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  • SDCI
    • About Us
      • Message From the Director
      • Who We Are
        • Applicant Services Center
        • Construction Codes Advisory Board
        • Design Review - Program
          • Design Review - Boards & Staff
          • Design Review - Design Guidelines
          • Design Review - Design Excellence
        • Emergency Management - Landslides & Earthquakes
        • Noise Enforcement
        • Public Disclosure
        • Public Resource Center
        • Trade Licensing
      • Contact Us - Hours & Location
        • Contact Us - Phone Numbers
        • Contact Us - Director & Managers
      • Stay Connected
        • Public Meetings & Events
    • Codes
      • Changes to Code
        • Proposed Changes to Code
          • Bus Layover Facilities - What & Why
            • Bus Layover Facilities - Background
          • Electric Vehicle Readiness - What & Why
            • Electric Vehicle Readiness - Project Documents
          • Incentive Zoning Update (links to Office of Planning and Community Development's page)
          • Leaf Blower Best Practices - What & Why
            • Leaf Blower Best Practices - Project Documents
          • Reducing Single-Occupant Vehicle Trips - What & Why
            • Reducing Single-Occupant Vehicle Trips - Project Documents
          • Tree Code Update (links to Councilmember Johnson's page)
          • Unreinforced Masonry Buildings - What & Why
            • Unreinforced Masonry Buildings - Get Involved
            • Unreinforced Masonry Buildings - Project Documents
            • Unreinforced Masonry Buildings - Background
            • Unreinforced Masonry Buildings - Timeline
          • Vacant Buildings Code Updates - What & Why
            • Vacant Buildings Code Updates - Project Documents
        • Recent Changes to Code
          • 2030 Challenge Pilot - What & Why
            • 2030 Challenge Pilot - Project Documents
            • 2030 Challenge Pilot - Background
          • Code Corrections - What & Why
            • Code Corrections - Project Documents
          • Curb Ramps - What & Why
            • Curb Ramps - Project Documents
            • Curb Ramps - Background
          • Cross-Laminated Timber - What & Why
            • Cross-Laminated Timber - Background
          • Design Review Program Improvements - What & Why
            • Design Review Program Improvements - Project Documents
            • Design Review Program Improvements - Background
          • Environmentally Critical Areas Update - What & Why
            • Environmentally Critical Areas Update - Get Involved
            • Environmentally Critical Areas Update - Project Documents
            • Environmentally Critical Areas Update - Background
            • Environmentally Critical Areas Update - Timeline
          • Neighborhood Parking - What & Why
            • Neighborhood Parking - Project Documents
            • Neighborhood Parking - Background
      • Construction Code Interpretations
      • Codes We Enforce (A-Z)
        • Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code
        • Building Code
        • Buildings Unfit for Human Habitation
        • Condominium Conversions
        • Cooperative Conversion
        • Design Review Guidelines
        • Electrical Code
        • Elevator Code
        • Energy Code - Overview
          • Energy Code - Documents
          • Energy Code - Forms
          • Energy Code - Resources
        • Environmentally Critical Areas (ECA) Code
        • Existing Building Code
        • Fees
        • Fire Code
        • Floodplain Development Code
        • Fuel Gas Code
        • Grading Code
        • Housing & Building Maintenance
        • Just Cause Eviction Ordinance
        • Land Use Code
        • Marijuana Code
        • Mechanical Code
        • Mobile Homes & Parks Code
        • Noise Code
        • Plumbing Code
        • Prohibited Acts
        • Refrigeration Code
        • Rent Bidding
        • Rental Agreement Regulation
        • Rental Registration & Inspection Code
        • Residential Code
        • Seattle Green Factor
        • Shoreline Master Program
        • Side Sewer Code
        • Sign Code
        • Small Efficiency Dwelling Units
        • State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Code
        • Stormwater Code
        • Street Use Code
        • Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance
        • Tree Protection Code
        • Vacant Building Standards
        • Weeds & Vegetation Code
        • Zoning
      • Common Code Questions
        • Animal Codes
        • Construction Without a Permit
        • Deposit Returns
        • Evictions
        • Fair Housing
        • Floating Residences
        • Home Business Rules
        • Housing Cost Increases
        • Illegal Business
        • Illegal Living Units
        • Junk (Inoperable) Car & Vehicle Rules
        • Junk Storage & Illegal Dumping Rules
        • Move-In Charges
        • Noise Codes
        • Notice to Enter a Rental Unit
        • Parking and Car Storage Rules
        • Pests
        • Pets
        • Problems With Your Rental Unit
        • Property Line Disputes
        • Rental Agreements
        • Short-Term Rentals
        • Tenant Relocation
        • Vacant Buildings
        • Weeds & Overgrown Vegetation
      • Licensing & Registration
        • Gas Pipe Licensing
        • Refrigeration Licensing
        • Rental Registration & Inspection Ordinance - About RRIO
          • Rental Registration & Inspection Ordinance - Owners & Managers
          • Rental Registration & Inspection Ordinance - Renters
          • Rental Registration & Inspection Ordinance - Inspectors
        • Side Sewer Contractor Registration
