Updated May 20, 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 May 20 are:
- The Applicant Service Center and Public Resource Center are closed. We expect to reopen our counters Monday, June 1, but will continue to evaluate this timeline as the pandemic situation evolves. Read our blog article, SDCI Extends Closure of Customer Service Areas to May 31, to learn how to conduct business with SDCI through alternate methods.
- The 19th floor reception area will be closed 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.
- The Seattle Municipal Tower is closed to non-staff. Please send deliveries to Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, P.O. Box 34019, Seattle, WA 98124-4019.
- Send signed plats to Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, Public Resource Center, P.O. Box 34019, Seattle, WA 98124-4019. Signed plats must be rolled. King County will not accept plats for recording if they are folded.
- We have limited inspections per the Governor’s guidelines. See Inspection Restart of Some Construction Projects 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 are conducting pre-submittal conferences and paid zoning coaching online.
- File questions or complaints on landlord and tenant assistance or other complaints online (www.seattle.gov/sdci) or call (206) 615-0808.
- Visit our Side Sewer Permit webpage or email sidesewerinfo@seattle.gov for side sewer and drainage information.
- Mail us your payment by check. See How Do I Pay by Check for instructions and our mailing address.
- Send a building plans request (including the permit number and address for the project of interest) to SCI_Microfilm@seattle.govto request a copy of approved building plans associated with an issued permit. (For safety reasons, Homeland Security prohibits us from providing access to approved plans online without an individual request.)
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.
