Clark County, WA

Common application types

• New Home Construction (NHC)
• Residential Addition (ADS)
• Commercial New Construction (CMN)
• Commercial Tenant Improvement (CME)
• Commercial Move-In Only (CME)
• Pre-Application Conference (PAC)
• Short Plat, Type II
• Subdivision, Type III
• Site Plan Review, Type II
• Post Decision Review

New homes and additions

Residential plans must conform to the IRC with Washington amendments and include a plot plan, foundation and floor plans, cross sections, exterior elevations (all sides for new construction, at least two for additions and remodels), prescriptive or engineered wall bracing, floor and roof framing layouts, and Washington State Energy Code forms with heating sizing. A geotechnical report is required for mapped hazards, questionable soils or special foundations. Depending on the site, a residential stormwater plan, an erosion control plan, water and sewer or septic approvals, road approach approval and critical area reviews (shoreline, wetland, habitat, floodplain, WUI) are part of the submittal. Incomplete submittals may be rejected, with a fee if the same items are missing a second time.

ADUs and middle housing

Urban ADUs may be basement conversions, additions or new backyard buildings with a 150 sq ft minimum (CCC 40.260.020), and the owner-occupancy requirement has been removed for urban and rural ADUs. Attached rural ADUs are allowed in the RC-1, RC-2.5, R-5, R-10, R-20, AG-20, FR-40, FR-80 and AG-WL zones. Phase 1 Housing Options Study and Action Plan changes approved March 5, 2024 (Ordinances 2024-03-02 and 2024-06-04) allow ADUs, duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, townhouses and smaller single-family homes in low-density zones of the unincorporated Vancouver Urban Growth Area, with reduced minimum lot sizes and a compact lot option.

Decks, retaining walls and accessory structures

Garden sheds over 200 sq ft need a permit (any size in mobile home park or multifamily zones), and fences 7 feet or less do not. Platform or freestanding decks 30 inches or less in height that do not abut a structure are exempt. Retaining walls over 4 feet from bottom of footing to top of wall need a permit, and engineering by a Washington-registered engineer is required for all retaining walls that require a permit.

Commercial tenant improvements and change of use

A tenant improvement permit is required for all work needed for a new use or occupancy type, while a move-in only permit applies when the new tenant's use matches the previous occupancy with no construction. A site plan is needed when the proposed occupancy differs from the shell or previous TI approval, and TI plans in buildings over 4,000 sq ft must be stamped by a Washington-licensed architect or engineer.

Land use review

Type I decisions are made by staff without public notice within 21 days of a complete application. Type II (site plans, short plats) and Type II-A (conditional uses, PUDs, master plans) are staff decisions after a 15-day comment period, and Type III (subdivisions, zone changes, appeals) is decided by the Hearing Examiner after a hearing. A Pre-Application Conference is required for Type II, II-A and III and is scheduled about three weeks after the request, not to exceed 28 days. Type II decisions are due within 78 days of the fully complete date and Type III final decisions within 92 days.

Corrections and review

A Permit Technician prescreens each application and emails required corrections, then all disciplines review concurrently. Change marks arrive by email from ProjectDox and corrected documents can be uploaded once all reviews are finished; residential review time targets were not published on the reviewed pages.

Tips from SASHKOV

• Create the permit in CC LMS first without uploading plans, then email for a Permit Center appointment; an upload email follows.
• Electrical permits come from the Washington Department of Labor & Industries, not the county.
• Use MapsOnline to confirm jurisdiction; the county Fire Marshal no longer handles fire permits for Battle Ground or Ridgefield.
• A fire flow letter from the water purveyor is required for homes over 3,600 sq ft, or additions 60 percent larger than the existing home, on public water.

Where to apply

Permitting authority: Community Development, Permit Center. Online submittals: Clark County Land Management System (CC LMS) with ProjectDox ePlan Review.