Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1978 NO. 6 >

The state building code, as set forth in chapter 19.27 RCW, does not apply to the construction of buildings in Adams County by the Bonneville Power Administration, a federal agency.

AGO 1990 NO. 9 >

1.  A registered architect or professional engineer must sign and stamp or seal each individual page containing a building construction drawing, or revision thereto, prepared or reviewed by him or her and submitted or permitted to be submitted in support of an application for a building permit, unless the activities are exempt from the requirement that drawings be signed and stamped or sealed by reason of RCW 18.08.410 or 18.43.130(1)-(7), (9). 2.  In the absence of one of the exemptions in RCW 18.08.410, a person who is not a registered professional architect or professional engineer violates RCW 18.08.310 by preparing a design or construction drawing for a building and submitting that design, or permitting that design or drawing to be submitted, in support of a building application. 3.   Under RCW 18.08.460(1) a local building official may accept a request for a building permit and issue the permit based on a design or construction drawing that does not bear the signature and stamp or seal of a registered architect or registered professional engineer, even if the activities are subject to the requirement that drawings be signed and stamped or sealed.

AGO 1985 NO. 11 >

The amendment to RCW 19.27.060 in § 10(1), chapter 360, Laws of 1985 applies prospectively to county or city amendments to the State Building Code involving single or multi-family residential housing and does not, therefore invalidate prior county or city amendments to the state code until and unless approved by the building code council.

AGO 1992 NO. 17 >

1.  RCW 19.27.097 provides that an applicant for a building permit must provide evidence of an adequate supply of potable water.  The authority to make this determination is the local agency that issues building permits.  2.  The Legislature has authorized the Board of Health to establish, and the Department of Health to enforce, a comprehensive regulatory scheme for public water systems. In determining whether water to be supplied from a public water system constitutes an adequate water supply for purposes of RCW 19.27.097, the local agency issuing building permits must apply the standards set by the Board of Health.  3.  If water is not supplied from a public water system, the local agency issuing building permits has more discretion to determine if the water supply is adequate for purposes of RCW 19.27.097.  At a minimum, there must be sufficient quality and quantity of water for the intended purpose of the building.

AGLO 1975 NO. 19 >

The state building code, chapter 96, Laws of 1974, 1st Ex. Sess., supersedes the provisions of chapter 2, Laws of 1973, 1st Ex. Sess., to the extent that the two acts are in conflict.

AGLO 1975 NO. 47 >

A board of county commissioners, under RCW 19.27.060(3), may not exempt a class of buildings from the operation of the entire state building code.

AGO 1966 NO. 84 >

1. A school district does not have to obtain a conditional use permit in order to construct a school building on a particular site in an unincorporated area of a county which has adopted the provisions of the planning enabling act (chapter 36.70 RCW) except where the district desires to qualify for state financial assistance in construction of said building. 2. A school district does not have to obtain a building permit in order to construct a school building on a particular site in an unincorporated area of a county except where the district desires to qualify for state financial assistance in construction of said building.  3. When a school district for any reason applies to the county for a conditional use permit or a building permit it must pay the fees otherwise chargeable to other applicants.

AGLO 1974 NO. 106 >

(1) The state building code provided by chapter 96, Laws of 1974, Ex. Sess., is applicable to proposed state building projects not already under construction as of January 1, 1975. (2) The provisions of § 9, chapter 96, Laws of 1974, Ex. Sess., do not subject the state to compliance with local zoning ordinances.

AGO 1954 NO. 339 >

A city of the first class may not purchase a commercial office building for the purpose of using one‑half of it for city purposes and leasing the remainder to private parties, unless it can be shown that existing or future public needs demand it or that such lease will be merely incidental to an overall public purpose.