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Home renovation cost in Seattle, WA

Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) · fee schedule 2026

Permit portal · Fee schedule

2026 Fee Subtitle (SMC Ch. 22.900) effective Jan 1, 2026. Construction permit fees rose 18% YoY; most other fees +6.5%. Base/hourly rate $292. 5% technology fee (22.900A.100). WA State Building Code Council $6.50 on each residential building permit (RCW 19.27.085).

Projects in Seattle, WA

All-in at the typical job size, adjusted for local wages. The permit is the city fee when the schedule lists one.
JobAll-in typicalPermitOpen
Roof replacement$12,147$742.97Open
HVAC replacement$8,392$126.73Open
Deck$17,907$1,059Open
Kitchen remodel$34,371$1,821Open

Local context

City facts

County
King County
Population
784,777
Estimate year
2025
Source
U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 city estimates (July 1, 2025)

Census and county figures. These are estimates, not a permit requirement.

Metro wage index

Metro
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
Metro construction mean hourly
$42.11/hr
Metro OEWS vintage
May 2025
National construction mean hourly
$31.42/hr
National OEWS vintage
May 2025
Labor wage multiplier
1.340× labor
Method
BLS OEWS construction-and-extraction mean hourly wage / national same vintage, applied to the labor share only. Not a city-specific bid survey.

For this metro the whole job is 1.187 times the national typical, because only the labor portion is adjusted for local wages.

Labor vs materials

Our labor and materials split for this estimate. It is for the local wage adjustment, not a surveyed contractor split.
JobLabor shareMaterials shareOpen
Roof replacement55%45%Open
HVAC replacement30%70%Open
Deck50%50%Open
Kitchen remodel25%75%Open

Typical jobs

Typical job sizes and assumed values from our published sources. Assumed values feed the permit formula. They are not the city's assessed value.
JobTypical scopeAssumed valuationOpen
Roof replacement16 squares (1,600 sq ft of roof surface, not floor area)$12,000Open
HVAC replacement3-ton (36,000 BTU) like-for-like split system$7,500Open
Deck16×20 = 320 sf$12,000Open
Kitchen remodel200 sf affected area$35,000Open

A typical roof replacement in Seattle, WA runs about $12,147 all-in on our estimate adjusted for local wages, including the official SDCI permit fee of $742.97 ($501 building + $200.40 STFI plan review + $35.07 tech + $6.50 WA BCC).

A typical kitchen remodel in Seattle, WA runs about $34,371 all-in on our estimate adjusted for local wages, including the official SDCI permit fee of $1,821 ($864 building + $864 plan review + $86.40 tech + $6.50 WA BCC).

Compare costs in other metros

Roofs

Kitchens

HVAC

Decks

Questions about home renovation costs

How much does home renovation cost in Seattle, WA?
On our estimate adjusted for local wages, typical all-in figures are roof replacement about $12,147, HVAC replacement about $8,392, deck about $17,907, and kitchen remodel about $34,371. Those figures include the official local permit fee when we have extracted it from the SDCI schedule.
What home projects do you cover in Seattle, WA?
We publish typical costs for roof replacement, HVAC replacement, deck, and kitchen remodel in Seattle, WA, each with citations and the official permit line when known.
What permit fees apply for home projects in Seattle, WA?
Listed typical permit fees from SDCI are roof replacement $742.97, HVAC replacement $126.73, deck $1,059, kitchen remodel $1,821. Fee schedule year 2026. Confirm the live line before you pull a permit.