City of Sammamish building permits: fees, timelines & requirements (2026)
What needs a permit in the City of Sammamish 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.
12 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 Sammamish's source.
Permit department
Sammamish Community Development
Adopted code cycles
2021 IRC w/ WA amendments · 2021 WSEC
Resources
Construction permits
| Project | Threshold | Fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen remodel Depends on scope | Finish work (cabinets, counters, tile, paint) needs no permit as long as it does not alter an existing accessible feature; replacing a faucet, moving plumbing, new circuits, gas or venting, a wall or structural change, or altering an accessible feature does. Finish work (cabinets, countertops, tile, paint) is exempt; moving walls or adding/relocating plumbing/electrical triggers a Single-Family Residential Remodel permit. A Sewer Availability Certificate is required when the project exceeds 50% of the assessed value or adds plumbing fixtures. | FeeAbout $1,570 for a $35,000 project, when a permit is needed | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Bathroom remodel Depends on scope | Finish work, and swapping a prefabricated fixture (toilet, sink, prefabricated tub or shower) in the same spot without replacing or moving any valve or pipe, need no permit; moving plumbing, a new valve, replaced pipe, replacing a site-built (tiled) tub or shower, new circuits, wall changes or altering an accessible feature do. Bathroom remodels are processed as a Single-Family Residential Remodel permit. A Sewer Availability Certificate is required when the project exceeds 50% of the assessed value or includes additional plumbing fixtures; like-for-like finish work is exempt. | FeeAbout $1,237 for a $22,000 project, when a permit is needed | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| 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 $1,678 for a $40,000 project | Cite verified 2026-10-02 |
| Deck Depends on scope | A deck 30 in or less above grade needs no permit, attached or not and at any size, unless it is over a story below, part of an accessible path, in a critical area or within the standard shoreline setback. Replacing only the decking boards needs no permit. Plans are required for new or enlarged decks. A deck is exempt only if it is ≤200 sq ft, ≤30 inches above grade at any point, not attached to a dwelling, and does not serve a required exit door (adopted 2021 WA IRC R105.2(10)). Deck repair that does not expand or change the footprint needs no site plan. | FeeAbout $1,081 for an $18,000 project, when a permit is needed | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Fence Depends on scope | A fence up to 6 ft needs no building permit unless it is in a critical area or a shoreline setback; a taller fence does. A building permit is not required for a fence 7 feet or less in height (adopted 2021 WA IRC R105.2(2), adopted by SMC 16.05.080); taller fences require a permit. Zoning height/setback limits still apply. | FeeAbout $612 for a $6,000 project, when a permit is needed | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Siding Depends on scope | Replacing non-structural siding on a house needs no permit; stucco or EIFS, or any structural work, does. | FeeAbout $1,081 for an $18,000 project, when a permit is needed | Cite verified 2026-10-02 |
| Window replacement Depends on scope | Replacing a window needs no permit when no structural member is altered, unless it is an egress (escape) window or one that must have safety glass or fall protection. | FeeAbout $690 for an $8,000 project, when a permit is needed | Cite verified 2026-10-02 |
| Flooring Depends on scope | New flooring is finish work and needs no permit as long as it does not alter an existing accessible feature; changing the subfloor or joists, adding radiant heat, or altering an accessible feature does. 2021 IRC R105.2(1)(j) exempts floor finishes (carpet, vinyl, hardwood, tile). Permit required if subfloor structure is modified, joists altered, or radiant heat installed. | FeeAbout $612 for a $6,000 project, when a permit is needed | Cite verified 2026-10-02 |
| ADU / DADU Always | An ADU or DADU always needs a building permit, and usually trade permits with it. Up to two ADUs per lot are allowed (with a detached single-family residence). A detached ADU can be a maximum of 1,000 square feet; an attached ADU can be up to 50% of the size of the single-family residence or 1,000 square feet, whichever is larger. Detached ADU height is capped at 24 ft. No additional parking is required if the property already has four or more spaces. Owner-occupancy is not required (HB 1337). | FeeAbout $4,074 for a $200,000 project | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Roofing Depends on scope | Reroofing a house in kind needs no permit if no sheathing is removed or replaced; replacing sheathing, changing the roofing material, or framing work does. | FeeWhere a re-roof needs a permit in Sammamish, the single-family re-roof permit is a $269 flat fee. | Cite verified 2026-10-02 |
