JURISDICTION
City of Tacoma, WA
Tacoma's Planning and Development Services reviews building, land use and site permits. Applications are filed online, and the City publishes permit timelines, a middle housing pilot and reusable base plans for residential work.
Researched and maintained by SASHKOV · Last verified
2026-11-12
Permit stuck here? Send the correction letter or permit number.
DEPARTMENT
PORTAL
COUNTY
WORKED HERE
Not yet
LAST VERIFIED
2026-11-12
QUICK ANSWER
How to apply
Building permits are applied for online and tracked through the City's permit portal. Residential permits cover up to six units, with separate types for new residential construction and residential alterations. Permit services are at the Tacoma Municipal Building, 747 Market Street, third floor; walk-in hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Thursday.
Home in Tacoma
Home in Tacoma replaced the City's single-family zoning with three Urban Residential zones: UR-1, UR-2 and UR-3. In the first year, February 2025 to January 2026, permit applications in those zones rose 39 percent and proposed housing units rose 62 percent over the prior five-year average, led by townhouses, duplexes and multifamily projects.
Middle housing streamlined permitting
A City pilot running January 2026 to January 2027 targets approval within two review cycles for eligible small to mid-scale housing, with management review if a project is not approved after the second cycle. Eligible projects include buildings of up to 20 units on sites of 12,000 sq ft or less and townhouse projects using unit lot subdivision. Pre-development meetings are free for eligible projects; standard plan review and permit fees still apply.
Base plans
Tacoma reviews reusable residential designs once as base plans, so repeat builders can permit the same plan on more than one lot with less review.
Corrections and review
The City publishes current permit timelines by category. An applicant who does not respond within 180 days of being notified that action is needed, such as plan corrections, has the permit cancelled.
Tips from SASHKOV
Track the 180-day clock from the date of every corrections notice, not from the original application.
For 7 to 20 units, ask for the pilot's free pre-development meeting before design is locked.
A repeat builder with one plan should look at base plans before the second permit.
Where to apply
Permitting authority: Planning and Development Services, 747 Market Street, Tacoma. Online submittals: Tacoma Permits (Accela).
On your own or with SASHKOV
Find the rules
Read the code, zoning and checklists yourself
Researched and confirmed for your site
Prepare documents
Draw the set, or hire each consultant separately
Permit set prepared, with licensed consultants under one contract
Corrections
Answer each reviewer comment yourself
Responses prepared and resubmitted
Deadlines
Track intake, expirations and inspections
Tracked in business days from intake to issuance
Sources
Breakdowns are general information researched against the jurisdiction’s published sources on the date shown. Requirements change; confirm with the permitting authority before you commit to a design or a purchase.
Site Snapshot
What can you build here?
Before you buy or design, get a report on one parcel: what the zoning allows, what stands in the way, utilities and the permit path. Delivered within 24 hours, Monday to Friday.
Frequently Asked Questions
No published projects here yet. SASHKOV works with this jurisdiction; start a project to talk through yours.
