plumbing 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 plumbing, what triggers one, what it costs, and how long review takes. Verified against each city's own page; sources cited per row.
16 of 16 cities have authoritative rules on file · 16 typically require a permit · 0 often do not.
King County
| Jurisdiction | Permit? | Threshold | Fee | Review days | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
City of Bellevue city | Yes | A permit is required for replacing or moving an existing hot water heater. A permit is required to install a new fixture, or move an existing fixture, where that requires installing or modifying existing water lines, drains or vents. A permit is required to move an appliance if it requires installing or modifying gas lines, water lines, drains, vents, or electrical circuits. | Plumbing permit fees by fixture count. Standard residential ~$80-$250. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-09-12 |
City of Federal Way city | Yes | Plumbing work requires a permit except minor repairs — stopping leaks in drain/water/soil/waste/vent pipe and clearing stoppages or repairing leaks in pipes, valves, or fixtures are exempt. Federal Way adopts UPC 2021. | Plumbing permit fees by fixture count. Standard residential ~$80-$250. | — | Cite verified 2026-09-12 |
City of Issaquah city | Yes | A plumbing permit is required for fixtures/lines, electric water-heater installs, and irrigation backflow devices (a separate over-the-counter plumbing permit is required before the work). The plumbing permit fee is 8% of the building permit fee. | Plumbing permit fees by fixture count. Standard residential ~$80-$250. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-09-12 |
City of Kent city | Yes | A plumbing permit is required for replacing plumbing/fixtures in the same location and for electric water-heater replacements; leak-stopping, clearing stoppages, and like-for-like water-closet reset are exempt. Typically processed within 2–3 business days. | Plumbing permit fees by fixture count. Standard residential ~$80-$250. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | 2–3 days | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
City of Kirkland city | Yes | Plumbing work (water/waste/vent piping, backflow devices, water-heater replacement, hose bibs) requires a permit. In Kirkland, plumbing permits are regulated by Public Health – Seattle & King County, not the City. | Plumbing permit fees by fixture count. Standard residential ~$80-$250. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-09-12 |
City of Mercer Island city | Yes | WAC 51-56 (2021 UPC) requires plumbing permit for installation, replacement, or relocation of any plumbing fixture, water heater, or piping. Like-for-like faucet replacement is exempt. | Plumbing permit fees by fixture count. Standard residential ~$80-$250. | — | Cite verified 2026-04-29 |
City of Redmond city | Yes | WAC 51-56 (2021 UPC) requires plumbing permit for installation, replacement, or relocation of any plumbing fixture, water heater, or piping. Like-for-like faucet replacement is exempt. | Plumbing permit fees by fixture count. Standard residential ~$80-$250. Apply via https://eplans.redmond.gov. | — | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
City of Renton city | Yes | New or rearranged piping requires a plumbing permit; stopping/repairing leaks and clearing stoppages are exempt, but removing and replacing a defective concealed trap, drain, water, soil, waste, or vent pipe is "new work" requiring a permit. | Plumbing permit fees by fixture count. Standard residential ~$80-$250. Apply via https://permits.rentonwa.gov. | — | Cite verified 2026-09-12 |
City of Sammamish city | Yes | Fixture additions/relocations and water/drain piping require a plumbing permit; stopping leaks, clearing stoppages, and removing/reinstalling water closets (without replacing valves/pipes/fixtures) are exempt. A Residential Fixture Count form is required; a Sewer Availability Certificate is required when fixtures are added. | Plumbing permit fees by fixture count. Standard residential ~$80-$250. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com. | — | Cite verified 2026-09-12 |
City of Seattle city | Yes | SDCI does NOT issue plumbing permits in Seattle — the Seattle Plumbing Code is enforced by Public Health – Seattle & King County, and plumbing permits are applied for there. Side sewer is a third authority (SPU). WAC 51-56 requires a plumbing permit for installation, replacement, or relocation; like-for-like fixture/faucet replacement in the same location is generally exempt. Separately, SDCI requires no construction permit for minor repairs or alterations costing $6,000 or less in any 6-month period — but that exemption never covers load-bearing supports, building-envelope changes, or work reducing egress, light, ventilation or fire resistance, regardless of cost. | Plumbing permit fees by fixture count. Standard residential ~$80-$250. | — | Cite verified 2026-07-27 |
City of Shoreline city | Yes | A plumbing permit is required to add, install, or replace any plumbing fixture, including water-heater replacement. Simple permits process same-day to 3 business days; an inspection is required. Permits expire after 180 days without an inspection. | Plumbing permit fees by fixture count. Standard residential ~$80-$250. Apply electronically via eTRAKiT (https://www.shorelinewa.gov/government/departments/planning-community-development/permit-center-remote-services/register-for-a-professional-etrakit-account). | 0–3 days | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
Pierce County
| Jurisdiction | Permit? | Threshold | Fee | Review days | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
City of Lakewood city | Yes | WAC 51-56 (2021 UPC) requires plumbing permit for installation, replacement, or relocation of any plumbing fixture, water heater, or piping. Like-for-like faucet replacement is exempt. | Plumbing permit fees by fixture count. Standard residential ~$80-$250. | — | Cite verified 2026-04-29 |
City of Puyallup city | Yes | WAC 51-56 (2021 UPC) requires plumbing permit for installation, replacement, or relocation of any plumbing fixture, water heater, or piping. Like-for-like faucet replacement is exempt. | Plumbing permit fees by fixture count. Standard residential ~$80-$250. | — | Cite verified 2026-04-29 |
City of Tacoma city | Yes | 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. | Plumbing permit fees by fixture count. Standard residential ~$80-$250. | — | Cite verified 2026-04-29 |
Snohomish County
| Jurisdiction | Permit? | Threshold | Fee | Review days | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
City of Everett city | Yes | WAC 51-56 (2021 UPC) requires plumbing permit for installation, replacement, or relocation of any plumbing fixture, water heater, or piping. Like-for-like faucet replacement is exempt. | Plumbing permit fees by fixture count. Standard residential ~$80-$250. | — | Cite verified 2026-09-12 |
City of Lynnwood city | Yes | WAC 51-56 (2021 UPC) requires plumbing permit for installation, replacement, or relocation of any plumbing fixture, water heater, or piping. Like-for-like faucet replacement is exempt. | Plumbing permit fees by fixture count. Standard residential ~$80-$250. | — | Cite verified 2026-04-26 |
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 plumbing 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.