Washington permit review deadlines
How long does it take to get a building permit in Washington?
Washington sorts permits by how much public process they need. A permit with no public notice gets 65 days. One with notice gets 100. One with notice and a hearing gets 170.
Since January 1, 2025, a city or county that misses its deadline may have to refund part of the fee.
See the deadlines ↓Current Washington state-level guidelines
The short answer
Under RCW 36.70B.080, a Washington city or county must issue a final decision on a project permit within 65 days if the permit needs no public notice, 100 days if it needs notice, and 170 days if it needs notice and a public hearing. The days are calendar days counted from the determination that the application is complete. Time the applicant spends answering a request for more information does not count. Since January 1, 2025, a jurisdiction that misses the deadline may have to refund up to 20% of the review fee, unless it has adopted state-listed steps to speed up review. Local governments can adjust the time limits and which permits fall in each group by ordinance.
By project type
Washington permit review deadlines.
Washington's deadlines depend on the public process a permit requires.
| Permit type | Deadline | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| No public notice required | 65 days | |
| Public notice required | 100 days | |
| Public notice and a public hearing required | 170 days |
The law speaks of project permits, and a jurisdiction can change the time limits and the permit types in each group by ordinance. Ask your city or county how it classifies building permits.
Step by step
How Washington's review clock works.
The city or county decides whether the application is complete based only on the submission requirements on its application form. Needing more studies later is not a reason to call it incomplete.
It counts calendar days.
Days between a request for information and the applicant's response do not count. Neither does a suspension the applicant asks for, or an administrative appeal.
Counties in the state's buildable lands program, and cities over 20,000 people within them, send an annual report on permit volumes and timelines to the Department of Commerce.
What this means for a review team
- Paused days only help if someone records when each request went out and came back.
- Annual reporting makes the numbers public.
- Adopting the state's listed streamlining steps is how a jurisdiction avoids refunds.
When the clock runs out
What happens when a Washington department misses the deadline.
The state Department of Commerce says a jurisdiction that misses the time periods may have to refund up to 20% of the application review fee.
A city or county that has adopted the expediting measures in RCW 36.70B.160 is not subject to the refund.
A jurisdiction that adopted at least three measures but still misses its deadlines half the time must adopt additional measures.
Faster permit approvals start with more efficient plan review.
See how your team can spend less time chasing comments, waiting on other disciplines, and tracking down the status of a review, without changing your permitting system or CDP.
Recent changes
What changed, and when.
2023
SB 5290 becomes lawMost amendments to the Local Project Review Act took effect in the summer of 2023.
January 1, 2025
The 65, 100, and 170-day time periods and the refund rule take effectCity by city
How Washington cities handle review times.
Washington's larger cities report against the state clock. Seattle also set its own targets.
Seattle
Seattle's building department set goals in October 2025: a home remodel permit should take no more than 30 days of city time, and a large apartment building no more than 180. The city posts its actual numbers next to the goals.
Read the source →Bellevue
Bellevue follows the 65, 100, and 170-day clocks and publishes a yearly report on how many decisions beat the deadline. In its 2025 report, 13 of 79 reported decisions ran over.
Read the source →Tacoma
Tacoma must decide on most permits within 65 days of a complete application, or 100 to 170 days when notice or hearings are needed, and reports its results to the state each year.
Read the source →Spokane
Spokane works under the same state time periods, with partial fee refunds possible when a deadline is missed unless the city has adopted the state's streamlining steps.
Read the source →City details come from each city's public pages as of November 12, 2026. Cities change their targets and processes often, so check the linked source for the current version.
Common questions
Washington building permit deadlines, answered.
How long does it take to get a permit in Washington?
State law gives a city or county 65, 100, or 170 days to decide, depending on whether the permit needs public notice or a hearing. The days count from when the application is determined to be complete.
What happens if a Washington city misses the deadline?
According to the state Department of Commerce, it may have to refund up to 20% of the application review fee, unless it has adopted the state's listed steps to speed up review.
Does the Washington clock count business days?
No. It counts calendar days, and it leaves out the time an applicant takes to answer a request for more information.
Can a Washington city set different deadlines?
Yes. A city or county can adopt an ordinance that changes the time limits and the permit types in each group.
How do Washington building departments keep up with these deadlines?
Three habits show up in the departments that hit the clock. They check applications for missing items in the first few days. They let building, fire, planning, and engineering review the same plans at the same time. And they track the days left on every review, so a manager can step in before a deadline passes.
Read it for yourself
Sources.
Keep exploring
Deadlines in other states.
If you review plans in Washington
Working under Washington's review clock? See how e-PlanSoft can help you hit it consistently.
Meeting a review deadline starts with a good intake process, disciplines that work together, and a clear view of every review in progress.
Book a demoSee how collaborative review works →This page summarizes public laws, rules, and city review practices in Washington as of November 12, 2026. Deadlines vary by location and permit type. These summaries are for reference, not legal advice. Check the linked sources and local requirements for the rules that apply to your project.