Finishes, no. Anything inside the walls, yes.
On the Eastside, cosmetic work — paint, flooring, tile, cabinets, countertops, a new faucet in the same spot — does not need a building permit. Anything that moves a wall, a pipe, a wire or a gas line, adds space, or changes structure does. So does replacing a water heater, a tub or a shower, which surprises most people. The table below is built from the 2026 permit tip sheet that Bellevue, Kirkland, Sammamish, Issaquah, Kenmore, Bothell and Mercer Island publish together, plus each city's own permit pages.
| Project | Permit? | What decides it |
|---|---|---|
| Paint, flooring, tile, cabinets, countertops, trim | No | Finish work is exempt, as long as you are not moving plumbing, wiring or walls behind it. |
| New sink, faucet or toilet in the same place | No | Exempt when no supply or drain lines change. |
| Replacing a tub or shower | Yes | A plumbing permit is required even for a like-for-like swap — the valve and drain get inspected. |
| Moving plumbing, adding a bathroom or laundry | Yes | Plumbing permit, and a building permit if walls or floors are opened up or reframed. |
| Removing or moving a wall | Yes | Treated as an alteration. A bearing wall also needs a beam sized by an engineer. |
| New circuits, a new panel, a service upgrade | Yes | Electrical permit — issued by the city or by Washington L&I, depending on where you live. |
| Replacing a water heater or furnace | Yes | Required in every Eastside city on the shared tip sheet. In Bellevue an emergency replacement can go in first, with the permit pulled the next city work day. |
| Same-size window and door replacement | Usually no | Exempt if nothing structural changes, new glass meets the energy code, and egress and safety glazing are kept. Issaquah requires a permit regardless. |
| Re-roofing | Usually no | Tear-off and replace with the same roofing type, sheathing untouched, is exempt; an overlay is allowed up to two total layers. Bothell requires a permit for tear-off. |
| Siding replacement | Usually no | Non-structural siding is exempt. Stucco, masonry veneer and EIFS are not. |
| Deck | Depends | No permit only if it is under 30 inches above grade, under 200 sq ft, detached from the house and not serving an exit door. Replacing deck boards alone, with no new framing and the railings kept, is exempt. |
| Fence | Depends on height | No permit up to 8 ft in Bellevue and Kenmore; 7 ft in Issaquah and Redmond; 6 ft in Kirkland, Bothell and Mercer Island. Sammamish allows 8 ft only for a 32 ft run along a side or rear yard, with the neighbour's agreement. |
| Shed or playhouse | Under 200 sq ft, no | One storey, detached. In Kirkland only tool and storage sheds are exempt — any other use needs a permit at any size. |
| Retaining wall | Under 4 ft, no | Measured from the bottom of the footing, and only if it is not holding back a slope, driveway or structure above it. |
| Addition, ADU, or turning a garage or basement into living space | Yes | Building permit with full plan review, plus zoning review. See our ADU guide for the unit rules. |
Two caveats apply to every row. If the house sits in a critical area — steep slope, stream or wetland buffer, shoreline — exemptions may not apply, and clearing or grading more than a few hundred square feet can trigger a separate permit in some cities. And “no permit” never means “no code”: exempt work still has to meet the building code and zoning.
Where the Eastside cities differ
The most permissive fence limit on the list at 8 ft. Water heaters and furnaces need a permit, but a broken one can be replaced first and permitted the next work day. A remodel that does not touch structure usually gets its permit the same day, with no plan review; inspections still apply. Permits are filed through MyBuildingPermit.
Municipal code requires a permit to build, alter, repair, move or demolish a building or any electrical, mechanical or plumbing system, with a short exemption list. Fences over 6 ft need one, and only true tool sheds escape a permit.
Redmond's permit FAQ treats even minor remodels as alterations that need a permit. Fences need one above 7 ft. Redmond keeps its own work-exempt handout — anything not on it needs a permit.
Remodel applications can require a water availability certificate from the water district when the project exceeds half the assessed value or adds plumbing fixtures — worth ordering early, because it comes from the district, not the city.
The one city on the list that requires a permit for in-kind window and door replacement. On the other side of the ledger, it launched a self-certification path for detached ADUs in September 2026 that shortens plan review.
Seattle's SDCI runs its own system, with separate electrical and plumbing permits even for small jobs. Cabinets, painting and on-grade patios are exempt outside environmentally critical areas.
What a permit actually buys you
A clean sale. Buyers' inspectors and appraisers compare the house to the permit record. A bathroom or a finished basement with no permit becomes a negotiation, or a reason to walk.
An insurance claim that gets paid. When water or fire damage traces back to work that was never inspected, that is the first thing an adjuster asks about.
A second set of eyes. Framing, wiring, plumbing and insulation get inspected while the walls are still open — the only time anyone can see them.
Not doing it twice. Legalising work after the fact usually means opening finished walls and ceilings so an inspector can see what is behind them.
You do not stand in line at the city
On every project that needs one, the permit is part of our job. We check the parcel for zoning and critical areas before anything is drawn, prepare the drawings and calculations the city asks for, file the application, answer the reviewer's comments, and schedule every inspection through final sign-off. You get a copy of the approved plans and the closed permit for your records.
Review times depend on the city and the season. A water heater or simple trade permit is often issued within days; anything with plan review — an addition, a moved bearing wall, an ADU — takes weeks to months. We give you the expected timeline for your city before you sign, and build the schedule around it.
Permit questions we hear every week
Does a kitchen remodel need a permit?
Does a bathroom remodel need a permit?
Do I need a permit to replace windows?
Who pulls the permit — me or the contractor?
Is HOA approval the same as a city permit?
The previous owner did work without a permit. What now?
Where these answers come from
Checked November 2026. Codes change; we verify your parcel against the code in force on the day we submit.
- MyBuildingPermit Tip Sheet 0 — Permits Required and Not Required (June 2026)
- City of Bellevue — Work requiring permits
- City of Kirkland — Do you need a permit?
- City of Redmond — Residential permits
- City of Sammamish — Residential remodel submittal checklist (2026)
- City of Issaquah — DADU self-certification program (September 2026)
- Seattle SDCI — Do you need a permit?