The information on this page tries to answer many of the general questions asked at Permit Services. If you have technical questions, or need a specific answer for your project, please call us or visit us at our offices on the second floor of 3200 Cedar Street. (click here for map).
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1. When do I need a permit?
2. What is the purpose of a permit?
3. What is required for permit submittal?
4. Do I need to hire a design professional to do the plans?
5. How do I get a permit for a new house or addition?
6. What are the garage requirements?
7. How close to the property line can I build?
8. How do I get a permit for change of use?
9. Who should apply for the building permit?
10. Can I act as my own contractor?
11. Where do I go to apply for a permit?
12. How long does it take to get a building permit?
13. How much does a permit cost?
14. What do I do with my permit?
15. When is my permit no longer valid?
16. When are inspections required?
17. What does the building inspector do?
18. How should I request an inspection?
19. What do I need to know before I request an inspection?
20. How do I speak directly to an inspector?
21. Can I get electric power to the job site?
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1. When do I need a permit?
Click here for a partial list of requirements. In brief, you need a permit for most work to your property. When in doubt, call our Permit Services office at 425-257-8810. Remember: a building permit is required before any construction or work begins.
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2. What is the purpose of a building permit and what codes are applicable?
The purpose of a building permit is to determine that the proposed project meets the minimum requirements of the codes adopted in the City of Everett., to include the codes adopted in the City of Everett. All applications are first reviewed by the Planning Department for compliance with the City of Everett Zoning Code.
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3. What is required to apply for a permit?
Each type of building or project has separate permit submittal requirements which have been summarized on a checklists for permit application. The residential checklist applies to new or modified single-family residences, duplexes, townhouses and accessory structures. The commercial and multi-family checklist applies to new buildings, additions or change of use to existing buildings, with or without residential units. The tenant improvement checklist applies to improvements to existing buildings.
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4. Do I need to hire a design professional to do the plans?
The plans for most small residential projects, additions, garages and remodels can be done by the homeowner, providing that the drawings comply with the prescriptive requirements of the codes listed on the residential checklist for permit application. Residential or commercial buildings that require engineering, exceed four residential units or exceed 4000 square feet will require a licensed Washington State architect. Additionally, engineering calculations are required for single family residential plans that do not meet the prescriptive requirements for lateral bracing, have other than conventional wood frame construction, are of unusual shape, or have complex supporting structure or site conditions.
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5. How do I get a permit for a new house or addition?
a. First determine the type and size of the project.
b. Draw a sketch of what you are proposing to do to scale., including the property lines, dimensions of what your are proposing to build including dimensions to all property lines and other buildings on the site.
c. Bring your sketch to the Permit Services counter located on the second floor of the Public Services Building at 3200 Cedar St. between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
d. The staff in the Permit Services office will review your proposed project to see if it is consistent with the codes including: lot coverage, building height, setbacks, driveway width and placement, construction, etc.
e. Once the code requirements and restrictions have been determined, you can proceed prepare and submit the required construction drawings and documents.
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6. What are the garage requirements?
Size and height restrictions are part of the Zoning Code administered by the Planning Department, whom you can reach at 425-257-8731. The allowed size of a garage is determined by many factors, including: the size of your lot, the location of the proposed garage and whether you have an existing garage or other outbuildings on the site.
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7. How close to the property line can I build?
Setbacks are different in different zones. The Planning Department should be contacted to determine the setback requirements for a specific location. You can reach them by telephone at 425-257-8731. The building codes also have restrictions on property lines and construction requirements.
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8. How do I get a permit for change of use?
A change of use occurs when converting a house to an office, or when changing tenants in a building permitted for specific uses. First contact the Planning Department to see if the proposed use is allowed. If approved by planning, the building permit submittal should comply with the code requirements in the checklist for new commercial construction There may be additional requirements from fire, public works, and traffic departments in the City of Everett. A meeting can be arranged to discuss your project when you call us or visit us.
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9. Who should apply for the building permit?
If you are undertaking a do-it-yourself project, then you apply for the required permit(s). If you are hiring the work done, you have the option of having the contractor get the permit or you can get it yourself.
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10. Can I act as my own contractor?
Owner-builder is basically a situation in which the homeowner becomes the general contractor. As an owner-builder, you assume all responsibility for the overall job, which may include such things as state and federal taxes, workers compensation and other legal liabilities. Unless you are experienced in construction, it may be best to leave these matters to a contractor.
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11. Where do I go to apply for a permit?
Permit applications can be submitted to the Permit Services located on the second floor of 3200 Cedar St. The counter is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is usually available street parking throughout the day. All permit applications must be submitted before 4 p.m. This submittal deadline is in effect to allow staff adequate time to review and process submittals.
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12. How long does it take to get a building permit?
Some permits, such as miscellaneous electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits, can be issued over-the-counter when time is available. The time required to obtain permits other than the miscellaneous permits varies with the plan reviewer's workload. You can call the Permit Services Division and inquire about the approximate review time for specific types of projects.
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13. How much does a permit cost?
Permit fees vary depending on the type of construction, square footage, and/or valuation of your project. You can request a fee estimate by calling 425-257-8810. The building permit fee is only one of the required fees. Additional fees are required for plan review (for buidling permit) and other permits or fees may be required for sewer connection, water connection, traffic mitigation, etc.
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14. What do I do with my permit?
Keep your copy of the permit in a safe place. You will also be issued an inspection card, which must be displayed at the job site where it will be signed by the inspector to indicate his/her approval of the various stages of the construction. The approved plans must be on the job site and available to the inspector at the time of the various inspections.
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15. When is my permit no longer valid?
Your permit will be valid provided you begin construction within 180 days, do not suspend construction for more than 180 days, and have required inspections at least every 180 days until the project is completed, or your permit will expire. If it appears that 180 days will pass without a required inspection, a request for an extension must be made in writing prior to the expiration date, stating why it is needed. The building official may grant one extension. If you do not request an extension, the cost to re-activate a permit within one year of the expiration date will be one-half the original cost of the permit. If the expiration date is older than one year, new submittal fees apply.
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16.When are inspections required?
A general rule to remember is that before any phase of construction is concealed, an inspection is required. A list of the different types of inspections required is shown on this handout.
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17. What does the building inspector do?
The inspection card lists the inspections that must be made on your job. As the inspector approves the work at each inspection, he/she will initial the inspection card and date it. If the work is not complete or does not meet the applicable code requirements, he/she will leave a correction notice that will identify required corrections. Every phase of the job must be inspected and approved before the next part of the job is started.
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18. How should I request an inspection?
Inspection requests must be scheduled no later than 4pm for next day inspection by calling our inspection request line at 425-257-8881 and leaving a detailed voice message, as shown on this handout. Speak clearly and slowly, and spell out unusual words.
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19. What do I need to know before I request an inspection?
Minimum required information:
1. Type of inspection
2. Permit number
3. Job address
4. Contractor name
5. Owner or tenant name
Inspections will not be scheduled if required information is missing or cannot be understood.
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20. How do I speak directly to an Inspector?
Inspectors can be reached by calling our main switchboard at 425-257-8810 between the hours of 7:30 & 8:30 a.m. Inspectors can answer your speciifc jobsite questions. Individual requests for specific times can be discussed directly with the inspector, but your request may not be possible due to the number and location of inspections scheduled on the previous day. New inspection requests cannot be scheduled by talking with an inspector.
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21. Can I get electric power to the job site?
You may obtain a permit for a temporary power pole. Once the temporary power pole is in place and has been inspected and approved, you will need to contact Snohomish County PUD to connect the power.
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