City of Renton building permits: fees, timelines & requirements (2026)
What needs a permit in the City of Renton 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 weekly for changes. Fees and review times appear where the city publishes them. Covers kitchen, bathroom, basement, deck, fence, siding, windows, flooring, ADU, roofing, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, addition, solar and heat pumps, and the permits beside them: demolition, right-of-way, side sewer, drainage, land use, tree removal and signs.
19 of 23 project types have authoritative rules on file · 10 always require a permit · 13 depend on the scope · 0 do not.
Get your lot in 3D with zoning, setbacks, and the exact permits your project needs — cited to the City of Renton's source.
Permit department
Renton Community and Economic Development — Development Services
Adopted code cycles
2021 IRC w/ WA amendments · 2021 WSEC
Resources
Construction permits
| Project | Threshold | Fee | Review days | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen remodel Depends on scope | Finish work (cabinets, counters, tile, paint) needs no permit, except in a flood hazard area or a critical area, in a condominium or other multiunit residential building, or when it changes required accessible features. Replacing a faucet, moving plumbing, new circuits, gas or venting work, or any wall or structural change needs a permit. Cosmetic-only refresh (cabinets, countertops, flooring, paint) without structural/electrical/plumbing changes is generally exempt under 2021 IRC R105.2 (work exempt from permit). Any new circuit, fixture relocation, or structural change requires permits. | FeeAbout $1,417 for a $35,000 project, when a permit is needed | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-17 |
| Bathroom remodel Depends on scope | Finish work, and replacing a prefabricated fixture (a one-piece tub or shower included) without replacing or moving any valve or pipe, need no permit, except in a flood hazard area or a critical area. Replacing a site-built tiled tub or shower, moving plumbing, a new valve, a replaced drain or pipe, new circuits, wall changes, changes to accessible features, or finish work in a condominium building need a permit. Like-for-like fixture replacement in same location with no plumbing rerouting and no new circuits: typically exempt under 2021 IRC R105.2(2)(g). Any relocation, new fixture, new circuit, or shower-pan replacement triggers permits. | FeeAbout $1,010 for a $22,000 project, when a permit is needed | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-17 |
| Basement finish Always | Finishing or altering a basement is an alteration of the building and needs a permit. 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. | FeeAbout $1,560 for a $40,000 project | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-17 |
| Deck Depends on scope | A deck 30 in or less above grade needs no permit, attached or not, unless it is over a story below, part of an accessible route, or in a wildland-urban interface area, a flood hazard area or a critical area. A deck is exempt only if 30 inches or less above grade, not over a basement/story below, and not part of an accessible route (RMC 4-5-060 §105.2). Above 30 inches a building permit is required; guards are required at walking surfaces over 30 inches. | FeeAbout $851 for an $18,000 project, when a permit is needed | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Fence Depends on scope | A fence 6 ft or under needs no building permit, except in a flood hazard area or a critical area; a taller fence needs one. In a residential zone, a fence over 48 in within the front-yard setback, or within the setback along a side or rear street unless it meets the D.2.e criteria (decorative material set back 8 ft behind landscaping), needs a special administrative fence permit, and so does an electric or barbed-wire fence. A fence taller than 6 feet requires a building permit (or a written exemption from the Building Official); fences 6 feet and under are exempt. Front-yard setback fences are limited to 48 inches and clear-vision areas to 42 inches (RMC 4-4-040). | FeeAbout $373 for a $6,000 project, when a permit is needed | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Siding Depends on scope | Replacing non-structural siding on a house needs no permit, except in a wildland-urban interface area, a flood hazard area or a critical area. Veneer, stucco, EIFS or structural work needs a permit. Replacement of nonstructural siding on IRC structures is exempt, except for veneer, stucco, or exterior finish and insulation systems (EFIS), which require a permit. | FeeAbout $851 for an $18,000 project, when a permit is needed | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Window replacement Depends on scope | Replacing a window or door in kind needs no permit when the opening is not enlarged, no framing is altered, no egress window gets smaller, the new unit meets the energy code's U-value and safety glass is used where required, except in