В округе Якима с 1 октября вырастут сборы за строительные разрешения на 30–40%

Residents looking to build in Yakima County could see an increase in building permit and plan review fees next month as the county updates its valuation data. Jurisdictions across the U.S. use building valuation data produced by the International Code Council to calculate building permit fees. The valuations, which reflect average construction costs per square foot for different building types and occupancy levels, are updated twice each year, in August and February. For years, Yakima County has based its fees off the International Code Council’s August 2015 valuation data, and has used Building and Fire Safety fund reserves to offset costs. With those reserves now depleted, the county is no longer in a position to subsidize the difference between its costs and its revenues, Yakima County Building Official Marivel Garcia told county commissioners on Tuesday. Starting on Oct. 1, the county will begin using February 2026 valuation data. Estimates show that fees could increase between roughly 30% and 40%, depending on the project. According to a list of examples in Garcia’s presentation, the fees associated with a 2,000-square-foot home and 400-square-foot garage would increase from $3,702 to $5,228 under the change. An 800-square-foot carport would increase from $882 to $1,166. The estimates only include building permit and plan review fees. Plumbing, mechanical, fire code and other supplemental permit fees aren’t included and are not expected to change. To learn exactly how much building and plan review fees may increase for a project, Garcia encouraged people to contact the building and fire safety department. She said the department is happy to answer questions, and has already been reaching out to people to give them advance notice about the changes. The county doesn’t take the decision lightly, Garcia said. However, the department already has a lean staff, and the change is necessary to continue to cover costs. “If we have any less people, it would impact our ability to turn around the reviews and inspections as quickly as we have been,” she told the Yakima Herald-Republic. Garcia added that the county chose to use the February 2026 valuations, rather than August 2026, to reduce the financial impact on customers. If people submit complete applications before Oct. 1, their fees will still be based on the August 2015 valuation data. The county plans to update its valuation data annually moving forward, until such a time when reserves are high enough to press pause again.