We’re excited to announce that we’ve updated the subject-to-field-inspection (STFI) criteria to allow more projects to qualify for a construction STFI permit. Subject-to-field-inspection permits are construction permits for small projects that meet certain criteria. They are typically reviewed and issued within just a few business days because they don’t get a complete code review before issuance. Building and energy code requirements are checked on-site during inspections.
Some of the changes include allowing longer structural spans and allowing decks that are taller than eight feet high. We’re also providing more specific criteria to help you determine when a single-family alteration project will be considered a substantial alteration. We hope this information will help you determine requirements for your project earlier in the process. We’ve also added information to tip 316, Construction and Demolition Subject-to-Field-Inspection Permits to explain and clarify existing policies.
Here’s a summary of the changes:
Longer Structural Spans
Single family and duplex structural alterations, small additions, and accessory structures have been allowed as STFI when beam spans do not exceed 14 feet and do not support more than one floor plus roof loads. We’ll now allow longer spans and beams supporting more loads as part of an STFI when the structural plans are stamped by a civil or structural engineer. We’ll also allow up to eight-foot spans for beams supporting two floors plus roof loads without an engineer’s stamp.
Higher Decks
We’ll allow decks at single family and duplex buildings up to 14 feet above the ground to qualify for STFI. This is an increase from our current eight-foot limit. The deck will need to comply with Residential Code prescriptive code provisions or include structural plans that have been stamped by a civil or structural engineer. Your building inspector will review the structure during construction and will ask for an engineer’s stamp if needed.
Specific criteria for single family substantial alterations
If you’re reconfiguring spaces or replacing wall surfaces in more than 60percent of the existing house, your project is likely a substantial alteration. You’ll need to label your plans to show which rooms will have new drywall or plaster.
For example, if you’re finishing an unfinished basement in a one-story house and not doing any work on the main floor, the area of work is 50 percent (assuming the basement and main floor are the same size) and the project will not be considered a substantial alteration. If you are finishing the basement of a one-story house and doing a kitchen remodel that either reconfigures the kitchen or removes and replaces the drywall or plaster in the kitchen, we would consider the area of work to be the entire basement plus the area of the kitchen. If that exceeds 60 percent of the area of the house, the project will be considered a substantial alteration.
Clarify existing policies
We added decks and window and siding repair as new project types. These have already been allowed as STFI but did not have their own sections. We included information from the multifamily and commercial STFI checklist in Tip 316, so the Tip is a complete document that can be used to determine if a project qualifies for STFI. We added additional items to the list of projects that do not qualify for STFI to describe our existing policies.
If you have questions, please contact:
Jamie Anderson
206-615-0715
Jamie.anderson@seattle.gov