Window replacement permits in Seattle: fees, timeline & requirements (2026)
Everything you need to know about pulling a window replacement 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, cited to Seattle's source.
When does a window replacement need a permit in Seattle?
Seattle's code has no window exemption of its own. Replacing windows needs no building permit only as minor work: all minor work on the house worth $6,000 or less in any six months, this job included, in the same openings, with nothing loadbearing changed and no smaller escape window. Over $6,000 in six months, or a new or enlarged opening, needs a permit. In a special flood hazard area, or on a parcel with an environmentally critical area, even the exempt work needs floodplain development approval or the Director's approval of an exemption.
How Seattle adopted this rule
The threshold comes from the state code (WAC 51.51), which Seattle adopts by reference in the provision quoted below.
“Seattle Residential Code 2021 International Residential Code, Chapters 2 through 10, 12 through 24, 29, and 44 and Appendices AF, AQ, and AT Chapters 1 and 44, in Attachment I to this ordinance”Source ↗verified 2026-10-02
Required submittals
- If structural change: header schedule, structural detail, NFRC sticker
Inspection sequence
- Rough-opening (if structural)
- Final (if permit required)
Contractor specialties needed
General contractor
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 window replacement 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 window replacement quote.
Notes & caveats
WSEC R402.4 requires replacement windows U-factor ≤0.30 (zone 4C). Egress (IRC R310) preserved on sleeping-room windows.
Window replacement permit fee estimate in Seattle
Worked example for an $8,000 window replacement project (building permit). Your actual fee scales with project valuation.
| Building permit fee | $437 |
| Plan review | $174.80 |
| Technology surcharge | $30.59 |
| WA state surcharge | $6.50 |
| Estimated total | $648.89 |
Where window work (a new or enlarged opening, for example) needs an SDCI permit, it is a value-based building permit, usually subject to field inspection. 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. The smallest such permit is $292 plus $116.75 for plan review. 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). 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 window replacement 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.
- 2. Assemble submittals: what Required submittals above lists.
- 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 $649 for an $8,000 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
Window replacement permits in Seattle — FAQ
When does a window replacement need a permit in Seattle?
Seattle's code has no window exemption of its own. Replacing windows needs no building permit only as minor work: all minor work on the house worth $6,000 or less in any six months, this job included, in the same openings, with nothing loadbearing changed and no smaller escape window. Over $6,000 in six months, or a new or enlarged opening, needs a permit. In a special flood hazard area, or on a parcel with an environmentally critical area, even the exempt work needs floodplain development approval or the Director's approval of an exemption.
How much does a window replacement permit cost in Seattle?
For a $8,000 window replacement project, the estimated Seattle permit fee is about $648.89 (building fee $437 + plan review $174.80 + surcharges) from Seattle's adopted fee schedule. Land use, fire and engineering review, intake, impact and utility fees, where they apply, are charged separately.