Right-of-way permit requirements across 17 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, Woodinville require a permit for right-of-way work, 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.
10 of 17 cities have authoritative rules on file · 17 always require a permit · 0 depend on the scope · 0 do not.
All 17 cities. 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.
King County
| Jurisdiction | Threshold | Fee | Review days | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Always | A Residential Right of Way permit covers work in the right of way associated with existing single-family home construction or major remodels. Commercial projects, multifamily development, and plat infrastructure use the Commercial Right of Way permit instead — that one is required for hauling, parking, and staging whether or not there is construction in the right of way. Street Use permits cover non-disturbing uses (sidewalk cafes, parades, block parties, closures). | Fee: Bellevue's right-of-way use review is $661 for work at an existing house and $925 for a new one; inspection at an existing house is billed at $264 an hour with a $264 deposit, and $1,453 for a new house. A lane closure review is $397. A street cut is $101 under 100 square or linear feet and $206 for each 100 feet beyond, doubled on a street less than 60 months old (Ordinance 6879, Tables 22 to 24). Bellevue's Permit Fee Estimator (permitfeeestimator.bellevuewa.gov) totals the fees for a given scope. Apply via mybuildingpermit.com. | Review: — | Cite verified 2026-08-11 |
Always | 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. | Fee: Federal Way's right-of-way use permit, one inspection included, is $400 for an individual single-family homeowner's application and $842 for any other; a re-inspection is $369, supplemental construction inspection $188 an hour, and residential work started without a permit $827 (2026 Fee Schedule, Section Ten). | Review: — | Cite verified 2026-05-17 |
Always | 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. | Fee: Issaquah's street use permit is $3,026.38, a single-day traffic control plan $363.17, and a pavement cut $132.03 for up to 50 square feet or $198.03 up to 100 (twice that if the pavement is under 3 years old), on its Site Work and Utility Permit Fee Schedule (effective April 7, 2026); the City's technology surcharge is added (IMC 3.66.020). A new house's fee sheet adds a $1,200 refundable street use deposit. Apply via mybuildingpermit.com. | Review: — | Cite verified 2026-09-07 |
Always | 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. | Fee: — | Review: — | Cite verified 2026-09-06 |
Always | 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. | Fee: Kirkland's right-of-way permit is $188 for a basic permit and $735 for a standard one. Cutting the street adds a street cut fee: $579 for 1 to 50 square feet, $1,158 for 51 to 100, and $1,158 plus $1,158 for each 100 square feet more, with an $85 administrative fee on each. The 3.5% technology fee applies to the permit, not to the street cut fee (Public Works Fee Schedule, January 2026). Apply via mybuildingpermit.com. | Review: — | Cite verified 2026-05-29 |
Always | 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. | Fee: Mercer Island's right-of-way use permit is $257 for a miscellaneous use, $342 for underground work in an unpaved area (Type A), $513 for surface improvements (Type B) and $769 for underground work in a paved area (Type C); an encroachment agreement is $769, and further review and inspection $182 an hour (2026 Fee Schedule). | Review: — | Cite verified 2026-09-07 |
Always | A permit is required for any activity that disrupts traffic, restricts access, or modifies infrastructure within the right-of-way or utility easements, and for any private use of the public right-of-way including streets, on-street parking, and sidewalks. Work that stays entirely on private property does not require a permit — but anything protruding into the public right-of-way does, and nothing may block the sidewalk. | Fee: Redmond's right-of-way use permit is $787.84, or $207.92 for a miscellaneous use. Using the right-of-way for construction activity beyond that is $0.78 a sq ft a month, subject to excise tax. Review and inspection beyond the permit is $210.34 an hour, and extending a permit before it expires $180.02. A 4% technology surcharge applies (Right-of-Way Use Permit Fees, effective February 1, 2026). Apply through the Redmond ePermitting Service, REPS (cityofredmondwa-energovweb.tylerhost.net/apps/selfservice); plan-reviewed permits go through Plan Review Online, and the How to Apply page (redmond.gov/462/How-to-Apply) says which. | Review: 10–15 days | Cite verified 2026-08-11 |
Always | Renton requires a Right-of-Way Permit "for any activity or private use of the public right of way", including construction, excavation, sidewalk cafes, street eateries and oversize loads (City of Renton, Right-of-Way Permit page). RMC 9-10-1 makes it unlawful to "construct, cut up, dig up, undermine, break, excavate, tunnel or in any way disturb or obstruct any street, alley or any street pavement, street curb, sidewalk, driveway or improvement in the City without first having obtained written permission", and under RMC 9-10-2 the Department of Community and Economic Development issues the permit on a written application with a plat or sketch drawn to scale and a performance bond. Renton sets the permit type by how long the right of way will be used: short-term under 30 days, short-term from 30 days to 1 year, and long-term over 1 year. | Fee: — | Review: — | Cite verified 2026-09-25 |
Always | 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. | Fee: Sammamish's right-of-way construction permit (Type B review) is a $1,379 base fee for work valued under $5,000 and $1,945 at $5,000 or more; a storage pod is $1,060, a traffic control permit $1,493, and right-of-way inspection $177 an hour. The City adds a 15% technology fee to each fee (2026 Fee Schedule). Apply via mybuildingpermit.com. | Review: — | Cite verified 2026-09-06 |