a flood hazard area or a critical area. In-kind window/door replacement is exempt when openings are not increased, no structural members are altered, the U-value meets the prescriptive WSEC requirement, and safety glass is provided where required. Enlarging an opening requires a permit. | FeeAbout $453 for an $8,000 project, when a permit is needed | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Flooring Depends on scope | New flooring is finish work and needs no permit, except in a flood hazard area or a critical area, in a condominium or other multiunit residential building, or when it changes required accessible features. Changing the subfloor or joists, or adding radiant heat, needs a permit. Floor finish work (carpet, tile) is exempt finish work, provided existing required accessible features are not altered. | FeeAbout $373 for a $6,000 project, when a permit is needed | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| ADU / DADU Always | An ADU or DADU always needs a building permit, and usually trade permits with it. Renton allows two accessory dwelling units (attached or detached) per legal lot (RMC 4-2-110A, Ord. 6160, 6-16-2025). Onsite owner-occupancy is not required and both units may be rented (HB 1337). Renton retained a 1,000 sq ft ADU maximum; ADU follows the residential-zone development standards (e.g., 5 ft side yard). The building plan-check fee is $0 for ADUs built through Renton's Permit-Ready ADU (PRADU) program. | FeeAbout $4,435 for a $200,000 project | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Roofing Depends on scope | In-kind reroofing of a house or duplex needs no permit when no sheathing is removed or replaced, except in a flood hazard area or a critical area. Replacing sheathing, a different roofing material, framing changes or new skylights need a permit. In-kind re-roofing of one- and two-family dwellings is exempt provided the roof sheathing is not removed or replaced; otherwise a permit is required. | FeeWhere a re-roof needs a permit in Renton, such as where the sheathing is removed or replaced, the building permit is priced on the value of the work: $44 up to $500, and $119.66 for the first $2,000 plus $22.99 for each $1,000 more up to $25,000, with plan check at 65% of the permit fee where plans are reviewed and the $6.50 state building code fee. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| HVAC Depends on scope | Installing or replacing a furnace, heat pump, air conditioner, ducts or gas piping needs a mechanical permit. Portable appliances need none; replacing a minor part, or a small self-contained unit (10 lb of refrigerant or less, motor 1 hp or less), needs none except in a flood hazard area or a critical area. A mechanical permit is required for fixed systems (furnace, heat pump, A/C, ducts, gas piping); portable heating/cooking/clothes-drying appliances are exempt. Emergency replacement requires an application the next business day. | FeeRenton's residential mechanical permit is a $69 base fee plus $28 for each heating or cooling system, boiler or compressor, ventilation or exhaust fan, and gas piping system of up to 6 outlets; plan review, where required, is 40% of the permit fee. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Electrical Depends on scope | Electrical work needs a permit from the City of Renton, not L&I. Like-in-kind replacement in the same location is exempt for devices, fixtures and appliances rated 50 A or less, and at any rating for breakers, fuses, switch parts and the items on the 105.2(d)(xiv) list (household appliances, luminaires, receptacles, thermostats, motors of 10 hp or less and the like); so are removing wiring and telecommunication outlets in a dwelling unit. None of it is exempt in a flood hazard area or a critical area. Renton issues its own electrical permits — from the City's Building Official, not WA L&I. RMC 4-5-060 §105.1 requires anyone who intends to install, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical system to "first make application to the Building Official and obtain the required permit", and §105.1.3 requires an electrical permit, in accordance with chapter 19.28 RCW, for "The installation, alteration, repair, replacement, modification or maintenance of all electrical systems, wire and electrical equipment regardless of voltage." Renton adopts the Washington Cities Electrical Code as the Renton Electrical Code (RMC 4-5-040). Exempt under RMC 4-5-060 §105.2 (Electrical): like-in-kind repair or replacement in the same location of fixed motors, transformers, appliances and devices rated 50 amps or less, of current-carrying parts of switches and control devices, of plugs and receptacles rated 50 amps or less, and of overcurrent devices; like-in-kind replacement of a circuit breaker, fuse, residential luminaire, lamp, snap switch, dimmer, receptacle outlet, thermostat, heating element or household appliance; portable cord-and-plug equipment; temporary decorative lighting for up to 90 days; and removal of electrical wiring. | FeeElectrical permit fees are the City of Renton's, set by the fee schedule adopted under RMC 4-5-060 §109.2 — not an L&I fee. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-25 |
