City of Tacoma building permits: fees, timelines & requirements (2026)
What needs a permit in the City of Tacoma 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.
18 of 23 project types have authoritative rules on file · 12 always require a permit · 11 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 Tacoma's source.
Permit department
Tacoma Planning & 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 | In Tacoma cabinets, counters, paint and tile need no permit. Replacing a sink or faucet, even in the same spot, or moving or adding plumbing needs a plumbing permit: the plumbing code exempts only clearing a stoppage or fixing a leak with nothing replaced. Gas or venting work needs a mechanical permit, new circuits an electrical permit from Tacoma Power, and moving a wall a building permit. Cabinets, countertops, painting, tiling, carpeting and similar finish work are exempt. New circuits, fixture relocation, or plumbing modifications require respective trade permits. | FeeAbout $1,653 for a $35,000 project, when a permit is needed | Review10–21 days | Cite verified 2026-04-29 |
| Bathroom remodel Depends on scope | In Tacoma tile, paint and other finish work need no permit. Replacing a toilet, sink, faucet, shower valve, tub or shower, even in the same spot, or moving or adding plumbing needs a plumbing permit: the plumbing code exempts only clearing a stoppage or fixing a leak with nothing replaced. New circuits need an electrical permit from Tacoma Power, and moving a wall needs a building permit. Tile, paint, fixture-replacement-without-relocation are exempt under "finish work". Pipe rearrangement, new circuits, or relocated fixtures require permits. | FeeAbout $1,041 for a $22,000 project, when a permit is needed | Review10–21 days | Cite verified 2026-04-29 |
| Basement finish Always | Finishing a basement into habitable space needs a building permit; egress and ceiling height are the usual review items. 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 $1,888 for a $40,000 project | Review14–30 days | Cite verified 2026-04-29 |
| Deck Depends on scope | In Tacoma a deck needs no building permit only when it is 200 sq ft or less, no more than 30 in above grade at any point, not attached to the house, and does not serve the required exit door. A deck that fails any one of these needs a building permit. Tacoma TMC 13.05: permit if deck >30in above grade or attached. Apply via Accela ACA. | FeeAbout $1,493 for an $18,000 project, when a permit is needed | Review10–21 days | Cite verified 2026-04-29 |
| Fence Depends on scope | No permit for a fence 7 ft or under with no masonry wall over 4 ft. Fences ≤7ft high are exempt. Any fence over 7ft, OR any masonry wall over 4ft, requires a building permit. Fences in critical areas/buffers may also require a critical-areas permit (TMC 13.11). Fences over 3ft within sight-triangle areas are prohibited. | FeeAbout $237 for a $6,000 project, when a permit is needed | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-04-29 |
| Siding Always | The state code exempts no siding replacement, and the local code adds no exemption: re-siding needs a permit. Patching a few boards without cutting into the wall is an ordinary repair. | FeeAbout $853 for an $18,000 project | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-10-02 |
| Window replacement Always | The state code exempts no window replacement, and the local code adds no exemption: replacing windows needs a permit. Replacing broken glass is an ordinary repair. | FeeAbout $383 for an $8,000 project | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-10-02 |
| Flooring Depends on scope | Floor finishes are exempt; subfloor, joist or radiant work needs a permit. 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 $308 for a $6,000 project, when a permit is needed | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-04-29 |
| ADU / DADU Always | An ADU or DADU always needs a building permit, and usually trade permits with it. Two ADUs per lot allowed (any lot size/width in residentially-zoned districts). Living area limited to 1,000 sqft (excluding non-living areas). Detached ADU setbacks: 5ft side property line (8ft if main entrance faces side), 15ft rear property line (no setback from alleys). Subject to standard zone height limits. | FeeAbout $7,705 for a $200,000 project | Review21–60 days | Cite verified 2026-04-29 |
| Roofing Depends on scope | Reroofing a house or duplex needs no permit when the old roofing is torn off, the new roofing weighs 2.5 lb per sq ft or less (or is a vegetated roof of the previous roof's weight where a vegetated roof was permitted before), the framing is unchanged and the building is not unreinforced masonry. An overlay, heavier roofing or framing changes need a permit. Reroofing exempt only if ALL of: existing roof coverings removed prior, new material ≤2.5 psf (or vegetated roof same weight as previously-permitted vegetated roof), no roof framing changes, building NOT unreinforced masonry. Otherwise permit required. | FeeA re-roof that is not exempt is priced as a single-family remodel combination permit: 2.81% of the value of the work, $180 at the least, with plan review at 45% of that fee; where the work qualifies as a residential remodel e-permit, it is based on the value with a $140 minimum and no plan review fee (PDS Fee Schedule Tables 8-4 and 3). | Review1–5 days | Cite verified 2026-04-29 |
