Development Services - Response to COVID-19

Last Modified November 15, 2020

General Operations

Although City Hall and the Development Services Permit Center are closed to walk in customers to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and minimize infections, Development Services continue to provide services over the phone and electronically.  Staff is available by phone and digitally to assist customers and answer questions.  

Contact Info - General Questions

Staff will be monitoring the Our Kirkland portal and voice mail messages during regular business hours. A response to your voicemail or Our Kirkland message will be returned within 24 hours. We appreciate your cooperation and partnership in protecting our community from further spread of COVID-19.

If you have received a notice that your permit is expiring we are offering a 45 day extension due to the Governor’s “stay at home” order. To receive the extension please call 425-587-3600 and ask to speak to a permit Technician.

Drop Box

When you must drop off a document at City Hall, you can use our Drop Box(PDF, 235KB).

Single-family Permit Submittals on Ready to Record Short Plats

New single-family permits for residences in short plats that are "ready to record" may be submitted provided certain conditions have been met.  View the COVID-19 policy(PDF, 156KB).

Construction & Inspection Policy

Washington State Department of Health accepted the Governor's plan to allow for limited openings of recreational, social, and business activities in Phase 2 of Governor Jay Inslee's Safe Start reopening plan.  Activities may not begin until businesses are able to meet the state's public health guidance.

Additional construction is open per Phase 2 guidance.  All construction, including new work, is now allowed.  All construction, including those activities for which social distancing may not be maintained and the start of new construction projects, is authorized to resume.  Adherence to the health and safety points below will be strictly enforced.

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries’ Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) will enforce the Governor’s Phase 2 COVID-19 jobsite safety and health requirements. Complaints may be submitted to the L&I Call Center (1-800-423-7233) or via e-mail to adag235@lni.wa.gov.

Occupancy Limits

The City of Kirkland is not able to assign an establishment's occupancy, capacity, or number of customers for the purpose of complying with the limits of allowed activities. The recently announced restrictions are trying to limit the capacity of what an establishment was previously capable of serving and is based on the number of customers and staff that your establishment typically accommodated prior to the COVID-19 shut down.

Example:  The International Building Codes as adopted by the State of Washington may determine that a business’s use & occupancy class has a maximum occupant load of up to 50 people. The Means of Egress and Restroom facilities for that business would be designed according to that maximum occupant load, however, the actual business in operation may only have capacity to seat 20 patrons because of exit paths, accessibility and other code requirements. Or, an office space may have a maximum occupancy of 50 people, but actually only has capacity for 10 workstations/individual offices for staff & guests. The limitation percentage given by the Governor needs to be based on (pre-COVID) “capacity” the business was set up for, rather than using the maximum occupant load for a business as defined by State or local Building & Fire codes.

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