Alert: Implementing the 2018 Seattle Building Code

Alert: 2018 Seattle Building Code Requirements

The City of Seattle’s 2018 Building Code (SBC) has been announced and will go into effect on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. The final deadline to submit and provide payment for an application using the 2015 Building Code is Tuesday, June 30th. In consideration of processing times and the scheduling of required reviews, it may be advisable to apply for permitting under the 2015 SBC by Monday, June 1st.

In a change from prior transitions between code versions, there will not be a 60-day grace period provided beyond this adoption date, during which time an earlier edition of the building code was previously considered applicable. If you decide to submit a building application using the 2018 Code before it has been adopted, you may do so with the City’s ‘code alternate’ approval option that is described in Section 104.5 of the SBC. It is important to note that projects taking this anticipatory approach will need to comply with all 2018 codes, i.e. the 2018 Seattle Energy Code, Fire Code, Mechanical Code, etc. Read more on the City’s website.

 

What Caron Anticipates

We expect that this change will result in an overall increase in the time and cost of permitting projects in Seattle, as a result of more stringent energy efficiency requirements that are likely to be included in the 2018 SBC. The impact will apply equally to all new design and construction projects, independent of specific composition and location within the city. Projects located outside of the City of Seattle are not directly affected by this change, but may be impacted by other municipalities’ adoption of the 2018 International Building Code, on which the SBC is based.