Detached ADU (DADU) Permits in Puyallup

A standalone backyard cottage with its own foundation, roof, and exterior. Maximum flexibility on layout; highest construction cost. State law bars a city maximum below 1,000 sq ft of gross floor area, except on lots with critical areas (RCW 36.70A.681).

Free lookup: your lot’s zoning and setbacks, with a detached ADU placed on it to move and turn.

Permit fees in Puyallup

Set by the Puyallup fee schedule.

Puyallup fee schedule

Puyallup prices an ADU's building permit on the value of the work: $643.75 for the first $50,000 plus $7 for each $1,000 more up to $100,000, and $993.75 for the first $100,000 plus $5.60 for each $1,000 more up to $500,000, with plan review added as set in the schedule's Exhibit A. Plumbing is a separate City permit: $40 to issue, and for a one- or two-family dwelling $160 with one bathroom, $200 with two and $240 with three, or $13 for each fixture altered, with plan review at 65% of the plumbing fee. Mechanical work is $40 to issue plus unit fees, such as $19.55 a furnace up to 100,000 Btu/h and $14.10 for duct work to 1 to 5 diffusers. The electrical permit comes from L&I, at L&I's fees (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 timeline

Not published by Puyallup.

What Puyallup asks for with a detached ADU

Every application (16)

Building permit application, completed and signed
Current City of Puyallup Business License
Site address
Pierce County parcel number
Site plan
Foundation plan
Floor plan
Roof + floor framing plan

The other 8

Typical building / wall section
Building elevations N/S/E/W
Glazing + door schedule (NFRC U-factor / SHGC)
Structural design notes (loads, materials, inspections)
Major materials schedule
Truss Layout and Calculations
WSEC energy compliance, prescriptive path
WSEC Compliance Form, HVAC sizing and glazing schedule (WSU forms)

From the city’s own documents: City of Puyallup — Submittal Requirements for Building Permits (September 2025), last read October 22, 2026. An address’s own page checks its lot for slopes, flood zones and critical areas.