| HVAC Depends on scope | Portable appliances and minor part replacements are exempt; anything fixed needs a mechanical permit. Exempt: portable heating/ventilation/cooling appliances; portable evaporative coolers; steam/hot/chilled-water piping within heating/cooling equipment regulated by code; minor part replacements that don't alter equipment approval; self-contained refrigeration systems with ≤10 lb refrigerant or ≤1 hp motors; portable-fuel-cell appliances not connected to fixed piping or power grid. | FeeTacoma prices replacing an individual mechanical unit, duct work or an exhaust fan, or gas piping in a house or duplex at 2.81% of its construction value, $190 at the least (PDS Fee Schedule Table 9-3); a mechanical e-permit is $140 with no plan review fee. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-04-29 |
| Electrical Depends on scope | Electrical work needs a permit from Tacoma Power, not the City's permit center or L&I. Like-in-kind replacement of breakers, fuses, light fixtures, lamps, switches, dimmers, outlets, thermostats, heating elements, household appliances or a motor of 10 hp or less is exempt, any number of them, as are heat cable repair and embedding a listed, factory-wired heat mat in tile grout; panel or service work is not. In Tacoma, electrical permits are issued and inspected by Tacoma Power (Tacoma Public Utilities), not WA L&I and not the City's Planning & Development Services. Tacoma's electrical code, TMC chapter 12.06A, applies "in areas served by the City, by and through its Department of Public Utilities, Light Division" (TMC 12.06A.030), and its Chief Electrical Inspector "shall, upon submission of a permit request, issue Permits for the installation or alteration of electrical wiring, devices, appliances, and equipment" (TMC 12.06A.080). The City's permit site lists Tacoma Public Utilities (TPU) Power as the agency for "All electrical permits, power service connections, and power infrastructure." TMC 12.06A.210 requires an electrical permit "for the installation, alteration, or maintenance of all electrical systems or equipment", except like-in-kind replacement of a control component, household appliance, circuit breaker, fuse, residential luminaire, lamp, snap switch, dimmer, receptacle outlet, thermostat, heating element, identical luminaire ballast, sign components where the system is not modified, or a motor of 10 horsepower or smaller; induction gate-control loops; heat cable repair; and listed heat mats embedded in tile grout. | FeeElectrical permit fees are Tacoma Power's, set in TMC 12.06A.250 — for example $89 for one to four new or altered branch circuits where the service is not modified, two inspections included — not an L&I fee. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-09-25 |
| Plumbing Depends on scope | Under the state code stopping a leak or clearing a stoppage needs no plumbing permit. Replacing anything, even a faucet or a fixture in the same spot, or the water heater, needs one, and so do new or moved fixtures and piping. Exempt: stopping leaks in drains/water/soil/waste/vent pipe; clearing stoppages; repairing leaks in pipes/valves/fixtures; removing and reinstalling water closets — provided no replacement or rearrangement of valves, pipes, or fixtures. Defective concealed-trap or drainpipe replacement = new work, permit required. | FeeTacoma prices installing, repairing, altering or replacing a plumbing fixture, water heater, piping, roof drain or backflow device in a house or duplex at 2.81% of the construction value, $190 at the least (PDS Fee Schedule Table 9-3); a plumbing e-permit is $140 with no plan review fee. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-04-29 |
| Addition Always | Adding floor area always needs a building permit. Permit required for any addition to an existing building, OR any new accessory structure ≥200 sqft. Alteration/addition <80% of building valuation = Residential Alteration (BLDRA) permit. ≥80% = Residential New Construction (BLDRN) permit (which subsumes site-development review). | FeeAbout $9,915 for a $120,000 project | Review30–90 days | Cite verified 2026-04-29 |
| Solar (rooftop PV) Always | A solar PV system needs an electrical permit from Tacoma Power, not L&I. | FeeTacoma Power's electrical permit for a PV system is $153, two inspections included (TMC 12.06A.250). | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-10-02 |
| Heat pump Depends on scope | Installing or replacing a heat pump needs a City mechanical permit, and its circuit an electrical permit from Tacoma Power; a portable unit, work on the piping inside the equipment, a minor part replacement or a self-contained unit with 10 lb of refrigerant or less or a motor of 1 hp or less does not need the mechanical permit. | FeeTacoma's fee for replacing an individual mechanical unit in a house or duplex is 2.81% of its construction value, $190 at the least (PDS Fee Schedule, Table 9-3, effective January 1, 2026); where the work qualifies as an e-permit, the mechanical permit is $140 with no plan review fee. | ReviewNot published by the city | Cite verified 2026-11-07 |
Ancillary & non-building permits
| Project | Threshold | Fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demolition Always | Demolishing a structure or a substantial part of one needs a permit; asbestos and lead notifications are separate. 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. | FeeTacoma's demolition permit for a single-family or two-family dwelling or an accessory building is $190; partial demolition is priced on the value of the work (Table 8-1) with plan review (Table 8-2), and a residential demolition e-permit is $140 with no plan review fee (Tables 8-6 and 3). | 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. | FeeTacoma's right-of-way construction permits are priced by the work (PDS Fee Schedule Table 6-1): a permanent concrete driveway up to 30 feet wide $510, removing and replacing sidewalk or curb and gutter $540 plus $4 a linear foot over 50 feet, a storm sewer connection $540, a water line or utility trench $350 for the first 100 feet, and review and inspection $210 an hour. | Cite verified 2026-05-02 |
