Seattle Proclaims Month of May as Building Safety Month
Seattle marks 60th anniversary of 1965 earthquake with renewed call for unreinforced masonry retrofits amid federal and state setbacks On the 60th anniversary of the devasting 1965 Seattle earthquake, the City is reaffirming its commitment to seismic safety and resilience through the retrofitting of unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings, which are…[ Keep reading ]
Small Business Support with Dedicated Permit Services
We, in coordination with Seattle Office of Economic Development, continue to offer dedicated permit services to tenants of vacant street-level storefronts in downtown Seattle and small businesses citywide. This program aims to support businesses by assisting them in efficiently navigating the permit process and reducing delays. The intent is to…[ Keep reading ]
New Director’s Rule Published for the Green Building Standard
We’ve offered builders and developers benefits like extra floor area and height, in exchange for meeting green building standards for 16 years. These incentives have helped create thousands of certified green buildings in Seattle, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. We recently published draft Director’s Rule…[ Keep reading ]
Volunteers Needed for Seattle’s Construction Codes Advisory Board
We’re looking for 3 people to join our Construction Codes Advisory Board (CCAB). We’re seeking civic-minded individuals with diverse perspectives and experience with building design, development or construction. Deadline to apply is end-of-day April 30, 2025. If you are interested in serving on the CCAB, fill out an application and…[ Keep reading ]
Code Interpretations for Fire Wall Continuity Rescinded
Based on recent discussions with architects and consultation with the International Code Council, SDCI has withdrawn two Construction Code Interpretations relating to Fire Wall Horizontal Continuity. (706.5: Fire Wall Horizontal Continuity and 706.5: Fire Wall Horizontal Continuity at Offsets). Our technical code team will be working on developing amendments to…[ Keep reading ]
Support House Bill 1810: URM Identification and Retrofit Funding
House Bill 1810, to identify and incentivize earthquake retrofits of Unreinforced Masonry (URM) buildings, has been introduced to the Appropriations Committee for consideration. Unreinforced Masonry (URM) buildings, classic red brick buildings of common construction prior to World War II, are at risk of collapse in an earthquake due to their…[ Keep reading ]
New Guide to Help Reduce Multifamily Building Permit Application Errors
During the permitting process, we often see recurring mistakes in applications such as Incorrect addresses across an application, incomplete information on plans, and missing permits from other city departments. To help you avoid errors that could require you to resubmit application information or wait through several permitting cycles, we have published…[ Keep reading ]
Seattle Celebrates First Official Retrofitted URM Status Change
We have officially recognized the first Unreinforced Masonry (URM) building to demonstrate compliance with the new seismic regulation in the City’s updated URM database. Congratulations to the Poll Building, 110 Union Street, and the teams of architects, engineers, and construction crews that completed life-saving earthquake upgrades to this character building….[ Keep reading ]