City of Edmonds, WA

Common application types

• Single Family Residential - New
• Residential Addition/Remodel/Alteration
• Accessory Dwelling Unit
• Garage / Accessory Structure
• Residential Decks
• Retaining Walls
• Tenant Improvement
• Change of Use
• Pre-Application Meeting
• Conditional Use Permit

New homes and additions

New single-family submittals include architectural plans at 1/4 inch scale, a separate site plan at 1 inch = 20 feet with lot coverage, height calculations and 2-foot topography, structural engineering for non-prescriptive designs, and WSEC energy credit, air leakage and EV-ready circuit information. A Critical Areas Determination from Planning must be on file, and a geotechnical report is required when soils won't support conventional footings, when slopes exceed 15 percent, or when the Building Official requires one. A drainage report with the applicable stormwater addendum checklist (2,000 or 5,000 square feet of hard surface), an erosion control plan and, where trees are affected, a tree plan with arborist report are also required.

ADUs and middle housing

Edmonds allows up to two ADUs per principal dwelling on all residential lots, attached or detached in any combination, under code effective July 3, 2025; maximum size is 1,000 square feet in LDR-S and 1,200 square feet in LDR-M and LDR-L zones. The first ADU needs no additional parking and a second ADU needs one off-street space, with no parking required within a half mile of a major transit stop. The City Council adopted the Middle Housing Ordinance on June 24, 2025, effective July 2, 2025, allowing middle housing types such as duplexes, triplexes and cottage homes in the LDR zone. The LDR zone replaced the former RS zones, with LDR-S, LDR-M and LDR-L subzones. Edmonds also runs a Pre-Approved DADU Plan Program.

Decks, retaining walls and accessory structures

Uncovered decks not more than 30 inches above grade, not over a basement or story below and not within a critical area are exempt, as are single-family accessory structures up to 200 square feet (12 inch maximum eave, 15 foot maximum height; garages and carports excluded) and retaining walls 4 feet or less that do not support a surcharge. Retaining walls over 4 feet or supporting a surcharge require design by a Washington-licensed engineer, and exemptions do not waive land use, zoning or engineering approvals or apply in landslide hazard or critical areas.

Commercial tenant improvements and change of use

A building permit is required to remodel or alter a commercial tenant space, and a change of use or occupancy requires a building permit even when no alterations are made. Plans stamped by a Washington-licensed architect or engineer are required when the project exceeds 4,000 square feet or affects life-safety or structural systems. The City's TI handout states review typically takes 15 to 20 business days, depending on plan quality.

Land use review

Conditional use permits may be Type II decisions made administratively by staff, or Type III-A and III-B decisions made by the Hearing Examiner after a public hearing. The City offers a formal Pre-Application Meeting, highly encouraged for major projects, with Building, Planning, Engineering and Fire staff providing written comments, and a free informal Development Review Committee (DRC) meeting for early ideas. Both are requested through MyBuildingPermit.com.

Corrections and review

Only complete applications are accepted for review, and the owner or design professional is responsible for checking completeness before submittal. The City's TI handout cites a typical 15 to 20 business day review; no general correction or resubmittal timeline was found on the pages reviewed.

Tips from SASHKOV

• Do not place the site plan on the cover sheet; Edmonds requires it as a separate single page.
• If proposed height is within 12 inches of the maximum, a licensed surveyor elevation survey is required.
• Formal pre-application meetings are held Thursdays and need at least two weeks lead time, with half the fee credited toward the later permit; informal DRC meetings need at least one week.

Where to apply

Permitting authority: Planning and Development, Building Division. Online submittals: MyBuildingPermit (MBP).