HOUSE BILL REPORT

SB 6321

BYSenators Zimmerman, DeJarnatt, Bauer, McCaslin and von Reichbauer

Increasing the threshold for requiring a building permit.

House Committe on Local Government

Majority Report:  Do pass with amendments.  (14)

      Signed by Representatives Haugen, Chair; Cooper, Vice Chair; Beck, Bumgarner, Butterfield, Dorn, Ferguson, Hine, Jones, Nealey, Nelson, Nutley, Rayburn and Zellinsky.

House Staff:Steve Lundin (786-7127)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT FEBRUARY 25, 1988

BACKGROUND:

Legislation was enacted in 1955 requiring counties to issue building permits for construction or alteration of any building where the value of materials exceeds five hundred dollars.  A copy of such a building permit was required to be forwarded to the county assessor who was authorized to make a physical appraisal of the work and place any new valuation on the property tax rolls.  No building standards or construction requirements were required to be applied to these building permits.

The State Building Code was enacted in 1975 adopting the then recent version of the uniform building code, uniform plumbing code, uniform mechanical code, and uniform fire code for each county, city and town, and requiring these codes to be enforced locally.  These codes have minimum building standards and provide for the issuance of building permits.  The State Building Code has been amended several times, requiring more recent editions to these codes to be enforced.

Provisions were made in 1935 adopting a state electrical code. Cities and towns are authorized to adopt their own electrical codes.  Electrical codes involve basic standards to be followed and require the issuance of electrical work permits.

SUMMARY:

BILL AS AMENDED:  The 1955 statute requiring building permits is repealed.  Various statutes are amended, relating to the issuance of building permits that are associated with substantive construction standards, to require a copy of the permits to be transmitted to the county assessor of the county in which the property subject to the permit is located.

Counties, cities and towns that enforce the various codes under the State Building Code Act are permitted to issue building permits at no cost immediately upon the request of an applicant, if the applicant certifies that the cost of the work and materials in a project will not exceed $1,000.  The work associated with such permits must be done pursuant to applicable codes and is subject to inspection.

AMENDED BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL:  This is a striking amendment substituting entirely new provisions from the original bill.  The original bill increased the dollar value of materials used in construction work above which the county must issue a building permit to be used for property tax assessment purposes.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    None Presented.

House Committee - Testified Against:      Blair Patrick, Washington Association of Building Officials; and Gary Lowe, Washington Association of Counties.

House Committee - Testimony For:    This will allow decks to be repaired without paying for a building permit.  This clarifies existing law.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      Why should any building permits be issued?