Bathroom remodel permits in Seattle: fees, timeline & requirements (2026)
Everything you need to know about pulling a bathroom remodel permit in Seattle, Washington — when one is required, what it costs, how long review takes, what documents are required, and which inspections you can expect. Cited to Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections (SDCI).
Free lookup, no account needed — the office that issues the permit at your address, the mapped areas on the lot, and a layout of the room, cited to Seattle's source.
When does a bathroom remodel need a permit in Seattle?
Like-for-like fixture replacement in same location with no plumbing rerouting and no new circuits is sometimes exempt; any relocation, new fixture, or circuit change triggers permits.
How Seattle adopted this rule
The threshold comes from the state code (WAC 51.56), which Seattle adopts by reference in the provision quoted below.
“The Seattle Plumbing Code consists of: (1) all of chapter 51-56 of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) in effect on March 15, 2024, except Sections 51-56-008 and 51-56-0100; (2) amendments and additions to chapter 51-56 WAC adopted by the City Council by ordinance; and (3) Chapter 1, which is composed of all local provisions.”Source ↗verified 2026-04-26
Required submittals
- Floor plan w/ fixture locations
- Plumbing diagram
- Electrical layout
- Waterproofing detail at tub/shower
Inspection sequence
- Rough-in (electrical/plumbing/mechanical)
- Shower-pan/waterproofing
- Insulation if walls opened
- Drywall
- Final
Contractor specialties needed
General contractor · Electrician (journey-level 01 or residential 02) · Plumber
Who can do this work in Seattle?
Kolmo Construction is a licensed Washington general contractor — KOLMOL*753JS, active through April 10, 2027, bonded and insured — working throughout Seattle and King County. Kolmo prepares the drawings and submittals, files the bathroom remodel permit with Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections (SDCI), carries the project through review and inspections, and performs the construction. Call (206) 410-5100 for a Seattle bathroom remodel quote.
Notes & caveats
Construction Subject-to-Field-Inspection + electrical + plumbing + mechanical (exhaust fan circuit + venting). Tile waterproofing inspection required. GFCI/AFCI per WA-amended NEC.
Bathroom remodel permit fee estimate in Seattle
Worked example for a $22,000 bathroom remodel project (building permit). Your actual fee scales with project valuation.
| Building permit fee | $661 |
| Plan review | $264.40 |
| Technology surcharge | $46.27 |
| WA state surcharge | $6.50 |
| Estimated total | $978.17 |
Where a bathroom remodel needs an SDCI permit, it is usually a subject-to-field-inspection permit unless the structure changes. SDCI prices the building permit on the value of the work through its Development Fee Index: $325 for the first $1,000, plus $1.60 for each $100 more to $25,000 ($709 there), $1.55 per $100 to $50,000 ($1,096.50), $1.50 per $100 to $75,000 ($1,471.50) and $1.40 per $100 to $100,000. A subject-to-field-inspection permit, SDCI's simpler path with no full plan review, is 100% of the index plus a plan review fee of 40% (minimum $116.75), and the permit fee is due at application. A 5% technology fee is added to every SDCI fee, and the state building code fee is $6.50 on a residential permit (SMC 22.900; RCW 19.27.085). A $30,000 remodel comes to about $1,163. SDCI, not L&I, issues the electrical permit: $26.28 for each new or altered branch circuit up to 25 amps and $43.80 for 30 to 50 amps, plus a $55.48 administrative fee, minimum $105.12. Plumbing and gas piping permits come from Public Health – Seattle & King County, which sets and collects their fees. Computed from Seattle's adopted fee schedule · source ↗. Land use, fire and engineering review, intake, impact and utility fees, where they apply, are charged separately.
How to apply yourself
- 1. Check who issues the permit. Run an address lookup for your bathroom remodel in Seattle — we'll confirm which office issues the permit at that address and whether the lot is in a critical area or a flood hazard area, which Seattle's rule turns on; you can lay out the room there too.
- 2. Assemble submittals: the 4 documents under Required submittals above.
- 3. Submit through the city portal: Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections (SDCI) ↗
- 4. Track review. Respond to reviewer comments promptly.
- 5. Pay issuance fees (about $978 for a $22,000 project) and pick up the permit. Inspection card travels with the job.
Or have Kolmo do it
Kolmo prepares the drawings and submittals, files with Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections (SDCI), handles reviewer comments, and builds the project.
Licensed WA general contractor KOLMOL*753JS · bonded & insured
Bathroom remodel permits in Seattle — FAQ
When does a bathroom remodel need a permit in Seattle?
Like-for-like fixture replacement in same location with no plumbing rerouting and no new circuits is sometimes exempt; any relocation, new fixture, or circuit change triggers permits.
How much does a bathroom remodel permit cost in Seattle?
For a $22,000 bathroom remodel project, the estimated Seattle permit fee is about $978.17 (building fee $661 + plan review $264.40 + surcharges) from Seattle's adopted fee schedule. Land use, fire and engineering review, intake, impact and utility fees, where they apply, are charged separately.