Kirkland early review
How to prepare for a Kirkland pre-submittal conference
A pre-submittal conference is most valuable when the city can review a stable concept and answer decisions that materially affect feasibility. It does not vest the project or replace permit review.
On this page6 sections
Official starting point: Kirkland pre-submittal conferences. Check the current page before acting because forms, goals, and rules can change.
Know when it is required
Most land-use permits and all cottage developments require a conference. Single-family and duplex building applications do not generally require one, but Kirkland says an SFR meeting may be useful. Complex commercial and multifamily projects are strongly encouraged to use the process.
Bring reviewable information
- Vicinity and conceptual site plans.
- Approximate significant trees and natural features.
- Existing and proposed contours when available.
- Parking, circulation, access, and utilities.
- Building floor plans and all elevations.
- A numbered list of questions and decisions.
Use the meeting correctly
City staff commonly include Building, Fire, Planning, and Public Works. Take notes, confirm the primary city contact, and translate feedback into project criteria. Substantial redesign after application can require more review and fees.
Practical homeowner guide
Use the meeting to retire the most expensive unknowns
Kirkland describes the single-family pre-submittal conference as optional. It is most useful when a focused city answer could change the building envelope, consultant scope, purchase decision, or permit sequence.
Use the meeting to settle questions that could change the project
A productive pre-submittal package should be small but specific: a current survey or parcel map, existing-condition photos, a concept site plan, approximate floor area and use, and a one-page list of assumptions. Rank questions by consequence. Setbacks, height measurement, tree retention, critical areas, access, stormwater, utilities, fire response, and permit path deserve priority when an answer could change the purchase decision or building envelope.
During the meeting, record who answered each question, what information the answer relied on, and what must still be confirmed through formal review or a specialist. Convert the notes into a decision log for the architect and consultants. Early guidance is valuable, but it is not a permit approval; consequential assumptions should appear in the eventual drawings, reports, and written city record rather than living only in meeting notes.
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.
Common questions
What homeowners usually ask
What should not be the main goal of a pre-submittal meeting?
Do not expect staff to design the project, approve incomplete plans, or resolve an unlimited list of general questions. Use published guidance first, then spend meeting time on parcel-specific conflicts and decisions.
Which professionals should attend?
Invite the person best equipped to act on the critical question, often the architect, civil engineer, surveyor, arborist, or geotechnical engineer. A smaller prepared team generally gets clearer direction than a large group without a concept.
Are the answers binding during permit review?
Treat them as valuable early guidance, not final approval. The formal application, complete technical documents, code in effect, and review by all required departments control the permit decision.
Action plan
What to do next
- 1
Identify the feasibility decisions that need city input.
- 2
Submit a coherent concept rather than sketches from different versions.
- 3
Ask numbered questions with the consequence of each answer.
- 4
Record city attendees, answers, caveats, and follow-ups.
- 5
Update the design brief and consultant scopes after the meeting.
Official resources