Applying for a permit at DDES

• Forms and application materials 
• Preferred consultants 
• Fees 

You've confirmed that your property is in unincorporated King County and that you will need a permit for your project. What's next for getting your permit at DDES?

Intake and scheduling an appointment

Intake of most building and land use permit applications at DDES is conducted by arranging an appointment through the DDES Permit Center.  See the permit center video (requires Windows Media Player*) for an overview of services.

The appointment system serves to ensure that customers do not sit in the Permit Center for long periods of time waiting to submit an application, only to find that their permit application is incomplete or, worse, that staff are not available that particular day to meet with them.

DDES recommends that intake appointments be scheduled two to four weeks in advance. To schedule an appointment, call 206-296-6797. For information about submittals that may be dropped off or mailed, see Drop-offs: Permits accepted by drop-off or mail (PDF*, 79KB).

Preparing for intake

Forms and application packages. Permit application packages are available online or to have an application packet mailed to you, call DDES customer service at 206-296-6600. Application forms also are listed by the title of the form.

Customers should carefully study application requirements before scheduling an appointment and are encouraged to take advantage of the Permit Center's limited pre-screening service prior to their actual intake appointment. During pre-screening, a DDES representative can verify that an application packet is complete. This service is offered on a first-come, first-served basis and does not require an appointment.

Pre-application meetings. Pre-application meetings are available - and are required for some permit types - to assist customers in properly submitting required documents and plans. See pre-applications for more information.

Preferred consultants

Because first-time permit applicants often are intimidated by the process of selecting a consultant to assist with permitting requirements, DDES developed the Preferred Consultant Program to offer residential permit customers the option of choosing a consultant from DDES lists of preferred consultants. Civil Engineer, Geotechnical, and Wetland Preferred Consultant lists are available. See Preferred Consultants for more information.

Fees

Go to current fee estimates and select the permit type you are interested in for a summary of estimated fees. Note that there are several factors to keep in mind when reviewing fee estimates.

*Note: To view PDFs, free software from Adobe is required.  To view the video, Windows Media Player is required; see free downloads (external links). For assistance, see helpful hints.

To request this information in alternate formats for people with disabilities, call 206-296-6600 or TTY Relay: 711.