Stormwater permits in City of Lakewood: fees, timeline & requirements (2026)
Everything you need to know about pulling a stormwater / drainage permit in City of Lakewood, Washington — when one is required, what it costs, how long review takes, what documents are required, and which inspections you can expect. Cited to Lakewood Community Development..
Free lookup, no account needed — your lot polygon, zoning, setbacks and overlays, cited to City of Lakewood's source.
When does a stormwater / drainage need a permit in City of Lakewood?
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.
From City of Lakewood's own code
“When drainage review and approval is required, the City requires, at a minimum, full compliance with this section. Design details, sizing methods, and construction standards for required drainage plans are provided in the City of Lakewood Engineering Standards Manual (ESM) and shall be used. The ESM distinguishes between submittal requirements for site plans and engineering drainage plans. A. Minimum Requirement No. 1 – Preparation of Storm Water Site Plans.”Source ↗verified 2026-05-02
Required submittals
- drainage report (full or simplified)
- site plan with impervious calc
- BMP / facility detail
- geotech if infiltration claimed
Inspection sequence
- pre-construction (BMPs in place)
- facility installation
- final stabilization
Contractor specialties needed
general
Who can do this work in City of Lakewood?
Kolmo Construction is a licensed Washington general contractor — KOLMOL*753JS, active through April 10, 2027, bonded and insured — working throughout City of Lakewood and Pierce County. Kolmo prepares the drawings and submittals, files the stormwater / drainage permit with Lakewood Community Development., carries the project through review and inspections, and performs the construction. Call (206) 410-5100 for a City of Lakewood stormwater / drainage quote.
Notes & caveats
Issuing body is city public works / county DPER, often parallel to the building permit. On-site infiltration / detention required where infeasible to discharge to municipal storm. Critical-area parcels (steep slope, salmon-bearing watercourse) get more conservative review.
How to apply yourself
- 1. Confirm your parcel's zoning & overlays. Run an address lookup for your City of Lakewood stormwater / drainage — we'll pull your specific lot polygon, zoning, setbacks, and any shoreline/ECA/historic overlays.
- 2. Assemble submittals (4).
- 3. Submit through the city portal: Lakewood Community Development. ↗
- 4. Track review. Respond to reviewer comments promptly.
- 5. Pay issuance fees (Drainage review fees are commonly tiered by project size in the city's fee schedule.) and pick up the permit. Inspection card travels with the job.
Or have Kolmo do it
We pull stormwater / drainage permits in City of Lakewood every month. We prepare the drawings and submittals, file with Lakewood Community Development., handle reviewer comments, and build the project.
Licensed WA general contractor KOLMOL*753JS · bonded & insured
Stormwater permits in City of Lakewood — FAQ
When does a stormwater / drainage need a permit in City of Lakewood?
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.
How much does a stormwater / drainage permit cost in City of Lakewood?
Current fee per the City of Lakewood fee schedule: Drainage review fees are commonly tiered by project size in the city's fee schedule.. Plus ancillary plan-review/tech-surcharge fees per city schedule.