of Kirkland building permits: fees, timelines & requirements (2026)
Every fee, threshold, and review window for City of Kirkland 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 · 18 typically require a permit · 3 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 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 | Yes | 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: $4.50 per building permit. Trade permits separate. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-06-26 |
| Bathroom remodel | Yes | 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. | — | Cite verified 2026-06-26 |
| Basement finish | Yes | 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 $4.50. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Deck | Yes | Permit required when the deck floor is more than 30 inches above grade (measured vertically to the grade below at any point within 36 inches of the outer edge). Decking-board replacement that does not change/add structural members or remove guardrails is exempt. | Most jurisdictions handle decks as field-inspection or simplified plan review. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-06-26 |
| Fence | Yes | 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. | Typically no fee unless permit required. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Siding | Often no | 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. | — | Cite verified 2026-06-26 |
| Window replacement | Often no | 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. | — | Cite verified 2026-06-26 |
| Flooring | Often no | Interior finish work (flooring, carpet, tile, paint) is exempt from a building permit. | No permit fee for surface flooring. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-06-26 |
| ADU / DADU | Yes | Up to two ADUs per lot (attached and/or detached) are allowed. Owner-occupancy is not required for newly constructed ADUs (HB 1337 / RCW 36.70A.681). One off-street parking space is required unless on-street parking is available within 600 feet or the property is within one-half mile of frequent transit. ADU size/height limits are set in KZC 115.07 — confirm the current adopted figures with Planning (sources conflicted on the exact maximum square footage). | 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 2026-06-26 |
| Roofing | Yes | 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. Typically $150-$400 for residential. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-06-26 |
| HVAC | Yes | 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. | — | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Electrical | Yes | Electrical circuits and services require a permit, but in Kirkland electrical permits are issued and inspected by Washington State Labor & Industries, not the City. | L&I permit fees by circuit count + service size. Standard residential ~$60-$200. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-06-26 |
| Plumbing | Yes | 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 by fixture count. Standard residential ~$80-$250. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-06-26 |
| Addition | Yes | 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 $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 2026-06-26 |
| 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 2026-06-26 |
| 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 2026-06-26 |
| 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 2026-06-26 |
| 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 2026-06-26 |
| 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 2026-06-26 |
| 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 2026-06-26 |
| Other / general | Pending verification | — | — | — | — |
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.