What Does a Skagit County Building Permit Take for a New Home, Addition or Remodel?
Outside city limits, Skagit County Planning and Development Services (PDS) issues building permits, and every application goes in online. Inside a city limit, that city issues the permit instead. On rural land, legal water comes first, and a new home off sewer needs a septic permit from Public Health.
The fee follows the project valuation. Plan review adds 65 percent of the building permit fee, plus a state surcharge and a technology fee. Planning a house near the county seat? See how we work as a custom home builder in Mount Vernon.
Who issues building permits in Skagit County?
PDS reviews and issues building permits for unincorporated Skagit County from its office at 1800 Continental Place in Mount Vernon. Inside a city limit, the county’s zoning map shows your parcel in gray and sends you to the city. Three examples:
- Mount Vernon: the city’s Building Division performs permit reviews, building inspections and code enforcement.
- Burlington: the city’s Building Department performs plan review and inspection services.
- Anacortes: the city generally requires a building permit to build, enlarge, alter or demolish a building.
We also work in Burlington and Anacortes. For Whidbey Island itself, see our Island County building permit guide.
What work needs a Skagit County building permit?
Most buildings and structures need one. A home addition is any extension of an existing building that increases its floor area or height.
For home remodeling, the line sits at the structure and the systems. Painting, papering, tile, carpet, cabinets and countertops need no permit. Structural changes, reconfigured space and changes to electrical, plumbing or mechanical systems generally do. That includes cutting into a load-bearing wall or cutting a new or larger exterior opening.
What can you build without a permit in Skagit County?
The county’s two common examples of exempt work are:
- non-habitable structures under 200 square feet, in all zones
- uncovered decks built 30 inches or less from ground level
Its Handout #03, Construction Exempt from a Building Permit, has the full list. Exempt structures must still meet setbacks from property lines and environmental rules. Decks and covered patios otherwise go in as an Accessory Structure permit. Plan on one for a covered or higher custom deck.
Why does legal water come first?
State law (RCW 19.27.097) bars a residential building permit unless you show a legal and adequate water source. Proof can be a Department of Ecology water right or a letter from an approved purveyor like Skagit PUD.
Under Ecology rules, new exempt wells for single-family homes are now limited in most Skagit stream basins. The county’s page on the Skagit Instream Flow Rule says the closures may affect your ability to develop.
A new house also needs a Water System Evaluation from Public Health. Until the Health Officer approves the water system, PDS will not issue a permit for a plumbed structure. A well needs water quality samples: inorganic tests within 5 years and a bacteriological test within 6 months.
When does a new home need a septic permit?
A new home that will not connect to sewer needs a septic permit from Skagit County Public Health. So does an addition or remodel that requires a bigger system or a change to the existing one.
A licensed septic designer starts by digging soil test holes. The design is sized to the soil, bedroom count, home size and distance to water. The designer submits it through Civic Access. Public Health then makes a determination within 30 days of a complete application and payment.
By the county’s own figures, the 2025 average from application to design permit was about 60 days. If a wet season review is needed, usually November to April, the process may take up to 12 months.
What changes if your lot is in a flood zone?
Many Skagit County properties sit in FEMA flood zones, so check the flood map for your parcel early. In the floodplain, a home can be built if it is elevated above the Base Flood Elevation. In a floodway, the county’s answer is no.
Your permit application needs a pre-construction elevation certificate or a benchmark certification showing the required height. A construction certificate follows at the sub-floor and a final one at completion. The fee schedule also lists a $500 Flood Area Development Permit.
What design values does Skagit County use?
Skagit County has adopted the 2021 International Residential Code and the 2021 Washington State Energy Code. Its design values vary by location, shown on the county’s iMap:
- Roof snow load: 25 psf in the light yellow zone, then 30, 40 or 50 in other zones
- Wind speed: 110 mph 3-second gust (85 mph fastest-mile)
- Seismic category: D1 in every zone
- Soil bearing: 1,500 psf
- Frost depth: 12 inches
Inside a city, confirm the design values with that city.
How is a Skagit County permit fee built?
Every building permit carries two fees based on project valuation, and other charges can apply on top.
| Fee component | How the county’s schedule sets it |
|---|---|
| Building permit fee | Read from a valuation table; charged at issuance |
| Plan review fee | 65 percent of the building permit fee; charged at application |
| Decks, patios and similar permits | Valuation-based, $310 minimum where no other fee is set |
| Residential plumbing or mechanical permit | $310 base fee plus $15 per fixture, each |
| State Building Code Council surcharge | Residential: $6.50, plus $2 for each additional residential unit |
| Technology fee | 7.5 percent of the total, on every application |
| Public Health water and septic approvals | Set by the Public Health fee schedule |
| Impact fees | One-time, usually due at issuance; collected for certain other jurisdictions |
For a project valued between $100,001 and $500,000, the permit fee is $1,176.70 plus $6.68 per $1,000 over $100,000. Skagit County levies no impact fees of its own. These are the county’s published fees, not our price list.
How do you apply for a Skagit County building permit?
PDS is paperless, so applications go in electronically through the PDS Permit Portal. You pick a permit type and workclass, such as Residential and Addition. Documents must follow the county’s Electronic Document Standards.
Not sure which permit fits? The online Ask a Permit Technician form returns guidance on setbacks, building height and zoning. For complex questions, like subdividing or critical areas, the county encourages a visit to its office, where appointments are preferred.
How does a design-build contractor prepare the permit set?
We design in house or build from your architect’s drawings. We plan the energy code package and assemble the plan set and site plan. We coordinate the septic designer, and the engineer when the plans call for a stamp. The county or the city reviews the set and decides.
Our design-build process starts with the lot: legal water, septic, the flood map and the design values. We do the site development with our own equipment. We are based in Langley on South Whidbey Island and reach the Skagit Valley over the Deception Pass Bridge.
Read how we approach new custom homes in Mount Vernon. Rules change, so confirm the current requirements with the county or your city. Call or text (360) 544-9027 for a free estimate.