Before you submit in Kirkland
How to get free permit help from Kirkland before you apply
Kirkland offers several ways to speak with development staff before filing. Start with the short virtual appointment or permit counter for basic questions; use the formal pre-submittal process when the city needs to review a real concept across departments.
The short answer
For most homeowners with an early question, start with a 15-minute virtual appointment or the Development Services counter. For a proposed house, addition, or remodel that needs project-specific feedback, the Single-Family Residential pre-submittal meeting is free. Standard land-use or building conferences are separate and may carry fees.
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Official starting point: Book a Kirkland virtual appointment. Verify hours, fees, availability, staff, and forms before acting because city services can change.
Choose the lightest service that can answer the question
- Virtual appointment: basic zoning, building, permit-completeness, code, drainage, utility, and right-of-way questions. Choose a planner, permit technician, plans examiner, or Public Works.
- Walk-in Development Services counter: general help at Kirkland City Hall's upper floor. Staff work hybrid schedules, so call or book ahead if you need a specific specialist.
- Our Kirkland portal: submit a general zoning or permit-process question and receive a response without a meeting.
- Formal pre-submittal conference: use when staff should review a stable concept before application, or when the zoning code requires it for a land-use permit.
Know what the short virtual appointment can do
Kirkland's virtual appointments are intended for basic questions and are conducted through Microsoft Teams. The city says they do not replace a pre-submittal meeting. If you already have a permit number, contact the assigned reviewer instead.
- Planner: zoning, setbacks, height, lot coverage, trees, critical areas, shoreline, variances, subdivisions, and land use.
- Permit technician: permit types, application documents, new homes, remodels, trade permits, grading, and certificates of occupancy.
- Plans examiner: residential or commercial code, completeness, energy, accessibility, structural, mechanical, and plumbing questions.
- Public Works: drainage, water, sewer, erosion control, frontage improvements, easements, and right-of-way work.
Use the free SFR meeting for project-specific residential feedback
These meetings are normally held Tuesday and Thursday at 2 p.m. and are intended for minor residential projects that do not require a formal conference under the zoning code. Standard land-use and building pre-submittal conferences are different services; the city says applicable fees are collected for those conferences, so confirm the correct meeting type when scheduling.
- Bring a vicinity plan and conceptual site plan.
- Show significant trees, natural features, and existing or proposed contours when available.
- Include floor plans and every building elevation for building questions.
- Submit a numbered list of questions and explain which design or budget decision depends on each answer.
- Take your own notes; the meeting does not vest the project or approve a permit.
Where to go and who to call
Development Services Center, Kirkland City Hall upper floor, 123 Fifth Avenue, Kirkland, WA 98033. Walk-in hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. City holidays and service changes can affect access, so verify the official page before traveling.
- Planning and Building: 425-587-3600
- Public Works Engineering: 425-587-3800
- Fire Prevention: 425-587-3650
- City Hall main line: 425-587-3000
Practical worksheet
Put this guide to work
Worksheet updated . This is a planning example. Regulatory sources and data have their own dates.
Ask a question the City can answer from your sketch
‘Can I build a house here?’ leaves almost every variable open. A stronger request is: ‘On this surveyed parcel, does the shown two-level concept use the correct height method, and which critical-area and tree studies must be accepted before building review?’
- Send a bounded package
- Include the address, parcel, site plan, known zoning, proposed scope and a short list of unresolved issues. Distinguish measured information from assumptions.
- Number the questions
- For each issue, describe your proposed interpretation, the affected drawing and the decision you need to make next. Ask for the relevant code section or checklist.
- Record the answer
- Write who answered, when, what assumptions the answer used and which department must confirm it. Send a short recap if the conversation was verbal.
- Act on the result
- Convert each unresolved issue into a study, drawing revision or follow-up question with an owner. Revisit the feedback if the design or applicable rules change.
Early feedback is a planning input, not a permit approval or a guarantee of vested rules. Confirm whether the service is informal help, a paid coordinated meeting or a formal interpretation before relying on its legal effect.
Action plan
How to get a useful answer
- 1
Write the property address, parcel number, proposed scope, and five most important questions.
- 2
For a simple question, book a virtual appointment with the discipline that owns it or visit the counter.
- 3
For a house, addition, or remodel needing project-specific feedback, ask to schedule the free Single-Family Residential pre-submittal meeting.
- 4
For a required land-use or standard building conference, confirm the current fee before applying.
- 5
Send a coherent concept, not multiple competing versions, and identify the decision behind each question.
- 6
After the meeting, turn every answer, caveat, and follow-up into a written design checklist.
Official resources