Tacoma
City of Tacoma Planning and Development Services
In short
City of Tacoma Planning and Development Services issues 4 permits we publish for Tacoma, last verified 2026-09-05. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sign Permit | City of Tacoma Planning and Development Services | Billed on the same valuation-based table as a building permit (Table 8-1) — $55 for $1–$500, scaling up per that schedule. Plan review is 65% of the permit fee, matching commercial buildings. | one-time, per sign | 2026-09-05 |
| Contractor Registration (State — no Tacoma-specific layer confirmed) | City of Tacoma Planning and Development Services | No fee | per Washington L&I registration cycle | 2026-09-05 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Tacoma Planning and Development Services | $450 for a new Certificate of Occupancy not associated with a current building permit. A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy is $450; extending one is $230; re-issuing an expired one is $450. | issued once per qualifying occupancy | 2026-09-05 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Tacoma Planning and Development Services | Valuation-based (Table 8-1): $55 for $1–$500; $170 + $32 per $1,000 over $2,000, to $25,000; $2,240 + $13 per $1,000 over $100,000, to $500,000; $7,420 + $11 per $1,000 over $500,000, to $1,000,000; $12,600 + $8.50 per $1,000 above $1,000,000. Plan review is 65% of the permit fee ($56 minimum). A tenant improvement inside a shell building is billed at 50% of the ICC Building Valuation per square foot. A commercial demolition permit is a flat $310. | one-time, per project | 2026-09-05 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Sign Permit
A sign requiring SEPA environmental review adds a $2,590 fee; one inside shoreline jurisdiction requiring a waiver adds $3,290.
Contractor Registration (State — no Tacoma-specific layer confirmed)
The city's own FAQ states plainly that 'to do work in the City of Tacoma both a City business license and Washington State contractor's license are required' — there is no separate fee, since no additional city contractor credential or bond exists beyond that. All subcontractors on a Tacoma job site must also hold the city business license.
Certificate of Occupancy
The fee schedule has no separate line item for a Certificate of Occupancy tied to a current building permit, suggesting — though this was not explicitly confirmed — that it may be bundled into the permit fee in that case.
Commercial Building Permit
Valuation for new construction comes from ICC's Building Valuation Data; for remodels/tenant improvements it is total actual construction cost, including finish, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and fire-system work.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Tacoma
- Phone
- (253) 591-5030
- Website
- www.tacomapermits.org/
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- City of Tacoma Planning and Development Services — Business and Contractor's License FAQCity of Tacoma, Planning and Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-05
- City of Tacoma Planning and Development Services — Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2025City of Tacoma, Planning and Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-05
Other offices serving Tacoma
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
Industry permit lists that include this agency
Washington jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.