Kirkland / permit types
The different types of permits in Kirkland
Kirkland routes permits through Building, Planning, Fire, and Public Works. Start with the complete scope because a house project often needs building, system, site, and right-of-way approvals.
Guide updated September 11, 2026. Targets below retain their source-specific dates and definitions. Check the live city page for current workload.
On this page6 sections
Official starting point: Kirkland forms, publications, and fees. Match the full scope to the current city requirements before submitting.
One project can need more than one permit
A building permit does not automatically replace every trade, site, tree, fire, utility, right-of-way, or land-use approval. List the whole scope first, then confirm which reviews are combined and which require separate records.
The main types of permits
Construction, structural changes, and demolition.
Common examples: New houses, additions, remodels, decks, accessory structures, and demolition.Kirkland forms, publications, and fees ↗System work may require separate permits and inspections.
Common examples: HVAC, gas, plumbing, electrical service, solar, sprinklers, and alarms.Kirkland forms, publications, and fees ↗Site work is reviewed under Kirkland's LSM process.
Common examples: Grading, drainage, retaining walls, tree protection, and erosion control.Kirkland forms, publications, and fees ↗Zoning and discretionary decisions that may precede construction.
Common examples: Subdivisions, shoreline, variances, design review, and critical-area approvals.Kirkland forms, publications, and fees ↗Work affecting streets, access, utilities, and public infrastructure.
Common examples: Driveways, frontage, utility connections, side sewers, and right-of-way use.Kirkland forms, publications, and fees ↗How to choose the right combination
- Write the complete scope, including structural, system, site, tree, utility, access, and public-area work.
- Open the official source for every permit family that matches the scope.
- Check whether the primary permit includes that discipline or requires a related application.
- Confirm the permit set with city staff or the design team before paying for final drawings.
- Track related permit numbers together so a smaller approval does not hold up the project.
A local project example
A new house with excavation and a new driveway
Ask how the building application, Land Surface Modification review and Public Works requirements will be coordinated. Identify the person responsible for each response package.
Use the current review version when following up. An old Building approval does not establish that Public Works has accepted the latest civil drawings.
This is a scope-planning example, not a permit determination. Open the official application packets below and describe the entire project to Kirkland staff. Ask whether reviews can run together and which must finish first.
Build your permit responsibility sheet
Give each approval its own row. The useful output is a named person and a receipt, not a vague note that permits are being handled.
| Track this | What to write down |
|---|---|
| Application and authority | Exact permit type, city or outside agency, official portal and related permit numbers. |
| Owner and deliverable | Who prepares the drawings, who submits, who pays and who responds to corrections. |
| Dependency | What is needed before submission, before issuance and before the relevant work starts. |
| Evidence | Submission receipt, completeness confirmation, correction notice, issued plans and required inspections. |
| Next checkpoint | The unresolved item, responsible person, agreed response date and date to follow up. |
For example, “civil engineer to submit the revised drainage plan by Friday” is actionable. “Waiting on permits” is not. Agree who updates this sheet when the portal sends a notice to only one applicant.
What to ask before applying
Use this short request with a marked site plan and a scope summary:
We are planning [work] at [address and parcel]. The scope includes [structure, systems, trees, grading, utilities and street work]. Which applications are required? Which reviews are included in the main permit? Which separate approvals must finish before issuance? Please point us to the current submittal checklists and identify any outside agencies.
If a contractor says no permit is needed, ask which exemption applies to the specific work. A building-permit exemption does not by itself resolve zoning, tree, shoreline, utility or other requirements. Keep the written answer with the project documents.