PERMIT HELP
Permits, without the run-around
Not sure your project needs a permit, or stuck mid-process? We figure out what your address requires and match you with a contractor who's done it before.
Ask five people whether your remodel needs a permit and you'll get six answers. The city says call the county, the county says check the portal, the portal wants a site plan you've never heard of. Around here, the paperwork is where good projects stall — not the framing.
We cut through it. Tell us the project and the address, and we tell you plainly whether a permit's needed, which office handles it, and what the application includes. Then we match you with a contractor who's pulled permits for this exact work, in this exact jurisdiction — what we check first before anyone joins our network.
How the match works for permit help
Permits touch almost every project we match, so we sort this out first. You describe the project; we check it against the rules for your address and tell you what needs filing and who files it. The contractor we match has permitted that kind of job there before — so the application doesn't become their learning curve.
Do I need a permit to remodel in Snohomish County?
Usually yes for structural work, electrical, plumbing, additions, and decks; usually no for paint, flooring, cabinets, countertops, and like-for-like swaps. But every city draws the line slightly differently, so we check your exact address before anyone swings a hammer. Guessing wrong in either direction is expensive.
The general pattern, with that caveat stamped on it: moving walls, building an addition or ADU, adding a deck, converting a garage — structural work always needs a permit. So does most electrical and plumbing: a kitchen remodel that moves the sink needs one, a bathroom remodel that touches supply lines does too, and a whole-home renovation usually means several at once.
Roofing and siding sits in the middle — a shingle-for-shingle re-roof often slides, new sheathing doesn't. Painting and small projects almost never need one. Storm repairs through insurance restoration need permits for the structural part. One quirk: in Washington, electrical permits run through the state Department of Labor & Industries, not your city. For the deep version, read our walkthrough of Snohomish County remodel permits.
What we check before we send a contractor
Registration, bond, insurance
Active Washington L&I registration with a clean record, checked before every match — not once when they joined the network.
Local permit history
They've pulled permits in your jurisdiction before — they know the inspectors, the portals, and the correction-notice hotspots.
Permits in their name
A contractor who asks you to pull an owner-builder permit is moving the accountability onto you. Ours pull their own, inspections included.
Code-current
Washington's building and energy codes update on a cycle. We keep contractors who build to the current code without being told twice.
Who you file with around here
City addresses file with the city; unincorporated ones file with Snohomish County Planning & Development Services — its residential permits page lists what needs what. Everett projects go through City of Everett Permit Services at 2930 Wetmore Ave, 2nd floor — 425-257-8810 — and Everett is not on MyBuildingPermit.com, the portal Bothell and Mill Creek do use. Lake Stevens runs its own Permit Center. On the islands, unincorporated Whidbey and all of Camano file through Island County's online permit center.
The Everett address that isn't Everett
Plenty of addresses that say "Everett" or "Lynnwood" aren't in those cities. Silver Firs and Eastmont carry Everett mailing addresses, and much of Martha Lake says Lynnwood — but all three sit in unincorporated Snohomish County, so county PDS issues the permit and county rules apply. File with the wrong office and you don't wait — you start over. We check the jurisdiction on every address before anyone files.
What permits cost around here
Permit fees vary by city and project valuation. For remodel-scale work, most homeowners pay somewhere between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars — a bathroom lands low, an addition lands higher. The bid should list the permit as its own line, not bury it. And what Ascent Prime charges to sort it out: nothing — it's free for homeowners.
Questions about permits
What happens if I remodel without a permit?
Nothing good, and it surfaces at the worst time. Unpermitted work can mean stop-work orders, fines, opening finished walls for inspection, and hard questions from buyers, appraisers, and insurers when you sell. It can also complicate a later insurance claim. Filing is cheaper than explaining.
Who actually pulls the permit — me or the contractor?
On a project we match, the contractor pulls it, in their company's name. That's how it should work: whoever pulls the permit owns the inspections and the corrections. Be wary of anyone who suggests you pull an owner-builder permit for their job — that moves the legal responsibility onto you.
How long does a permit take in Snohomish County?
It depends on the project and the office's backlog. Simple trade permits can issue in days; anything with plan review typically runs weeks, and additions take longer. A complete application moves faster than a corrected one — which is exactly why we favor contractors who file clean the first time.
Tell us what you're planning
Two minutes — the project and the address. We'll tell you what needs a permit, who files it, and who's done it there before.
FREE FOR HOMEOWNERS