Electrical Permit in Sammamish, WA
Permit Summary
Who Can Do the Electrical Work?
Homeowner Eligibility Rules
Washington law allows qualifying owners to perform electrical work at their own residence, farm, place of business, or other property they own without the otherwise required electrical license or certified electrician, subject to RCW 19.28.261. The exemption generally does not apply to a new building intended for rent, sale, or lease or to property offered for sale within 12 months after obtaining it. A statutory exception is available for an owner personally wiring a new residential building of up to four units when the owner submits the required affidavit, occupies one unit as a principal residence, and satisfies the law's timing conditions. Sammamish provides a Property Owner/Renter/Lessee Affidavit for qualifying owner, renter, or lessee work.
Contractor Rules
Electrical contractors and electrical workers must comply with Washington Chapter 19.28 RCW licensing and certification requirements unless a statutory exemption applies. Sammamish's electrical application process requires contractor licensing or registration information when the scope requires a licensed contractor. Qualifying owners, renters, or lessees relying on an exemption must use the City's affidavit and satisfy the applicable state-law conditions.
Permit & Plan Review
Electrical Work Covered
SMC 16.20.197 requires an electrical permit for installation, alteration, repair, replacement, modification, or maintenance of electrical systems, wiring, and electrical equipment regardless of voltage unless an exemption applies. It also expressly covers Class 1 power-limited circuits at 30 volts maximum, Class 2 and Class 3 low-voltage systems, and specified telecommunications work, including projects with more than 10 telecommunications outlets, backbone installations, certain fire-barrier or hazardous-location penetrations, and other listed telecommunications thresholds.
Plan Review Rules
The current Washington Cities Electrical Code requires plan review for specified projects, including educational, institutional, and health-care facilities subject to listed exceptions; in occupancies other than one- and two-family dwellings, installation or alteration of a service or feeder rated 100 amperes or more or addition of more than 100 amperes; systems operating at or above 600 volts; all commercial generator installations or alterations; hazardous-classified locations; switches or circuit breakers rated 400 amperes or more except in one- and two-family dwellings; projects changing at least 50% of luminaires when lighting load increases; wind-driven generators; solar photovoltaic systems; and installations that cannot be adequately described on the application. Required construction documents identify the facility and electrical work and, as applicable, include panel or switchboard schedules, riser diagrams, load and fault-current calculations, and equipment interrupting ratings.
Quick / No-Plan Permit Rules
Sammamish accepts electrical applications through MyBuildingPermit.com. The portal provides both over-the-counter applications for work that does not require review and plan-review applications. Electrical work that does not trigger the applicable plan-review thresholds can use the no-review pathway; scopes that trigger plan review must follow the review process.
Service, Panel & Utility Requirements
Service / Panel Rules
Service and panel work is permit-regulated unless a specific exemption applies. For occupancies other than one- and two-family dwellings, the Washington Cities Electrical Code requires plan review when a service or feeder rated 100 amperes or more is installed or altered or when more than 100 amperes is added, subject to the code's temporary-service exception. Service, meter-base, or panel changes that require utility-side work must also be coordinated with Puget Sound Energy.
Service Reconnect Rules
Puget Sound Energy directs customers to coordinate with its Construction Services when a meter or other PSE-owned equipment must be disconnected, reconnected, altered, upgraded, or relocated. For new or modified electric service, the customer must obtain the required local electrical inspection; PSE coordinates meter installation or energization after the municipal inspection requirements are satisfied.
Low-Voltage Rules
Sammamish generally requires a permit for installation or alteration of Class 1 power-limited circuits at 30 volts maximum and Class 2 and Class 3 systems, as well as telecommunications work meeting the City's stated thresholds. SMC 16.20.200 exempts qualifying Class 2 low-voltage wiring within a one-family dwelling or its accessory structure except wired security, fire, or smoke alarm systems, provided the wiring does not penetrate the specified garage or dwelling-unit separations. Listed wireless security systems powered by a listed Class 2 plug-in transformer within a dwelling unit are also among the City's permit exemptions.
Utility Coordination Rules
Puget Sound Energy is the electric utility serving Sammamish. Coordinate with PSE when a project requires new, modified, relocated, disconnected, or reconnected utility service or meter work. PSE's construction process requires applicable City or County electrical inspection before project completion and coordinates meter installation after municipal inspection. Utility-interactive generation must also meet serving-utility interconnection requirements.
Inspections & Permit Life
Electrical Inspection Stages
Required stages depend on the work. The Washington Cities Electrical Code requires underground inspection after trenches or ditches are prepared and wiring or raceways are installed but before backfill; rough-in inspection after framing, fireblocking, bracing, and concealed wiring are complete but before wall or ceiling membranes; any other inspections required by the code official; and final inspection after all work required by the permit is complete. Work that requires inspection must remain accessible and exposed until approved.
Permit Expiration / Inspection Interval
Under the current SMC 16.20.235 text adopted by O2024-564, a building permit and its associated ancillary permits expire two years from issuance. The 2024 ordinance deleted the former separate one-year expiration rule for standalone electrical and other ancillary permits, and the current ordinance does not state a separate standalone electrical-permit expiration period. SMC 16.20.237 allows one extension for one additional calendar year from the original permit expiration date when the required written request, approved construction schedule and management plan, plan-change limitations, and fee conditions are met; an extended permit must expire within three years of the original issuance date.
What You Need Before Applying
Requirements
Obtain the required City electrical permit before regulated electrical work unless a specific exemption applies. Apply through MyBuildingPermit.com, describe the work and project value, comply with the current Sammamish Electrical Code/Washington Cities Electrical Code and applicable NEC requirements, submit electrical construction documents when plan review is triggered, use appropriately licensed electrical professionals unless a statutory owner or employer exemption applies, and obtain required inspections.
Exemptions
SMC 16.20.200 exempts specified minor or like-in-kind electrical work, including listed cord-and-plug portable equipment, certain same-location like-in-kind replacements and repairs, temporary decorative lighting for 90 days or less, utility-owned work, and certain low-voltage wiring. Qualifying Class 2 low-voltage wiring in a one-family dwelling or its accessory structure is exempt except wired security, fire, or smoke alarm systems and only when the wiring does not penetrate the specified garage or dwelling-unit separations. Emergency equipment replacement or repair may proceed when necessary, but the permit application must be submitted by the next working business day. Exempt work must still comply with applicable codes and other laws.
Required Documents
Provide the online application information for the site, owner or applicant, work scope, project value, related permits, and contractor licensing or registration information when applicable. A qualifying property owner, renter, or lessee performing electrical work uses the City's Property Owner/Renter/Lessee Affidavit. When plan review is required, construction documents must show the electrical installation and may require switchboard and panel schedules, a riser diagram, load calculations, fault-current calculations, equipment interrupting ratings, and relevant site or penetration information. Residential solar PV projects also use the City's solar electrical permit checklist.