| HVAC Depends on scope | Installing or replacing heating, cooling or ventilation equipment needs a mechanical permit; portable appliances, part replacements and small self-contained refrigeration units (10 lb of refrigerant or less, 1 hp or less) do not. WAC 51-52 (2021 IMC) and WAC 51-56 (2021 UPC) require mechanical permit for any equipment install, replacement, or relocation. WSEC R403 requires sizing per Manual J/S/D for new equipment. | FeeSammamish's stand-alone residential mechanical permit is a $134 flat fee for each item, such as a forced air furnace, heat pump, air handling unit, water heater or duct work only; a combination mechanical permit is $134 for up to 3 items and $45 for each more. | Cite verified 2026-10-02 |
| Electrical Depends on scope | The City of Sammamish, not L&I, issues electrical permits. Like-in-kind repairs and replacements in the same location need none when rated 50 A or less, and neither do like-in-kind breakers, lamps, luminaires and the other items on the City's list; new circuits, a panel, a new hard-wired fixture or appliance, or other wiring work does. Sammamish issues its own electrical permits — through the City's permit center and Building Division, not WA L&I. SMC 16.20.197 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." Sammamish adopts the Washington Cities Electrical Code as the Sammamish Electrical Code, administered under its Construction Administrative Code, chapter 16.20 SMC (SMC 16.05.153). Exempt under SMC 16.20.200(3) include portable cord-and-plug equipment, temporary decorative lighting for up to 90 days, and like-in-kind repair or replacement in the same location of fixed motors, 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. | FeeElectrical permit fees are the City of Sammamish's — "Building and electrical permit fees are based on the fair market value of the work" (Permit Center FAQ) — not an L&I fee. | Cite verified 2026-09-25 |
| Plumbing Depends on scope | Stopping leaks, clearing stoppages and swapping a prefabricated fixture without replacing valves or pipes need no permit; a water heater, a new or moved fixture, new or rerouted piping, replacing a valve (a faucet included) or replacing a concealed pipe does. Fixture additions/relocations and water/drain piping require a plumbing permit; stopping leaks, clearing stoppages, and removing/reinstalling water closets (without replacing valves/pipes/fixtures) are exempt. A Residential Fixture Count form is required; a Sewer Availability Certificate is required when fixtures are added. | FeeSammamish's stand-alone residential plumbing permit is a $134 flat fee for each fixture, such as a tub, shower, sink, toilet or pressure reducing valve; a combination plumbing permit is $134 for up to 3 items and $45 for each more. | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Addition Always | An addition enlarges the building and needs a permit. Single-family/duplex additions require a building permit (MBP: Building → Single-Family Residential → Structure Addition). Demolitions, pools, retaining walls, and detached structures require separate permits. A Sewer Availability Certificate is required when the project exceeds 50% of the assessed value or adds plumbing fixtures. | FeeAbout $2,761 for a $120,000 project | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Solar (rooftop PV) Always | A solar PV system needs an electrical permit from the City of Sammamish; no exemption in SMC 16.20.200 covers rooftop solar, so the mounting is reviewed under a building permit too. | FeeSammamish's electrical permit for a residential solar photovoltaic installation is a $541 flat fee, plus the City's 15% technology fee (2026 Fee Schedule). | Cite verified 2026-10-02 |
| Heat pump Depends on scope | Installing or replacing a heat pump needs a mechanical permit (and a City electrical permit); a portable unit, a part replacement, or a small self-contained unit (10 lb of refrigerant or less, 1 hp or less) does not need the mechanical permit. | FeeSammamish's stand-alone mechanical permit for a single-family heat pump is a $134 flat fee; a combination mechanical permit is $134 for up to 3 items and $45 for each one more. | Cite verified 2026-10-02 |
Review days: not published by the city for any permit in this table.
