Which cities is the Kolmo permit lookup verified for?

Ten cities: Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Sammamish, Issaquah, Renton, Kent, Federal Way, and Mercer Island. For these, every fee, threshold, and timeline is sourced from the city directly with the exact quote and URL, and re-verified weekly. Outside these ten cities address lookup still works and we render the parcel and Washington-state baseline code, but per-city specifics are flagged as unverified.

Does the lookup cover unincorporated King, Pierce, or Snohomish County?

Address lookup works and parcels resolve to the county building department, but unincorporated coverage is currently baseline-only — Washington-state IRC, IBC, and WSEC plus state critical-area rules. Per-county fee and code deviations have not been verified to the same standard as the ten verified cities.

Will this replace calling the permit center?

For most homeowner projects — decks, kitchens, bathrooms, ADUs, fences, siding, windows, flooring, roofing, HVAC, electrical, plumbing — the published answer matches what the permit center will say, and the homeowner can submit with a pre-filled application packet. For variances, conditional uses, or unusual scope, calling the city planner is still recommended.

Where does the address go after submission?

The address is geocoded via Google Maps to identify the correct county, then queried against public county GIS endpoints. Parcel data is cached for 30 days. The address is not contacted, sold, or shared with third parties.

Who built this — and why?

Built by Kolmo Construction, a licensed Seattle-area general contractor. The team works with permit code daily and built this to fix the public web's poor coverage of homeowner permit questions. The lookup is free; if a homeowner wants a contractor for the project, Kolmo is one option.

Deck permits in City of Mercer Island: fees, timeline & requirements (2026)

Everything you need to know about pulling a deck permit in City of Mercer Island, Washington — when one is required, what it costs, how long review takes, what documents are required, and which inspections you can expect. Cited to Apply via MyBuildingPermit.com..

Permit required?

Yes — see threshold below

Permit fee

Most jurisdictions handle decks as field-inspection or simplified plan review.

Review timeline

— · OTC eligible

When does a deck need a permit in City of Mercer Island?

Permit NOT required for sidewalks, decks and driveways constructed under IRC, not more than 30in above grade and not over any basement or story below. Decking replacement on existing decks WITHOUT changing/adding structural members and WITHOUT removing guardrails is also exempt. Per the multi-jurisdiction tip sheet, the 30-inch measurement is taken vertically to the grade below at any point within 36 inches of the outer edge of the deck. Critical-area / flood-hazard exemption rule applies.

Required submittals

site plan with setbacks
framing plan w/ ledger detail
footing detail
guard/handrail detail

Inspection sequence

footing
framing
final

Contractor specialties needed

general

Notes & caveats

From MICC 17.14.010 §105.2: "Sidewalks, decks and driveways constructed under the provisions of the IRC, which are not more than 30 inches (762 mm) above grade and not over any basement or story below" are exempt. Also exempt: "Decking replacement on decks without changing or adding any other structural members or removing guardrails." Critical-area override (per MICC 17.14.010 §105.2): exemptions DO NOT apply in flood-hazard or city land-use critical areas unless work is entirely within or on the exterior envelope of a legally established existing building.

How to apply

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. Assemble submittals (4).
3. Submit through the city portal: Apply via MyBuildingPermit.com. ↗
4. Track review (typical: —). Respond to reviewer comments promptly.
5. Pay issuance fees (Most jurisdictions handle decks as field-inspection or simplified plan review.) and pick up the permit. Inspection card travels with the job.

Compare this against other cities

Side-by-side deck requirements across all 10 verified Seattle-area cities.

All City of Mercer Island permits

Every project type — ADU, addition, kitchen, bath, deck, fence, and more — for City of Mercer Island.

City of Mercer Island resourcesPermit portal ↗Fee schedule ↗