        • Steam Engineer & Boiler Fireman Licensing
      • Make a Property or Building Complaint
        • How We Respond
      • What Should I Do if I'm Cited?
      • Why Can the City Regulate How I Use My Property?
    • Inspections
      • Boiler & Pressure Vessel Inspections
      • Construction Inspections
      • Electrical Inspections
      • Elevator & Escalator Inspections
      • Furnace Inspections
      • Mechanical Inspections
      • Side Sewer Inspections
      • Sign Inspections
      • Site Development Inspections
      • Special Inspections
    • Permits
      • Changes to Your Issued Permit
        • Building Permit Renewals
        • Building Permit Revisions
        • Master Use Permit (MUP) Revisions
        • Master Use Permit Renewals
        • Shoreline Substantial Development Permit Extensions
        • Sprinkler & Shop Drawings
      • Comment on a Project
      • Common Projects
        • Accessory Dwelling Unit (Mother-in-Law Apartment)
        • Decks
        • Demolition of Housing
        • Fences
        • Garages
        • House Additions & Remodels
        • New Businesses
        • Parking - Location, Size & Number of Spots
        • Paving
        • Property Line Changes
        • Property & Building Use
        • Retaining Walls & Rockeries
        • Sheds
        • Street Food Carts or Trucks
      • Do You Need a Permit?
      • Exemptions From Code Requirements
        • ECA Steep Slope Development Relief
        • Environmentally Critical Areas Exemptions
        • Grading Season Extensions
        • Noise Variances
        • Shoreline Exemptions
        • Small Project Waiver
        • Street Improvement Exceptions
      • Forms
      • Green Building
        • Innovation Advisory Committee
        • Living Building & 2030 Challenge Pilots
        • Priority Green Expedited
        • Priority Green Facilitated
      • How Do You Get a Permit?
      • How Much Will Your Permit Cost?
      • Permits We Issue (A-Z)
        • Boiler & Pressure Vessel Permit
        • Construction Permit - Addition or Alteration
        • Construction Permit - Establishing Use
        • Construction Permit - New Building, Multifamily, Commercial, Mixed Use, or Industrial
        • Construction Permit - New Building, Single-Family Residential or Duplex
        • Construction Permit - Subject-to-Field-Inspection
        • Construction Permit - Temporary Structures & Uses
        • Curb Cut Permit
        • Demolition Permit - Building
        • Design Review - Administrative
        • Design Review - Full
        • Design Review - Streamlined
        • Earthquake Home Retrofit Permit
        • Electrical Permit
        • Elevator & Escalator Permit
        • Emergency Repair Permit
        • Fire Alarm Permit
        • Grading Permit
        • Land Use / Master Use Permit - Conditional Use
        • Land Use / Master Use Permit - Environmentally Critical Areas (ECA)
        • Land Use / Master Use Permit - Overview of MUP
        • Land Use / Master Use Permit - Plat
        • Land Use / Master Use Permit - Rezone
        • Land Use / Master Use Permit - Shoreline
        • Land Use / Master Use Permit - State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA)
        • Land Use / Master Use Permit - Land Use Variance
        • Mechanical Permit
        • Phased Permit
        • Refrigeration Permit
        • Re-Roof Permit
        • Residential Deconstruction
        • Side Sewer Permit
        • Sign, Awning, & Billboard Permit
        • Tenant Improvement Permit (Blanket)
        • Tree & Vegetation Removal
      • Resolve a Permit Disagreement
    • Renting
    • Resources
      • Boiler Refresher Training
      • Can't Find It?
      • Find Trade Licenses
      • Geotechnical (Soils) Reports
      • How to Appeal a Decision
      • Issued Building Permit Stats
      • Make A Payment
      • Opinion Letters
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      • Property & Building Activity
      • Public Maps
      • Register My Property
      • Send Us A Question
      • Send Us Your Files
      • Translated Information
      • What's Happening in Your Neighborhood
      • Wind Load Factors
      • Zoning Map Books
      • Zoning Verification Letters
    • The Vault
      • 35th Avenue Business Districts - Accomplishments
        • 35th Avenue Business Districts - Documents
      • Code Corrections - Accomplishments
        • Code Corrections - Documents
      • Construction & Demolition Waste - Accomplishments
        • Construction & Demolition Waste - Documents
      • Developing Small Single-Family Lots - Accomplishments
        • Developing Small Single-Family Lots - Documents
      • Living Building Project Update - Accomplishments
        • Living Building Project Update - Documents
      • Low Impact Development - Accomplishments
        • Low Impact Development - Documents
      • Lowrise Multifamily Code Corrections - Accomplishments
        • Lowrise Multifamily Code Corrections - Documents
      • Marijuana Zoning Restrictions - Accomplishments
        • Marijuana Zoning Restrictions - Documents
      • Micro-Housing - Accomplishments
        • Micro-Housing - Documents
      • Minimun Density - Accomplishments
        • Minimun Density - Documents
      • Seattle Green Factor - Accomplishments
        • Seattle Green Factor - Documents
      • Shoreline Master Program Code Update - Accomplishments
        • Shoreline Master Program Code Update - Documents
      • Stormwater Codes and Rules Update - Accomplishments
        • Stormwater Codes and Rules Update - Documents
      • Transitional Encampments - Accomplishments
        • Transitional Encampments - Documents
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    • About Us
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    Codes