Ancillary & non-building permits
| Project | Threshold | Fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demolition Always | Demolishing a building or structure needs a permit; a $500 cleanup deposit is posted unless a new building permit is issued with it. 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. | FeeSammamish's demolition permit for a single-family house is a $261 flat fee, plus a $513 site bond, and Public Works' review of the demolition a $655 flat fee. | 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. 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. | FeeSammamish's right-of-way construction permit (Type B review) is a $1,379 base fee for work valued under $5,000 and $1,945 at $5,000 or more; a storage pod is $1,060, a traffic control permit $1,493, and right-of-way inspection $177 an hour. | Cite verified 2026-09-06 |
| 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. | Cite verified 2026-10-24 |
| 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. | FeeSammamish reviews clearing and grading twice: a minor clear and grade permit, up to 100 cubic yards, is a $267 Planning base fee and a $543 Public Works base fee. | 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 sq ft; many cities: design review only in designated districts). | FeeSammamish's zoning variance is a $5,516 base fee covering up to 20 hours, a conditional use permit $4,431 for up to 16 hours, and further planning review $273 an hour. | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
| Tree removal Depends on scope | In Sammamish removing a conifer of 8 in or more, or a broadleaf tree of 12 in or more, measured 4.5 ft above the ground, needs a permit: a healthy, noninvasive one is a significant tree and needs a tree removal permit, and a dead, diseased or invasive one of that size needs a clearing and grading permit, since the clearing code exempts only smaller trees. Any tree on a lot a mapped critical area or its buffer touches, or on an undeveloped lot, needs the clearing and grading permit. A smaller tree elsewhere needs none. A tree in the street right-of-way is a street tree. Removing a tree on a lot in Sammamish needs a permit when it is a conifer of 8 in or more, or a deciduous tree of 12 in or more, in diameter 54 in above the ground. A healthy, noninvasive one is a significant tree, which needs a tree removal permit on a lot zoned R-1 through R-18, O, NB or CB (SDC 21.03.060.F, 21.04.040); a dead, diseased or invasive one of that size needs a clearing and grading permit, since the clearing code exempts only smaller trees (SMC 16.15.050(8)). A smaller tree needs none, except on an undeveloped lot or in a critical area or its buffer, where any clearing needs the clearing and grading permit (SMC 16.15.050). The tree removal permit allows a limited number of significant trees a year by lot size, with replacement trees (SDC 21.03.060.F, J). Emergency removal of a tree posing an imminent danger needs no approval first but is documented to the City within 21 days, and a tree in the public right-of-way needs a right-of-way construction permit instead (SDC 21.03.060.E, 21.08.060.E). | FeeSammamish's tree removal permit is a $132 flat fee, plus the City's 15% technology fee. | Cite verified 2026-10-26 |
| Signs Always | Putting up or structurally altering a permanent sign generally needs a city sign permit; which small or temporary signs are exempt differs by city. Each city's own sign code, usually a chapter of its zoning or development code, decides which signs need a permit and sets their size, number and placement by zone. Putting up or structurally altering a permanent sign generally needs a city sign permit, plus an electrical permit if the sign is lit, while repainting, ordinary maintenance and copy changes generally do not. Which small or temporary signs need no permit, and up to what size, differs from city to city, so check the city's own list before ordering a sign. | FeeSammamish's sign permit is a $452 flat fee; a lit sign's electrical installation adds $89 a circuit. | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
Review days: not published by the city for any permit in this table.
Building in the City of Sammamish?
Kolmo Construction is a licensed Washington general contractor — KOLMOL*753JS, bonded and insured — working throughout the City of Sammamish 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 Sammamish 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.