Building Connections Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections

Building Connections

Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections news and events

New Delegate Feature Now Available in the Seattle Services Portal

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The City of Seattle has launched a new delegate feature in the Seattle Services Portal. SDCI’s customers use the Seattle Services Portal to apply for building and land use permits and trade and equipment licenses, submit complaints about potential code violations, and register their rental housing units.

The new delegate feature lets you give a contractor, coworker, or co-applicant access to your account and/or records. You can add multiple delegates and manage specific permissions. This feature gives you detailed control over who can access your records and how they can conduct business on your behalf.

Street Use Citation Penalty Update

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In August 2019, the Street Use division of the Seattle Department of Transportation is sending the Seattle City Council a legislative proposal to update their citation penalties. Since the citation section was first adopted in 2002, Street Use has made minor updates, but they have not carried out a holistic review of penalties.

Considering a New Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) – Don’t Forget to Plan for Broadband

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Recent legislation (Council Bill 119544) made it easier for property owners to build accessory dwelling units (i.e., backyard cottages) to give more housing options for people living in Seattle. In our digital age, having more people living on one parcel will likely also mean increased internet usage – and an increased need for broadband capacity.  A home may already have an internet service connection, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that connection can easily be extended or shared with a new residence on the parcel.

How Can I Get in the Intake Express Lane?

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Have you had that frustrating experience of being ready to submit your construction permit application only to find that you have to schedule an intake appointment that isn’t available for several weeks or months?  Maybe you thought you would need to postpone your project because you couldn’t get an appointment. We’ve got good news for you … we have The Intake Express Lane, an easy path to a much earlier intake appointment!

Additional Land Use Staff Coming Soon

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To support increased permit volumes and reduce turnaround times for the review of permit applications, Mayor Durkan’s office coordinated with the City Budget Office to approve 13 additional positions for SDCI’s Land Use Division.

We will be bringing on 11 Land Use Planners, 1 Land Use Supervisor, and 1 Permit Specialist to support increased workload and reduce turnaround times for the review of permit applications. 

June Workshop for Landlords

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Renting in Seattle is providing a free workshop for landlords on Saturday, June 22 at the Georgetown Campus of South Seattle College from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Register on Eventbrite early to ensure your space. These workshops fill up quickly.

B4B-Build for Broadband Initiative for Multi-Dwelling-Unit Buildings

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If broadband planning isn’t already a key part of your multi-dwelling-unit (MDU) building design and investment planning, Seattle’s Office of Cable Communications says it’s a good time to make it a top priority. Your MDU broadband infrastructure decisions impact the fastest growing segment of residents. In Seattle, the number of residents living in MDUs now exceeds those living in single-family homes. And permitting records show nearly 81 percent of Seattle’s new housing builds are MDUs. MDU residents want access to abundant, high-speed internet and they rate it as the top amenity when considering a place to live – outranking an in-unit washer and dryer.

Updated Contractor Disclosure Form

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State law requires local building departments, such as SDCI, to verify contractor licenses on every construction permit. Every construction applicant must identify the project contractor license or indicate why the application is exempt from requiring a contractor. To make this easier, we have updated our Contractor Disclosure Form.