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Washington building permit plan submission requirements (2026)
How 4 large Washington cities take construction plans, based on each building department's own pages: 3 digital only, 1 not grouped. None of the 4 state a number of plan sets, 4 state a sheet size and 2 state a seal or signature rule.
Snapshot: October 19, 2026. “Not stated” means the cited pages do not publish the rule. Confirm current requirements with the permit office before ordering.
Fields a city's official pages don't state are left off its card. Missing means not published on the pages we checked, not that no rule exists; ask the permit office.
At a glance
| City | Submission | Plan sets | Sheet size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | Digital only (stated) | Not stated | Minimum 11×17 for plan sets |
| Spokane, WA | Digital only (stated) | Not stated | Commercial plans minimum 24 x 36 in., maximum 30 x 42 in., all sheets the same size; printed approved sets: residential minimum 18 x 24, commercial 24 x 36 to 30 x 42 |
| Tacoma, WA | Digital only (stated) | Not stated | Full-size, one-to-one format (no dimensions stated) |
| Vancouver, WA | Not stated | Not stated | Building, grading and fire: minimum 11 x 17 in.; planning and engineering: minimum 22 x 34 in. |
Seattle, WA
Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) · Census 2025 rank 18 · ID USPPR-018
How they take plans
Digital only (stated)
Exact quotes and source
“SDCI only accepts PDF files for plan review.” SDCI Tip #106 General Standards for Plans and Drawings (updated July 25, 2022) · Source date: no date shown
“An approved/stamped paper copy of the full plan set, approved coversheet, and permit must still be maintained at the job site for City inspectors to review.” SDCI Tip #106 General Standards for Plans and Drawings (updated July 25, 2022) · Source date: no date shown
Submission details
digital-only (stated)
Portal
Seattle Services Portal
“To submit your drawings electronically, you will need to set up an account in the Seattle Services Portal.” SDCI Tip #106 General Standards for Plans and Drawings (updated July 25, 2022) · Source date: no date shown
Paper rule
SDCI only accepts PDF files for plan review; approved stamped paper set required on the jobsite
Sheet size
Minimum 11×17 for plan sets
“Minimum Sheet Size (for plan sets): 11” x 17”” SDCI Tip #106 General Standards for Plans and Drawings (updated July 25, 2022) · Source date: no date shown
Scale
1/4"=1' for single-family, duplex, townhouse, small multifamily and small commercial; 1/8"=1' allowed for large projects' plans/elevations/sections
“Minimum scale for single-family, duplex, townhouses, small multifamily, and small commercial projects is ¼”=1’.” SDCI Tip #106 General Standards for Plans and Drawings (updated July 25, 2022) · Source date: no date shown
“Minimum scale of floor plans, exterior elevations, and building sections for large multifamily and large non-residential projects is 1/8”=1’ when unit plans, core plans, and detail plans are provided at a minimum scale of ¼”=1’.” SDCI Tip #106 General Standards for Plans and Drawings (updated July 25, 2022) · Source date: no date shown
Seal / signature
Necessary certifications/signatures must be included
“Necessary certifications/signatures must be included” SDCI Tip #106 General Standards for Plans and Drawings (updated July 25, 2022) · Source date: no date shown
Approved set on the jobsite
Approved/stamped paper copy of the full plan set kept at the job site
Last checked October 19, 2026.
