deck permit requirements across 10 verified Seattle-area cities
Side-by-side: which of Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Sammamish, Issaquah, Renton, Kent, Federal Way, and Mercer Island require a permit for a deck, what triggers one, what it costs, and how long review takes. Verified against each city's own page; sources cited per row.
11 of 11 cities have authoritative rules on file · 11 typically require a permit · 0 often do not.
King County
| Jurisdiction | Permit? | Threshold | Fee | Review days | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
City of Bellevue city | Yes | Bellevue follows IRC default: permit if deck >30in above grade or attached. Bellevue LUC sets setbacks by zone. | Most jurisdictions handle decks as field-inspection or simplified plan review. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | 7–14 days | Cite verified 2026-06-14 |
City of Federal Way city | Yes | A building permit is required for a deck larger than 200 sq ft, OR greater than 30 inches above the ground, OR attached to the house, OR within an environmentally critical area or buffer. Decks ≤200 sq ft and ≤30 inches above grade are exempt. | Most jurisdictions handle decks as field-inspection or simplified plan review. | — | Cite verified 2026-06-14 |
City of Issaquah city | Yes | A permit is required before any repairs, additions, or modifications to a deck more than 30 inches above grade (measured to the lowest point within 6 feet of the deck). Setbacks per IMC 18.404 by zone; decks in mapped ECA areas trigger critical-area review. | Most jurisdictions handle decks as field-inspection or simplified plan review. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | 14–28 days | Cite verified 2026-06-14 |
City of Kent city | Yes | A deck is exempt only if ≤200 sq ft, ≤30 inches above grade at any point, not attached to a dwelling, and does not serve a required exit door (IRC R311.2); otherwise a building permit is required. | Most jurisdictions handle decks as field-inspection or simplified plan review. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
City of Kirkland city | Yes | Permit required when the deck floor is more than 30 inches above grade (measured vertically to the grade below at any point within 36 inches of the outer edge). Decking-board replacement that does not change/add structural members or remove guardrails is exempt. | Most jurisdictions handle decks as field-inspection or simplified plan review. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-06-14 |
City of Mercer Island city | Yes | Permit NOT required for sidewalks, decks and driveways constructed under IRC, not more than 30in above grade and not over any basement or story below. Decking replacement on existing decks WITHOUT changing/adding structural members and WITHOUT removing guardrails is also exempt. Per the multi-jurisdiction tip sheet, the 30-inch measurement is taken vertically to the grade below at any point within 36 inches of the outer edge of the deck. Critical-area / flood-hazard exemption rule applies. | Most jurisdictions handle decks as field-inspection or simplified plan review. | — | Cite verified 2026-06-14 |
City of Redmond city | Yes | A permit is required for a deck that is attached to a structure, over 200 sq ft, or more than 30 inches above grade. A detached deck not over 200 sq ft and under 30 inches in height is exempt. | Most jurisdictions handle decks as field-inspection or simplified plan review. Apply via https://eplans.redmond.gov. | — | Cite verified 2026-06-14 |
City of Renton city | Yes | A deck is exempt only if 30 inches or less above grade, not over a basement/story below, and not part of an accessible route (RMC 4-5-060 §105.2). Above 30 inches a building permit is required; guards are required at walking surfaces over 30 inches. | Most jurisdictions handle decks as field-inspection or simplified plan review. Apply via https://permits.rentonwa.gov. | — | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
City of Sammamish city | Yes | 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. | Most jurisdictions handle decks as field-inspection or simplified plan review. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-06-14 |
City of Seattle city | Yes | Permit required if: deck >18in above grade, OR roof deck, OR in an ECA. Decks ≤18in above grade and outside ECAs are exempt. If deck >36in above grade, it counts toward lot coverage. If deck >8ft tall, has long beams, is a roof deck, or in an ECA → Construction Permit (Addition/Alteration); otherwise Subject-to-Field-Inspection. | Subject-to-Field-Inspection permits pay 40% of plan-review fee from SDCI Fee Estimator. See 2026 Fee Subtitle. | — | Cite verified 2026-06-14 |
City of Shoreline city | Yes | A construction permit is not needed for decks 30 inches or less above grade and not over a basement; above 30 inches a building permit is required. Footing inspections must be made after forms are set and steel placed but before pouring concrete. | Apply electronically via eTRAKiT (https://www.shorelinewa.gov/government/departments/planning-community-development/permit-center-remote-services/register-for-a-professional-etrakit-account). | — | Cite verified 2026-05-17 |
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 deck 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.