Permit Services

Permitting Programs

Demolition Salvage Program

The Demolition Salvage Program supports the recovery and reuse of building materials before demolition. Learn more about the Demolition Salvage Program.

Sustainable Development/Green Building Permit Program

We have a process to prioritize permitting for projects that are enrolled in eligible green building certification programs, per the City’s Priority Review Policy.

The program can be used for the following permit types:

• Work Orders (WO),
• Site Development Permits (SDEV),
• Building Permits for New Commercial Buildings (BLDCN),
• Building Permits for Commercial Alterations (BLDCA),
• Building Permits for New Residential Permits (BLDRN), and
• Building Permits for Residential Alterations (BLDRA).

This program does NOT apply to land use permits (LU) at this time.

Sustainable Development/Green Building Program – How It Works

Eligible Green Building Programs

For help deciding which certification program and level to choose, schedule a complimentary green building consultation for your project or contact (253) 591-5030.

Residential (single-family, accessory dwelling units, and/or duplexes)

1. Three-star or better rating through BuiltGreen OR
2. Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) OR
3. Silver or better rating through Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes OR
4. Living Building Challenge (LBC) Petal or Net Zero OR
5. Equivalent building certification programs as approved by the Director of Planning & Development Services.

Commercial (multi-family)

1. Three-star or better rating through BuiltGreen OR
2. Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) OR
3. Two globes or better rating through Green Globes OR
4. Silver or better rating through LEED for Building Design and Construction OR
5. Living Building Challenge (LBC) Petal or Net Zero OR
6. Equivalent building certification programs as approved by the Director of Planning & Development Services.

How to Get Started

1. Use an integrated design process to identify opportunities and avoid project pitfalls. Notify staff that this is a proposed green building project as early in the process as possible, preferably as part of a pre-development review.
2. Enroll in one of the eligible green building certification programs before the building permit application.
3. Apply for a building permit online. Include the building certification program enrollment/registration number as part of the project description. Upload the completed preliminary certification checklist for the applicable certification program as part of the permitting package. Items that qualify the project for priority review will be verified by staff before assigning the faster due date.

Other Incentives

Apply for Tacoma Public Utilities and/or Puget Sound Energy incentives separately.

Affordable Housing Permit Program

We have a process to make permitting faster and more efficient for projects that create affordable housing units in Tacoma. Projects that provide 10 or more total housing units with 20% of the units reserved as affordable, and projects that incorporate identified sustainable development features may participate in the program if they meet the criteria of the Priority Review Policy.

Affordable Housing Priority Permitting Details

The program can be used for the following permit types:

• Work Orders (WO),
• Site Development Permits (SDEV),
• Building Permits for New Commercial Buildings (BLDCN),
• Building Permits for Commercial Alterations (BLDCA),
• Building Permits for New Residential Permits (BLDRN), and
• Building Permits for Residential Alterations (BLDRA).

This program does NOT apply to land use permits (LU) at this time.

The Affordable Housing Pre-Development Fee Waiver Policy

The Affordable Housing Pre-Development Fee Waiver Policy waives initial pre-development review fees for affordable housing projects proposed and developed by nonprofit organizations and Tacoma Housing Authority (THA).

• Pre-development fees for an initial electronic review are waived for affordable housing projects proposed by nonprofit organizations and THA that meet the criteria outlined in the Priority Review Policy. No fees are charged for letters required for funding provided as part of this process. 

How to Get Started

• Use the priority review checklist, which lists specific qualifiers, to see if your project is eligible.
• Items that qualify the project for priority review will be verified by staff prior to assigning the faster due date. We recommend coordinating with staff prior to permit submittal to make sure they are aware of the project’s priority review status.
• If the project is qualifying through the City’s 12-year MFTE program, applicants are encouraged to submit the MFTE application first, as that makes the verification process easier for staff and faster for you.

The program’s affordable housing project coordinator helps guide affordable housing development projects through the permitting process by:

• Identifying significant development entitlements at the earliest stage in the development process,
• Providing technical support to review staff,
• Implementing permitting process improvements to create a more efficient permitting system, and
• Facilitating collaboration amongst review staff and applicants.

Transfer of Development Rights

The City of Tacoma’s TDR Program allows eligible property owners to transfer their rights to the development of their property (in the form of a TDR Certificate) to owners of property more suited to development. The outcome fosters growth in areas where density is desired and conservation of areas in which development is not.

A TDR transaction benefits all parties involved. The seller, who may sell their development rights for monetary gain or other financial considerations, as well as the buyer, who can use TDRs to gain more development potential than zoning would otherwise allow (i.e. greater building height, etc.). The public at large also benefits from transactions of TDRs in the preservation of open space habitat areas, and historic sites.

More on Transfer of Development Rights

On July 11, 2016, community activists, stakeholders, and the City of Tacoma and Pierce County officials gathered at 102 N. G Street to celebrate the first Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) transaction in Tacoma.

Notice of the First TDR Transaction in Tacoma Celebration (July 11, 2016)

This transaction represents the preservation of 20 of the 120-acre prime farmland preserved in perpetuity in Pierce County (Reise Farm) and the increase of 21 units to be added to the Stadium Apartments project in Tacoma.

Additional Information

• Administrative Guidelines
• Tacoma Receiving Areas
• Program Development
• Pierce County Program
• Habitat Application Form
• Landmarks Application Form

Development Regulation Agreement

A Development Regulation Agreement (DRA) is an optional application and review procedure intended to provide a new degree of flexibility in the application of the City’s development regulations so that conditions are tailored to the specifics of the proposed project and community vision in such a manner as to ensure that significant public benefits are secured.

Project approval is embodied in a contract designed to assure that public benefits are provided according to agreed-upon terms and conditions. Conditions may include, but are not limited to, project vesting, timing, and funding of on- and off-site improvements. The City is authorized, but not required, to accept, review, and/or approve proposed DRAs. This process would be voluntary, both on the part of the applicant and the City.

Development Regulation Agreement – How It Works

Eligibility

The DRA process is limited to projects that meet one of the following thresholds:

• A project in the International Financial Services Area (IFSA) that has a footprint of at least 15,000 square feet and a height of at least 75 feet.
• A project in the Downtown area, but outside the IFSA, that has a footprint of at least 15,000 square feet, a height of at least 75 feet, and has significant public ownership or control.
• A project in the Downtown area that preserves a historic structure or assists in preserving an adjacent historic structure.
• An institutional use occupying more than five acres located anywhere within the City, excluding public utility sites.
• A project in the Tacoma Mall Regional Growth Center on a site at least two acres in size with a Floor Area Ratio of at least 1.00.
• A project located outside of designated Centers at least one acre in size, within walking distance to transit service, and including at least 50 housing units of which a substantial percentage are affordable.

Background

The City Council completed its review and public hearing process for the code amendments pertaining to Development Regulation Agreements (DRA) and adopted the proposal, with minor modifications, by Amended Ordinance No. 27877 on March 2, 2010.

• Adopted Ordinance (March 2, 2010)
• Staff Report for Planning Commission Public Hearing (October 21, 2009)
• Determination of Nonsignificance and Environmental Checklist (September 30, 2009)

Approved Agreements

• Point Defiance DRA