    Common Code Questions

    What if I build without a permit?

    What if my neighbor has a vacant building?

    What are the rules for deposit returns?

    See more answers to common code questions about:

    • Construction Without a Permit
    • Floating Residences
    • Illegal Living Units
    • Noise
    • Parking & Car Storage Rules
    • Property Line Disputes
    • Problems With Your Rental Unit
    • Weeds & Overgrown Vegetation

    See all Common Code Questions
    See also Common Projects

    Codes We Enforce

    • Building Code
    • Electrical Code
    • Energy Code
    • Fire Code
    • Housing & Building Maintenance Code
    • Land Use Code
    • Mechanical Code
    • Residential Code

    See all Codes We Enforce (A-Z)
    See the Codes Archive

    What Do You Want To Do?

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    Dig Deeper

    Changes to Code

    Construction Code Interpretations

    Director's Rules

    Exemptions from Code Requirements

    Find Tips

    How We Respond

    Licensing & Registration

    What Should I Do If I'm Cited

    Why Can the City Regulate How I Use My Property

    Still Need Help?

    Ask Us

    Call us at (206) 615-0808

    Visit an Inspector or Landlord / Tenant Specialist
    Appointments are preferred.
    700 Fifth Ave., 19th floor

    Phone and Office Hours
    M, Th, F: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
    T, W: 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

    Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections

    Address: 700 5th Ave, Suite 2000, Seattle, WA, 98124
    Mailing Address: P.O. Box 34019, Seattle, WA, 98124-4019
    Phone: 206-684-8600

    City-Wide Information

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    • Open Data Portal
    • Public Information Requests
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    Top Requests

    1. Apply for a Permit
    2. Make a Complaint
    3. Learn About Rental Rules
    4. Schedule an Inspection
    5. Proposed Changes to Code

    The Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections (SDCI) includes permitting, construction inspections, code compliance and tenant protections, and rental housing registration and inspections.

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