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2021 Fee Changes

Seattle skyline at sunset with the city full of lights.

Copyright Tim Durkan.

The Seattle City Council recently adopted the 2021 budget, including legislation that implements SDCI fee changes in 2021.

This year, SDCI did not implement an across-the-board increase in fees but instead was able to make adjustments decreasing several fees.

On January 1, 2021, changes to electrical, refrigeration, and furnace fees will go into effect. Due to increased efficiencies in administration, SDCI has determined that those services have sufficient revenue streams warranting a decrease in fee levels.

  • Permit fees for Mechanical Equipment, in table D-8, will go down from $148.20 to $118.55
  • Refrigeration Permit Fees, in table D-10, will go down from $69.85 to $55.90
  • Electrical Permit Fees (when plans are not required), in table D-15, will go down from $72.95 to $65.65

SDCI is also making a technical change to correct the placement of an existing fee, the Zoning Coaching fee, from Non-hourly Land Use Fee to Miscellaneous Hourly Land Use Reviews, Research and Other Services and repealed an out-of-date Special Inspectors application registration fee.

Finally, this legislation included fee adjustments submitted by the Department of Neighborhoods that increased review fees to account for over 10 years of CPI and to align with SDCI’s current Land Use Review hourly fees.

New Director’s Rules, the BVD table, and other fee-related information will be available on our website by the end of January.