| Plumbing Depends on scope | Leak repairs, clearing stoppages and replacing a prefabricated fixture without replacing or moving any valve or pipe need no permit, except in a flood hazard area or a critical area. A site-built tiled tub or shower, a water heater, new or moved fixtures, new or rearranged piping, a replaced valve, or replacing concealed pipe needs a permit. New or rearranged piping requires a plumbing permit; stopping/repairing leaks and clearing stoppages are exempt, but removing and replacing a defective concealed trap, drain, water, soil, waste, or vent pipe is "new work" requiring a permit. | FeeRenton's residential plumbing permit is a $69 base fee plus $12 for each fixture or set of fixtures on one trap, $12 for the water service from meter to house, $12 a fixture for repairing or altering drain or vent piping, and $28 for each gas piping system of up to 6 outlets; plan review, where required, is 40% of the permit fee. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Addition Always | An addition enlarges the building and needs a permit. Additions always require a building permit — they are expressly excluded from "ordinary repairs" (RMC 4-5-060 §105.2.2). Work started without a permit is subject to a special investigation fee equal to twice the permit fee. | FeeAbout $3,164 for a $120,000 project | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Solar (rooftop PV) Always | A solar PV system needs an electrical permit from the City of Renton. A rooftop system on a house, ADU or unit-lot townhome that meets every criterion of RMC 4-5-060 105.2(c)(xxi) needs no building permit. | FeeRenton's fee for a residential photovoltaic solar panel system is a $143 review fee plus a $222 permit fee in 2026, with the City's 5% technology surcharge on top (Fee Schedule 2025-2026). | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-10-02 |
| Heat pump Depends on scope | Installing or replacing a heat pump needs a mechanical permit and a City of Renton electrical permit. A portable unit needs none; a minor part replacement, or a small self-contained unit (10 lb of refrigerant or less, motor 1 hp or less), needs none except in a flood hazard area or a critical area. | FeeRenton's residential mechanical permit is a $69 base fee plus $28 for each heating system, a heat pump included, in 2026. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-10-02 |
Ancillary & non-building permits
| Project | Threshold | Fee | Review days | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demolition Always | Demolishing a building or structure needs a permit. 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. | FeeRenton prices a demolition permit on the same table as a building permit, by the value of the demolition work: $44 up to $500, and $119.66 for the first $2,000 plus $22.99 for each $1,000 more up to $25,000; plan check is 65% of the demolition permit fee. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-10-02 |
| Right-of-way Always | Any work in or occupation of the public right of way needs a right-of-way permit from the city, or from the agency that owns the street. Renton requires a Right-of-Way Permit "for any activity or private use of the public right of way", including construction, excavation, sidewalk cafes, street eateries and oversize loads (City of Renton, Right-of-Way Permit page). RMC 9-10-1 makes it unlawful to "construct, cut up, dig up, undermine, break, excavate, tunnel or in any way disturb or obstruct any street, alley or any street pavement, street curb, sidewalk, driveway or improvement in the City without first having obtained written permission", and under RMC 9-10-2 the Department of Community and Economic Development issues the permit on a written application with a plat or sketch drawn to scale and a performance bond. Renton sets the permit type by how long the right of way will be used: short-term under 30 days, short-term from 30 days to 1 year, and long-term over 1 year. | FeeRight-of-way permit fees are in the Renton fee schedule; once the application meets City standards, the City emails the permit fee and any remaining documents for issuance. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-25 |
| Side sewer Always | A new side-sewer connection needs a permit from the utility that owns the main; many utilities also require one for any repair, however short, and for capping. The side-sewer permit comes from the utility that owns the sewer main (the city, a sewer or water district, or a regional utility), under that utility's own code. 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. The utility's code, not a statewide rule, decides which work needs the permit: a new connection does, and many utility codes also require it for any repair, however short, and for capping or disconnecting a side sewer, so check that code before digging. WAC 51-56, the state plumbing code, governs how the building sewer is laid. | FeeSet by the sewer utility that serves the lot. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-17 |
