Permits & unpermitted additions

Buying a house with unpermitted work in Seattle and the Eastside: how to check permits and price the risk.

Older Seattle and Eastside homes often carry a converted garage, a finished basement or an added bathroom that never had a final inspection. Unpermitted work is not automatically a deal-breaker, but it changes insurance, appraisal, resale and sometimes the legal use of the space. This hub shows how to look up permit history and how to decide what the work is worth.

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Home inspector checking framing in a garage converted to living space in a Seattle house

Quick answer

Check permit history before your inspection deadline: Seattle permits are searchable on the Seattle Services Portal (SDCI), Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond and other Eastside cities use the MyBuildingPermit portal, and unincorporated areas use King County permitting. Compare what you find with the county assessor's square footage and the seller's Form 17 answers about remodels. If work lacks a permit or final inspection, ask a licensed contractor what legalizing would require, get it priced, and negotiate price or a credit — or walk away within your inspection contingency if structural, electrical or life-safety work is involved.

SDCI

Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections — permit records for Seattle addresses

1 portal

MyBuildingPermit — the shared permit search used by Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond and other Eastside cities

Form 17

Washington seller disclosure asks about additions and remodels and whether permits were obtained

Questions this hub answers

buying a house with unpermitted work
unpermitted addition
how to check permits on a house
unpermitted work disclosure
seattle permit lookup
unpermitted basement apartment
renovation red flags older home

How to check and price unpermitted work

01
Pull the permit history
Search the address on the city's portal (SDCI for Seattle, MyBuildingPermit for most Eastside cities, King County for unincorporated land). Note open permits without a final inspection.
02
Compare square footage
If the listing shows more finished space or bedrooms than the King County assessor record, ask why. Converted garages and basements often explain the gap.
03
Read Form 17 closely
Compare the seller's answers on remodels and permits with what you see. Ask follow-up questions in writing during your inspection period.
04
Inspect with the right specialists
A general inspector flags issues; electrical, structural or sewer specialists tell you what is unsafe. Life-safety items (wiring, egress windows, smoke/CO alarms) matter most.
05
Price legalization
Ask a licensed contractor what permitting after the fact would involve — opening walls, upgrades, fees — and get a written estimate.
06
Negotiate or walk
Use the estimate to negotiate price or a credit, or terminate under the inspection contingency. Also check how your insurer and lender treat the space.

Common unpermitted work and how much it matters

Type of work	Typical risk	What to check	Usual response
Cosmetic remodel (cabinets, flooring)	Low	Usually no permit needed	Proceed
Added bathroom or kitchen	Medium	Plumbing, venting, electrical	Specialist inspection, price fixes
Garage or basement conversion	Medium–high	Egress, ceiling height, electrical, legal use	Price legalization or exclude from value
Structural changes (removed walls, additions)	High	Engineering, framing, foundation	Engineer review; negotiate or walk
Rented basement unit without permit	High	Legal use, tenant rules, insurance	Do not count rent until legalized

Laptop showing a permit records search beside floor plans and a hard hat

Checklist

Permit due-diligence checklist

Permit history pulled from the correct city or county portal.
Open permits without final inspection listed.
Assessor square footage and bedroom count compared with listing.
Form 17 remodel and permit answers reviewed.
Specialist inspections for electrical, structural and sewer where relevant.
Written estimate to legalize or correct the work.
Insurer and lender asked how they treat the space.
Price, credit or termination decided before the contingency deadline.

Unpermitted work FAQ

How do I check permits on a house in Seattle?

Search the address on the Seattle Services Portal run by SDCI. Most Eastside cities, including Bellevue, Kirkland and Redmond, use MyBuildingPermit; unincorporated King County uses county permitting.

Is it bad to buy a house with unpermitted work?

Not always. Cosmetic work is usually fine. Structural, electrical and converted living spaces carry more risk for safety, insurance and resale. Price the fix before you decide.

Does the seller have to disclose unpermitted work?

Washington's Form 17 asks about additions and remodels and whether required permits and inspections were obtained. Sellers should answer what they know; buyers should still verify.

Can I count rent from an unpermitted basement unit?

Treat that income as unreliable until the unit is legal. Lenders and appraisers may not count it, and legal use rules affect what you can do.

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Found work without a permit?

We pull the permit history with you, line up the right specialist and help you decide whether to price it, fix it or walk away.

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