Spokane, WA
City of Spokane Development Services Center · Census 2025 rank 103 · ID USPPR-101
How they take plans
Digital only (stated)
Exact quote and source
“All requested materials to be submitted electronically.” Spokane: Commercial Application Submittal Requirements · Source date: Rev. 2022-03-15 (PDF modified 2023-05-18)
Submission details
Commercial: all requested materials submitted electronically (other permit types / paper route not stated)
Paper rule
Commercial: all requested materials submitted electronically
Sheet size
Commercial plans minimum 24 x 36 in., maximum 30 x 42 in., all sheets the same size; printed approved sets: residential minimum 18 x 24, commercial 24 x 36 to 30 x 42
“Minimum acceptable size: 24” x 36”” Spokane: Commercial Application Submittal Requirements · Source date: Rev. 2022-03-15 (PDF modified 2023-05-18)
“Maximum acceptable size: 30” x 42”” Spokane: Commercial Application Submittal Requirements · Source date: Rev. 2022-03-15 (PDF modified 2023-05-18)
“All sheets must be the same size” Spokane: Commercial Application Submittal Requirements · Source date: Rev. 2022-03-15 (PDF modified 2023-05-18)
“Approved Plan Set: Minimum 18" x 24"” Spokane: EDR Plan Printing Standards · Source date: no date shown
“Approved Plan Set: Minimum 24" x 36" – Max 30" x 42"” Spokane: EDR Plan Printing Standards · Source date: no date shown
Scale
Commercial plans drawn to scale (no minimum stated)
“Plans must be drawn to scale” Spokane: Commercial Application Submittal Requirements · Source date: Rev. 2022-03-15 (PDF modified 2023-05-18)
Approved set on the jobsite
Approved plans printed and kept on the job site for the duration of construction
“Approved plans must be printed and kept on the job site for the duration of construction work.” Spokane: EDR Plan Printing Standards · Source date: no date shown
Last checked October 19, 2026.
Tacoma, WA
City of Tacoma Planning and Development Services · Census 2025 rank 104 · ID USPPR-102
How they take plans
Digital only (stated)
Exact quote and source
“The City of Tacoma only accepts PDF files for plan review.” Tacoma: Electronic File Standards tip sheet (G-230) · Source date: PDF created 2024-12-10
Submission details
digital-only (stated): only PDF files accepted for plan review
Paper rule
Only PDF files accepted for plan review
Sheet size
Full-size, one-to-one format (no dimensions stated)
“All documents are required to be flattened and full size, one-to-one format.” Tacoma: Electronic File Standards tip sheet (G-230) · Source date: PDF created 2024-12-10
Scale
Drawings scaled and oriented correctly (no minimum stated)
“Drawings must be scaled and oriented correctly and must not exceed 50 MB.” Tacoma: Electronic File Standards tip sheet (G-230) · Source date: PDF created 2024-12-10
Last checked October 19, 2026.
Vancouver, WA
City of Vancouver Permit Center (ePlans) · Census 2025 rank 130 · ID USPPR-124
Sheet size
Building, grading and fire: minimum 11 x 17 in.; planning and engineering: minimum 22 x 34 in.
Exact quotes and source
“For Building, Grading and Fire submittals, the minimum plan size is 11” x 17”” Vancouver WA: Plan file requirements · Source date: no date shown
“For Planning and Engineering submittals, the minimum plan size is 22” x 34”” Vancouver WA: Plan file requirements · Source date: no date shown
Scale
All plans drawn to scale and calibrated; each sheet has its own scale (no minimum stated)
“All plans must be drawn to scale.” Vancouver WA: Plan file requirements · Source date: no date shown
“Each sheet must have an independent scale i.e. 1in = 40ft or 3/16in = 1ft” Vancouver WA: Plan file requirements · Source date: no date shown
Seal / signature
Electronic stamp with signature when applicable, per Washington statutes and rules
“When applicable, files must be electronically stamped with a signature per Washington Statutes and Washington Administrative Rules.” Vancouver WA: Plan file requirements · Source date: no date shown
Approved set on the jobsite
One color printed copy of approved plans, documents, permit and inspection card on site
“One color copy of the approved plans, documents, permit and inspection card must be on site for inspection purposes.” Vancouver WA: Downloading approved plans · Source date: no date shown
“You will be responsible for printing one color set of plans for your job site for inspections.” Vancouver WA: ePlans · Source date: no date shown
Last checked October 19, 2026.
How to use this data
Confirm with the permit office before you submit. A missing field means the official pages we checked don’t state it. Submission groups and method are explained on the national page.
Downloads
Washington: CSV · JSON. All 124 cities: CSV · JSON.
Cite this data
License: CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Print My Plans, printmyplans.com. The license covers our compilation; quoted text stays attributed to each city.
Corrections: support@printmyplans.com
Print My Plans (2026). US Plan Submission Requirements: 124 Large US Cities (checked 2026-10-19). printmyplans.com
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