Effective January 1, Thurston County is updating its Planning, Land Use, and Building Permit fees for the first time since 2009 to better reflect the scale, complexity, and actual costs of projects. Over the past 15 years, the cost of processing permits has steadily increased due to inflation, rising operational and staffing expenses, and new state-mandated requirements. These updates ensure that fees accurately reflect the time, resources, and expertise needed to review and process permits, while supporting modern, digital permitting tools and maintaining compliance with state and federal regulations. By aligning fees with the true cost of service, Thurston County will continue to provide a permitting experience that is efficient, responsive, and meets the high standards residents and businesses expect.

What's Changing?

Updated Planning & Land Use Fees

Our land use and planning fees have been updated to better reflect the scope and complexity of projects while ensuring transparency and fairness. Key changes include:

• One-time, up-front fees for land use and planning permits, simplifying the application process and providing applicants with a clear understanding of costs from the start.
• Fee adjustments based on project scale and complexity, ensuring that larger or more complex projects contribute proportionally to the cost of review and administration.
• New fees for noticing and outreach, supporting community engagement and compliance with legal requirements for public notifications.

Updated Building Permit Valuations

Building permit valuations are being updated to reflect modern construction costs and ensure our permit fees cover the true cost of services:

• Valuations aligned with ICC 2025 standards (updated from 2008), providing an accurate and current measure of project value for fee calculations.
• Adjusted permit review and inspection fees to fully cover the cost of providing timely and thorough permit services, ensuring high-quality oversight while maintaining efficient processing

Technology Fee

To support a more modern, accessible, and efficient permitting process, a 5% technology fee will be applied to all Thurston County permits and applications:

• Funds support the implementation and ongoing maintenance of digital permitting tools, including the Accela platform, which streamlines applications, payments, and inspection scheduling.

Dedicated Funding for Required State and Federal Permits

Some projects require additional state and federal permits, including environmental or habitat-related approvals. To ensure compliance and adequate review:

• Applicable habitat mitigation fees have been adjusted to provide dedicated funding for required state and federal permits, protecting both the environment and the integrity of the permitting process.

Learn More

Contact us at permit@co.thurston.wa.us.

• Land Use Fee Schedule
• Residential Building Permit Fee Schedule
• Nonresidential Building Permit Fee Schedule