| 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. | FeeRenton's storm water system development charge is $2,350 for a new house or ADU, and $0.94 a square foot, up to $2,350, for an addition over 500 square feet. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-17 |
| 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). | FeeRenton's variance is $1,584 for each variance requested, decided administratively or by the Hearing Examiner; an administrative conditional use permit is $1,914 and a Hearing Examiner one $3,944, an administrative site plan $3,221, a waiver or modification of a code requirement $308 a request, and a zoning compliance letter $574. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-05-17 |
| Tree removal Depends on scope | In Renton a significant tree is 6 in or more at 4.5 ft, an alder or cottonwood 8 in. On a lot with a building, the owner may remove 2 significant trees a year and no more than 5 in five years with no permit, as long as the tree is not a landmark tree and not one of the last two significant trees on the lot. Beyond that, a landmark tree (24 in, or 30 in for a bigleaf maple, black cottonwood or red alder) and any tree work on an undeveloped lot need a routine vegetation management permit. No tree may come down in a critical area, a shoreline buffer or a native growth protection area except as the critical area or shoreline rules allow. A smaller tree elsewhere needs no permit. A tree in the street right-of-way is a street tree. Removing a tree on a lot in Renton turns on its caliper, the trunk diameter 4.5 ft above the ground on the uphill side (RMC 4-11-030). A significant tree is 6 in or more, an alder or cottonwood 8 in; a tree an arborist with the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification certifies as high-risk is not one (RMC 4-11-200). With no land development permit active or applied for on the site, up to 2 significant trees may come down in a one-year period, and no more than 5 in five years, with no permit, as long as the tree is not a protected or landmark tree, is not within 10 ft of a surface parking lot of 10 or more spaces and is not one of the last two significant trees on the lot (RMC 4-4-130 C9). Cutting more than that needs a routine vegetation management permit (RMC 4-4-130 F2b), and so do any tree work on an undeveloped lot (F2a) and removing a landmark tree: 24 in or more, 30 in for a bigleaf maple, black cottonwood or red alder (RMC 4-4-130 F2c, 4-11-200). Up to three certified high-risk trees a year may come down with no permit; more, or a high-risk landmark tree, need one (RMC 4-4-130 C2). No tree may come down in a critical area, a shoreline buffer or a native growth protection area except as the critical area and shoreline rules allow (RMC 4-4-130 D3, D4). A tree in the street right-of-way is a street tree, and removing or pruning one needs a City permit (RMC 9-13-5). | FeeRenton's routine vegetation management permit, outside critical areas, is $128; a critical areas permit is $1,499, and a contract biologist's review of impacts to a critical area is billed at its full cost. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-08-11 |
| Signs Always | A Building Official sign permit is needed to put up or alter a sign; repainting, copy changes and the small signs on the City's exception list need none. Renton requires a sign permit from the Building Official to erect, re-erect, construct or alter any sign (RMC 4-4-100B1), with a separate permit for each business or each group of signs on one supporting structure, and an electrical permit for an electric sign (RMC 4-4-100B2). No sign permit is needed for repainting or cleaning a sign, or changing its copy, unless a structural or electrical change is made (inside City Center a new sign face does need one), for one unlit wall sign of 2 square feet or less, for political signs under 32 square feet, or for open-house and construction signs, among the other exceptions in RMC 4-4-100B6. | FeeRenton's permanent sign permit is $337, for a roof, projecting, awning, canopy, marquee or wall sign and for a freestanding ground or pole sign; a lit sign also needs a City electrical permit, $222 a sign. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-10-24 |
Building in the City of Renton?
Kolmo Construction is a licensed Washington general contractor — KOLMOL*753JS, bonded and insured — working throughout the City of Renton and King County. We pull the building permits listed above and build the project. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work, and those permits, go to licensed trade subcontractors that Kolmo manages.
How this page is built
Each row is the most-recently-verified authoritative rule on file for the City of Renton and the listed project type.
See the data-quality leaderboard for how we keep these current, or run an address-specific lookup on the main permits page.