Plumbing permits in Seattle, WA
A Seattle plumbing permit covers repipes, water heater replacement, fixture sets, drain and sewer work. Save your license, insurance and bond details once, then produce the completed application — plus the attachments this jurisdiction expects — in under a minute.
Who pulls the plumbing permit in Seattle
A separately licensed plumbing contractor normally pulls this permit in their own name, even when a general contractor holds the prime contract. The license number on the application must match the licence performing the work.
Where Seattle plumbing permits are reviewed
Files with
Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI)
Online portal: Seattle Services Portal
Washington State contractor registration with L&I is required.
Seattle layers its own energy and unreinforced-masonry seismic requirements on top of the state code.
Why Seattle plumbing applications get kicked back
The most common cause is no licensed plumbing sub listed, or water heater work filed without the expansion tank and T&P discharge detail. Because the application is generated from your saved shop profile and the job scope, that field is populated before it ever reaches the counter.
What a Seattle plumbing permit costs
A planning range for this trade — adjust the contract value to match the job.
Trade permits here are usually a flat fee, so value affects the adders more than the base.
Estimated Seattle permit cost
$63 – $245
Modelled range, not a quote from the Seattle building department.
- Base trade permitCharged as a fixed amount rather than a percentage of the job.$55 – $220
- Per-fixture adderCharged for each fixture, floor drain and water heater on the permit.$8 – $25
Washington adds a state building code council fee per permit.
Method: valuation-based lines follow the stepped ICC/UBC Table 1-A progression that most residential schedules are still derived from, widened to reflect how much neighboring jurisdictions differ. Confirm the exact figure with the office listed on this page before you put it in a bid.
Inspection sequence
- Rough / under-slab
- Top-out
- Final plumbing
Never cover work ahead of the inspection that covers it — a re-open is the most expensive avoidable cost on a plumbing job.
What each Seattle inspector checks, step by step →Get the Seattle plumbing permit checklist
One page covering the forms, attachments and inspection sequence Seattle plumbing crews get held up on.
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Other trades in Seattle
General guidance for Seattle plumbing contractors, not legal advice. Confirm requirements and fees with the authority having jurisdiction.