Bathroom remodel permit requirements across 16 Seattle-area cities
Side-by-side: which of Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Sammamish, Issaquah, Renton, Kent, Federal Way, Mercer Island, Shoreline, Tacoma, Lakewood, Puyallup, Everett, Lynnwood require a permit for a bathroom remodel, and what triggers one — each row quoted from the city's own code or permit page, with the source linked. Fees and review times appear where the city publishes them.
13 of 16 cities have authoritative rules on file · 0 always require a permit · 16 depend on the scope · 0 do not.
King County
| Jurisdiction | Permit? | Threshold | Fee | Review days | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
city | Depends on scope | Finish work and replacing fixtures on accessible connections need no permit; moving plumbing, replacing a tub or shower, new circuits or wall changes do. Replacing a fixture with a similar fixture in the same location does not require a permit — wash basins, toilets, bidets and laundry tubs. SHOWERS AND BATHTUBS REQUIRE PERMITS even in a like-for-like swap. Relocating fixtures, adding plumbing or electrical, or moving walls also requires one. | — | 10–21 days | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
city | Depends on scope | Tile, paint and other finish work need no permit, except in a critical area or flood hazard area. Moving plumbing, new circuits or replacing the tub or shower always needs one. Clearing stoppages and repairing leaks are exempt, but new or relocated plumbing fixtures are not on the exemption list and require a permit; finish-only work (tile) is exempt. | — | — | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
city | Depends on scope | Finish work and swapping a prefabricated fixture, tub or shower without touching valves or pipes need no permit, unless an existing accessible feature is altered; moving plumbing, replacing a faucet or other valve or a pipe, rebuilding a site-built (tiled) shower or tub, new circuits or wall changes do. Tub and shower replacement requires a permit; sink/toilet replacement without plumbing-line modification is exempt. Processed under the Single-Family Interior Remodel permit. | — | — | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
city | Depends on scope | Tile, paint and finishes need no permit. Replacing a fixture, even in the same spot, needs a plumbing permit; opening walls or floors, moving plumbing or replacing the tub or shower needs a permit; new circuits need an electrical permit from WA L&I. Replacing plumbing or fixtures in the same location without removing surfaces (gypsum, framing) is treated as minor plumbing work; opening surfaces or rearranging fixtures requires a permit. | — | — | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
city | Depends on scope | No permit for tile or paint, or a same-spot swap of a prefabricated sink, toilet, tub or shower that replaces no valves or pipes, unless existing accessible features are altered or the lot is in a flood hazard area, a critical area or its buffer, or a wildland-urban interface (WUI) location. A permit once plumbing moves, a valve or faucet is replaced, a site-built shower or tub is redone, circuits are added or walls change. Like-for-like sink/toilet swap without plumbing-line modification is exempt, but tub and shower replacement does require a permit. New/relocated fixtures or new circuits trigger a permit. KMC 21.06.215(4)(C) exempts "Reinstallation or replacement of prefabricated fixtures that do not involve or require the replacement or rearrangement of valves or pipes." None of this is exempt in a flood hazard area, a critical area or its buffer, or where the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code applies. KMC 21.06.215: "Permit exemptions shall not apply to areas of flood hazard or city land use critical areas and their required buffers, or locations subject to the construction requirements of the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code." | — | — | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
city | Depends on scope | Finish work, and swapping a prefabricated fixture without touching valves or pipes, need no permit. Moving plumbing, replacing a faucet, shower or tub valve, replacing a tub or shower or a site-built (tiled) shower, new circuits or wall changes need one, and so does finish work that alters a required accessible feature or is in a multiunit residential building (RCW 64.55). 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. | — | — | Cite verified 2026-04-29 |
city | Depends on scope | Tile, paint and other finish work need no permit, nor does pulling and resetting the same toilet. Replacing any fixture, faucet or valve, moving plumbing, replacing a tub or shower, new circuits or wall changes need permits. 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. | — | — | Cite verified 2026-10-02 |
city | 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. | — | — | Cite verified 2026-05-17 |
city | 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. | — | — | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
city | Depends on scope | Tile, paint and finishes need no permit. Replacing any fixture or faucet, even in the same spot, needs a plumbing permit from Public Health – Seattle & King County; new circuits need an SDCI electrical permit; moving walls needs a building 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. 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. | — | — | Cite verified 2026-04-26 |
city | Depends on scope | No permit for tile, paint or a same-spot fixture swap. A permit once plumbing moves, circuits are added or the tub or shower goes. A plumbing permit is required to add, install, or replace any plumbing fixture; replacing a fixture in the same location (or changing faucets) does not normally require a permit. Moving walls requires a building permit. | — | — | Cite verified 2026-05-17 |
Pierce County
| Jurisdiction | Permit? | Threshold | Fee | Review days | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
city | Depends on scope | No permit for tile, paint or a same-spot fixture swap. A permit once plumbing moves, circuits are added or the tub or shower goes. 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. | — | — | Cite verified 2026-04-29 |
city | Depends on scope | No permit for tile, paint or a same-spot fixture swap. A permit once plumbing moves, circuits are added or the tub or shower goes. 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. | — | — | Cite verified 2026-04-29 |
city | Depends on scope | No permit for tile, paint or a same-spot fixture swap. A permit once plumbing moves, circuits are added or the tub or shower goes. Tile, paint, fixture-replacement-without-relocation are exempt under "finish work". Pipe rearrangement, new circuits, or relocated fixtures require permits. | Tacoma prices a single-family or duplex remodel as one combination building, mechanical and plumbing permit (PDS Fee Schedule Table 8-4): 2.81% of valuation, minimum $180, plus plan review at 45% of that fee. Table 1 adds the Technology Program (5%), Natural Resources Program (5%) and Reserve Fund (2%) on permit and plan review fees and Emergency Preparedness (5%) on permit fees; the state building code fee is $6.50. Electrical permits are separate, issued by Tacoma Power (TMC 12.06A). | 10–21 days | Cite verified 2026-04-29 |
Snohomish County
| Jurisdiction | Permit? | Threshold | Fee | Review days | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
city | Depends on scope | No permit for tile, paint or a same-spot fixture swap. A permit once plumbing moves, circuits are added or the tub or shower goes. 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. | — | 10–21 days | Cite verified 2026-10-02 |
city | Depends on scope | No permit for tile, paint or a same-spot fixture swap. A permit once plumbing moves, circuits are added or the tub or shower goes. 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. | — | — | Cite verified 2026-10-02 |
How this table is built
Each row reflects the most-recently-verified authoritative rule on file for that jurisdiction and project type. “Pending verification” means we have the jurisdiction in our database but haven't yet personally checked the city page for bathroom remodel rules — those rows fall back to county or WA-state baselines until verified. Sources link directly to the city or county page we read on the verified-on date. See our data-quality leaderboard for how we keep these current.