What does a building permit cost in Seattle?
Updated November 11, 2026 · Built from official fee schedules and city permit records
Seattle building permits cost from a few hundred dollars for small work to $10,000 or more for new houses. The fee depends almost entirely on the value of the work.
How the fee is calculated
Seattle prices building permits from the project's value. SDCI turns the value into a development fee index using Table D-1 of the 2026 Fee Subtitle (for example, $325 for the first $1,000, then $1.60 per extra $100 up to $25,000). You pay that amount once as the permit fee and once more as the plan review fee. Projects that qualify as subject to field inspection (smaller work reviewed in the field instead of in full plan review) pay only 40% of the index for plan review. Fees went up about 18% on January 1, 2026.
Fee by project value (full plan review)
| Project value | Development fee index | Permit + plan review fee |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | $325.00 | $650 |
| $10,000 | $469.00 | $938 |
| $25,000 | $709.00 | $1,418 |
| $50,000 | $1,096.50 | $2,193 |
| $100,000 | $1,821.50 | $3,643 |
| $250,000 | $2,984.00 | $5,968 |
| $500,000 | $4,859.00 | $9,718 |
| $1,000,000 | $8,359.00 | $16,718 |
Typical costs by project
| Project | Permits | Median value | Est. fee | Median wait |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New house | 878 | $381,536 | $7,948 | 159 days |
| Adu / backyard cottage | 510 | $230,846 | $5,674 | 183 days |
| Remodel or addition | 2,362 | $50,000 | $1,535 | 13 days |
| Deck or porch | 276 | $22,059 | $928 | 29 days |
More Seattle permit guides
- How long permits take in Seattle
- New house permit cost
- Remodel and addition permit cost
- ADU / DADU permit cost
- Deck permit cost
Sources
- Fees: SDCI 2026 Fee Subtitle (Table D-1 and D-2)
- Permit data: Seattle Building Permits (data.seattle.gov), permits issued November 1, 2025 to October 31, 2026. Processing time is measured from application date to issue date.
This is an independent guide built from public records. It is not affiliated with the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI). Fees change, and the city calculates your final fee when you apply; confirm the amount with the city before you budget.
Common questions
How much is a building permit in Seattle?
It depends on project value. A $100,000 project pays about $3,643 in 2026 permit and plan review fees; a $25,000 project about $1,418.
How long does a Seattle building permit take?
The median residential building permit took 62 days from application to issue over the last 12 months.