Building Connections Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections

Building Connections

Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections news and events

SDCI Service Updates in Response to COVID-19

by

Updated March 30, 2020

The City of Seattle has been preparing to respond to COVID-19 since January. We are following guidance from our partners at Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC), Washington State Department of Health (DOH), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The City and SDCI take the health and wellbeing of our customers and staff seriously.

The situation is evolving daily. We are actively adjusting our business practices to best serve our customers while following the current best practices to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Please check this blog regularly for the most up-to-date information about our services.

Service adjustments as of March 30 are:

  • The Applicant Service Center and Public Resource Center are closed. We expect to reopen our counters Monday, April 13, but will continue to evaluate this timeline as the pandemic situation evolves. Read our blog article, SDCI Extends Closure of Customer Service Areas, to learn how to conduct business with SDCI through alternate methods.
  • The 19th floor reception area will be closed, starting March 11, until further notice.
    • For Tenant Assistance and other rental housing issues, please file an online complaint at Seattle.gov/SDCI. You may also call (206) 615-0808.
    • Deliveries should be dropped off at the table near the 19th floor reception area.
  • We have limited inspections to only projects that qualify as essential projects. See Limited Inspections Per Governor’s Stay at Home Order for more information.
  • The City is strongly encouraging employees to work from home. Staffing at the front counters will be limited and wait times for in-person services will be longer than usual.
  • We encourage our customers to submit their questions through one of our online tools instead of coming into our Applicant Services Center for Coaching services. Online Q&A/Coaching Services include:
  • Customers should apply for Subject to Field Inspection (STFI) permits online using the Seattle Services Portal. For instructions, please refer to this Help Article: How to Apply for STFI Construction Permit.
  • In-person geotechnical coaching is not available until further notice. Geotechnical coaching is available via the online Building Permit Q&A forum at https://seattle.gov/sdci/resources/send-us-a-question.
  • We are limiting in-person meetings. As a result, previously scheduled meetings and events may be postponed or converted to Skype-only meetings. Please see SDCI’s public meeting calendar for updated information.

We understand these service changes may be inconvenient and frustrating to our customers. We hope by taking these steps we can help slow the spread of the virus in our community.