| Side sewer Always | Where the City owns the sewer, any repair, rehabilitation, replacement or new construction of a private side sewer needs a City permit, with no minimum length; where a district owns the main, that district issues it. Where the City of Tacoma owns the sewer, all work to repair, rehabilitate, replace or construct a private side sewer needs a City permit and must meet the City's Side Sewer and Sanitary Sewer Availability Manual (TMC 12.08B.150), so any repair counts, with no minimum length. Where a sewer district owns the main, that district issues the permit under its own code, so confirm the owner of the main before applying. WAC 51-56, the state plumbing code, governs how the building sewer is laid. | FeeWhere the City owns the sewer, Tacoma's side sewer permits are priced in its right-of-way fee table (Table 6-1): a $130 sanitary sewer connection permit issuance fee, $450 for each house sewer connection to a City main, and $400 to repair a house sewer to the City main or to a septic tank, each $110 more if the contractor is to repair the street. | 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. | FeeTacoma's site development permit is $490 for minor work under 2,000 sq ft of new or replaced hard surface, under 50 cubic yards of grading and under 7,000 sq ft disturbed, and $3,000 for 2,000 to 5,000 sq ft of hard surface, 50 to 500 cubic yards or 7,000 sq ft to an acre disturbed; for a new house or an addition it is instead 65% of the building permit fee, with plan review at 45% (Tables 6-2 and 8-4). | Cite verified 2026-09-05 |
| 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). | FeeTacoma's variance for a single-family residence is $3,990, and a height variance $3,990 for a main building or $2,660 for an accessory building; a conditional use permit is $6,650 and a zoning verification letter $340. | Cite verified 2026-05-02 |
| Tree removal Depends on scope | In Tacoma removing a tree is clearing, which needs a site development permit unless TMC 2.19.030 F exempts it. On a lot with a building on it, clearing under 7,000 sq ft for property maintenance, landscaping or gardening needs none, outside critical areas, their buffers and flood hazard areas. An Oregon white oak 6 in across or more is itself a critical area: removing one, or any tree in or next to a critical area or its buffer, needs the City's critical areas review as well. Pruning is not clearing. A tree in the street right-of-way is a street tree. Removing a tree in Tacoma is clearing, and clearing needs a site development permit unless TMC 2.19.030 F exempts it (2.19.030 B.1, 2.19.020). On a lot that already has a building on it, clearing less than 7,000 sq ft for property maintenance, landscaping or gardening needs no permit (2.19.030 F.2 c), and neither does removing a hazardous tree on private property with no more than 50 cubic yards of grading on no more than 7,000 sq ft (F.12). A lot with no building on it is not developed land, so clearing there needs the permit. Neither exemption applies in a critical area governed by TMC 13.11, frequently flooded areas included (2.19.030 F, 2.19.020). An Oregon white oak (Garry oak) 6 in or more across at breast height is itself a critical area (13.11.510), so removing one needs the permit. Removing that oak, or clearing any tree in or next to a critical area or its buffer, needs the City's critical areas site review or permit as well (13.11.140). The aquifer recharge area, which covers most of the City, does not count here: its rules reach only the land uses listed in its High Impact Use Table (13.11.815 A). Pruning is normal property maintenance, not clearing (2.19.020). Taking out the roots or stump so the soil is exposed is grubbing, which counts as grading (2.19.020). A tree whose trunk stands at least partly in the public right-of-way is a street tree: planting, removing or pruning one needs a street tree permit (9.20.210 to 9.20.230), except pruning by the owner beside it of a street tree under 15 ft tall, and pruning a fruit tree (9.20.240 A). | FeeClearing that needs a site development permit in Tacoma is priced on Table 6-2: $490 for the smallest, under 7,000 sq ft disturbed and under 50 cubic yards of grading. | Cite verified 2026-10-27 |
| Signs Always | A sign permit is needed for every new permanent sign and painted wall sign; maintenance with no structural change, window signs and the other exempt signs need none. Tacoma requires a sign permit for every new permanent sign, painted wall sign and temporary off-premises advertising sign (TMC 13.06.090.I.3.a(3)). No permit is needed for copy changes on a sign built for changeable copy, for repainting, maintenance or repair done on site with no structural change, for window signs, construction signs up to 32 square feet, or professional name plates of 2 square feet or less, among the other exemptions of TMC 13.06.090.I.3.b. | FeeTacoma prices a sign permit on the sign's value (Table 8-1): $59 up to $500, $170 for the first $2,000 plus $32 for each $1,000 more up to $25,000, and $910 for the first $25,000 plus $24 for each $1,000 more up to $50,000; plan review is 65% of the permit fee, $58 at the least (Table 8-2). | Cite verified 2026-10-24 |
Review days: not published by the city for any permit in this table.
Building in the City of Tacoma?
Kolmo Construction is a licensed Washington general contractor — KOLMOL*753JS, bonded and insured — working throughout the City of Tacoma and Pierce 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 Tacoma 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.