Permit Fees
New - The 2026 Fee Schedules Take Effect on Thursday, January 1
The Board of County Commissioners updated the county's fee schedules as they do every year. The new 2026 fee schedules take effect on Thursday January 1, 2026
The county charges fees for the work associated with reviewing plans & drawings, and inspecting properties, construction sites and building work to make sure development meets regulations. We also collect impact fees for projects that increase the need for community services like fire services, parks, schools, transportation and environmental protection.
2026 Building Permits & Plan Review Fees
- Building Permit & Plan Review Fee Schedule & Valuation Chart for 2026
- Land-Use Permits & Hearing Examiner Applications Fee Schedule for 2026
- Building Permit Fee Chart - Use to calculate your building permit fees and plan review fees based on the valuation of your project. If you would like a more accurate price quote, please reach out to permit@co.thurston.wa.us. Please provide the square footage of the structure and description of your project.
- Fees above are for commercial and residential buildings, inspections, plan review, manufactured homes, schools & places of worship.
- Fees set and managed by Community Development, a division of Community Planning & Economic Development.
2026 Septic Permits, Well Water & Conditional Site Approval Fees
- Most common Septic & Conditional Site Approval Fees for 2026
- All Septic related fees from Environmental Health - scroll down to Fees on the Septic Systems page.
- Fees above are for: septic permits, drinking water fees
- Fees set and managed by Environmental Health, a division of Public Health & Social Services.
Construction Site Erosion Control/Stormwater & Development Review Fees
- Development Review Fees for 2026
- County Water & Sewer Utility Rates for 2025
- Fees set and managed by Development Review, a division of Public Works.
2026 Impact Fees
Refund Requests
- Please email the Building Development Center at permit@co.thurston.wa.us for more information.
Types of fees
- Applications fees:
- For processing permit applications.
- For verifying information on documentation.
- Plan Review fees:
- For checking plans and drawings against code.
- Inspection fees:
- For on-site inspections of construction sites & buildings.
- For on-property inspection of regulated animal habitats, lands, water, soils, vegetation.
- Environmental impact fees for destruction to/loss of regulated environments.
- Mitigation fees. Loss of ESA-protected habitat caused by development must be replaced elsewhere through mitigation.
- Impact fees for some fire and school districts, transportation, and parks.
Elected Officials Authorize these Fees
Permitting fees are reviewed and adopted by the Thurston County Board of Commissioners. Thurston County government is authorized by the Washington State legislature to issue permits in unincorporated areas of Thurston County and collect fees. Permitted projects must meet state and federal laws for community growth, health and safety. Some county departments and divisions are funded by the county's general fund which is a tax-sourced fund. Permitting is self-supporting through fees and does not rely on Thurston County's general fund.