Always | 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. | Fee: Where work in the street needs a Street Use permit, the Seattle Department of Transportation sets and collects its fees (SMC 15.04.074, through SMC 22.900G.020). Seattle Public Utilities' 2026 charges list SDOT's street use inspection fee at $358 (initial and final), its traffic control plan review at $358 and its arterial use fee at $260. A single-family curb cut reviewed by SDCI as a separate component is $119.50, plus the 5% technology fee (SMC 22.900C.010). | Review: — | Cite verified 2026-05-02 |
Always | 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. | Fee: Shoreline bills a right-of-way use permit at its $267 hourly rate with a 3-hour minimum ($801), and a limited right-of-way use permit with a 1-hour minimum. A 4% technology surcharge is added to the City's permit fees (SMC FEE.010). Apply electronically via eTRAKiT (shorelinewa.gov/government/departments/planning-community-development/permit-center-remote-services/register-for-a-professional-etrakit-account). | Review: — | Cite verified 2026-05-17 |
Always | Any land-disturbing work in a Woodinville street or other public right-of-way (trenching, boring, potholing, landscaping, a new or changed driveway) needs the City's Right-of-Way Permit, with plans and a traffic control plan. Woodinville requires a Right-of-Way Permit for any land-disturbing work in a public street or other public right-of-way, including trenching, boring, potholing, landscaping, and replacing or changing a driveway. The application needs plans, including a traffic control plan, and is filed through the City's Permit Portal. | Fee: A right-of-way permit in Woodinville is $669 for work in the right-of-way outside paved roads that is neither a frontage improvement nor utility work, and $3,014 for frontage improvements, plus $6.25 a lineal foot after 100 feet (2026 Fee Schedule). A full or partial street closure not covered by another permit is $308, and a street closure needs a $2 million liability insurance policy the City accepts. Apply through Woodinville's online Permit Portal (aca-prod.accela.com/woodinville/default.aspx); the Apply for a Permit Online page (woodinville.gov/347/Apply-for-a-Permit-Online) explains the account setup. | Review: — | Cite verified 2026-11-07 |
Pierce County
| Jurisdiction | Threshold | Fee | Review days | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Always | 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. | Fee: Lakewood's right-of-way permit for minor construction, parking or other non-intrusive use is $240, plus staff time over 2 hours at $120 an hour; a street opening permit, for pavement cuts, excavation and utility work in the street, is $1,200 plus staff time over 10 hours at $120 an hour, and a pavement degradation fee applies to a cut, $33.25 to $111.25 a square yard by the street's condition. Every permit application carries the City's $90 administrative base fee, mechanical permits excepted, and a 4% technology fee (2026 Fee Schedule). Apply through Lakewood's Online Permit Center (app.oncamino.com/lakewood_wa), linked with the account steps from the city's Apply for a Permit page (cityoflakewood.us/permit-center). | Review: — | Cite verified 2026-05-02 |
Always | 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. | Fee: Puyallup's off-site construction permit, for work in the right-of-way, is an $80 permit fee, plus $130 for concrete work or $110 for public utilities, a $70 open cut charge, and an inspection fee of 3% of the work's cost on the Engineering Division's cost estimate form. Where curb is required along an infill lot's frontage, it is $229.80 a linear foot with no curb and $114.90 with existing curb. Traffic control is a $40 plan review and a $50 permit (2026 Municipal Fee Schedule). Apply through Puyallup's online permit system, CityView (permits.puyallupwa.gov/Portal); the Permit Services page (puyallupwa.gov/325/Permit-Services) walks through the steps and fees. | Review: — | Cite verified 2026-09-06 |
Always | 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. | Fee: Tacoma'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. A street barricade is $74 a day for each block (Table 7). Table 1 adds the technology (5%), emergency preparedness (5%) and reserve fund (2%) surcharges, and the natural resources program (5%) on right-of-way permits. | Review: — | Cite verified 2026-05-02 |
Snohomish County
| Jurisdiction | Threshold | Fee | Review days | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Always | 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. | Fee: Everett's site work permit prices a residential concrete apron or curb cut at $25 (an asphalt apron where there is no curb and gutter, $25), and a trench in a street or alley at $1 a linear foot parallel to the right-of-way or $3 across it, $45 at the least, with plan review at 1.5% and inspection at 3% of the approved engineer's cost estimate ($20 at the least). Using the street is a separate traffic street use permit: plan review $50 plus $10 for each page after the first, a sidewalk or parking closure $75 per site per week, a lane closure $50, and a dumpster or pod $25. | Review: — | Cite verified 2026-04-26 |
Always | 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. | Fee: Lynnwood's right-of-way use permit is priced by the length of the work: underground work is $994 for the first 100 lineal feet, $319 for each 100 feet more up to 500, and $69 for each 100 feet after that; new above-ground work, or repair and replacement, is $994 for the first 100 feet and $69 for each 100 feet more. Fees are waived for utility relocation the City requests. A 2.5% technology fee is added (LMC 3.104). | Review: — | Cite verified 2026-05-02 |
How this table is built
Each row reflects the most-recently-verified authoritative rule on file for that jurisdiction and project type. “Not verified” means we have the jurisdiction in our database but haven't yet personally checked the city page for right-of-way 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.