Construction Permit - Temporary Structures & Uses
What Is It?
A temporary permit allows you to use a building or property for something different than its ordinary use for a short period of time. Learn how to get a building permit. Some common examples include:
- Temporarily installing prefabricated structures such as offices or classrooms
- Setting up tents or canopies for a farmer’s market
- Holding an event for many people in an existing commercial building
- Building temporary platforms or bleachers for a festival
The Seattle Land Use Code has rules for temporary uses; the Seattle Building Code has rules for temporary structure and occupancies.
- Tip 206, Temporary Use Permits
- Tip 306, Temporary Structure or Temporary Occupancy Permits
Some temporary permits are issued by the Seattle Fire Department. These permits include the temporary use of a building for assembly not more than once every 3 months, or the temporary installation of limited-size tents. See the Seattle Fire Department Special Events section for more information.
How Much Does It Cost?
Our fees are based on the number of temporary structures proposed and/or the duration of the proposed temporary use.All fees are subject to an additional technology fee. See our Fee Subtitle for details.
How Long Does It Take?
We try to complete the initial review for temporary permit applications in 2 weeks, though actual review time depends on the scope of work. The total time it takes to get your permit depends on how complex your project is and how many corrections, if any, you need to make to your plans. In addition, if a temporary use will exceed 4 weeks, you may need a discretionary land use permit, which can significantly lengthen the permit review time.
Steps to Get Your Permit
Get your property information. Find property information to help you plan your project.
- Tip 233, Sources for Property Information
Determine restrictions that apply to your project. Research the codes to determine allowable uses, building size limits, and construction requirements.
Start your application. Complete the Building & Land Use Pre-Application online using the Seattle Services Portal. You will need to upload a site plan and a complete legal description for your site.
- Tip 103, Site Plan Requirements
Request a pre-application site visit. You need a pre-application site visit if you will disturb more than 750 square feet of land or disturb any land on a site with an environmentally critical area. Request a pre-application site visit online through your Seattle Services Portal. You'll receive an email once we have added the pre-application site visit (PASV) fees to your project. After you have paid the fee, we will perform the inspection. You will receive a preliminary application report that will include information about your site conditions and any additional requirements.
Apply for exemptions. Learn more about exemptions from code requirements.
Coordinate with other agencies. You may need permits or approvals from other agencies. These are the most common agencies you may need to work with for your permit type:
- Seattle Fire Department
- Seattle Business Licensing
- Seattle Labor Standards – Hiring Independent Contractors
- Office of Economic Development
Prepare your plans. Plans should be to scale and easy to read. If your project includes a temporary structure that is open to the public or adjacent to areas open to the public, you will need an engineered design by a Washington State licensed structural engineer.
- Temporary Structure Permit Checklist
- Temporary Occupancy Permit Checklist
- Tip 103, Site Plan Requirements
- Tip 103B, Environmentally Critical Area Site Plan Requirements
- Tip 106, General Standards for Plans and Drawings
Attend a coaching session. If you have questions about requirements for your project, contact the Applicant Services Center for permit coaching.
Schedule an appointment. Temporary permit applications typically do not require a formal intake appointment. Contact a Temporary Permits Facilitator to set up a time to bring in your application materials. Call (206) 684-8850 to find out who the current facilitators are.
Pay fees. You pay most of all your fees when you submit your application. If you submit electronically, we will notify you when you need to pay your fees, and you may pay fees online.
Make corrections and resubmit your plans. Once all of our reviews are done, you will receive an email telling you that corrected and/or additional documents can be uploaded into your portal. Your project may require multiple correction rounds before our reviews are complete.
Pay final fees. We will notify you to pay any final fees before we issue your permit.
Print your permit and approved plan set. We will notify you when we have issued your permit and the documents are available in your Seattle Services Portal. Print the permit and approved plan set and have it on site for our inspector.
Display your permit. Place your permit in a visible location on the project site.
Get related permits. You may need to get additional permits or approvals from other departments.
Request an inspection. See the construction inspections page for when to call us and how to schedule your inspection.
Close your permit. After your project has passed its final inspection, your permit information will be archived in our electronic document management system.
Remove your temporary structure. If your permit includes a temporary structure, you will need to remove it at the end of your specified time period.