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Hearing Notice: Proposed Ordinance 2025-0321

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METROPOLITAN KING COUNTY COUNCIL

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Proposed Ordinance 2025-0321

Building and Energy Code

 

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the Metropolitan King County Council will hold a public hearing on December 1, 2026, at 1:30 pm to consider adoption of Proposed Ordinance 2025-0321, an ordinance adopting the 2021 State building, fire, and energy codes for unincorporated King County and adopting local amendments.

 

LOCATION: King County Courthouse, 516 3rd Avenue, Room 1001, Seattle; remote public testimony on Zoom will also be accepted.

 

HOW TO COMMENT: Written comment will be accepted from 9 am on October 30, 2026, through 10 am on December 1, 2026, by sending written comments to clerk.council@kingcounty.gov. Please include the legislation number in the subject line.

 

SUMMARY: It is expected that the Council will take action on this Proposed Ordinance at the December 1, 2026, meeting.

 

The Proposed Ordinance would adopt building, energy, and fire code regulations for unincorporated King County.

 

The proposed ordinance would do the following:

  • Adopt the 2021 Washington State building codes for unincorporated King County, including the Building, Residential, Energy, Mechanical, Existing Building, Fire, and Plumbing Codes, and adopt the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code, with locally specific amendments.
  • Revise building-permit and administrative requirements, including permit exemptions and authorization for certain work before permit issuance.
  • Update electric-vehicle charging infrastructure requirements by occupancy and parking type, including revised requirements for multifamily, hotel/motel, supportive and emergency housing, townhouses, accessible spaces, and standalone parking lots; maintain application to existing buildings undergoing substantial improvement; and repeal the separate EV requirements currently in the zoning code.
  • Increase energy-efficiency requirements for commercial and larger multifamily buildings in areas including high-performance fenestration, HVAC and water-heating systems, lighting, building and site performance, renewable energy, and energy-efficiency credits.
  • Require the Permitting Division to track renewable-energy installations and exemptions.
  • Revise locally specific fire-code requirements, including provisions addressing special events, lithium-battery signage, residential sprinklers, fire flow and hydrants, and fire-apparatus access roads.
  • Update plumbing-code provisions and
  • Make technical and clarifying changes throughout Titles 16 and 17, including correcting cross-references and removing outdated, duplicative, or superseded provisions.

 

FINAL CONSIDERATION: The Council will review the Proposed Ordinance as recommended by the Council’s Local Services and Land Use Committee. Councilmembers may offer amendments to legislation for consideration by the Council. Anyone interested in the issues raised on the pieces of legislation should testify and make their views known at the public hearing on December 1, 2026.  Amendments that may be considered for adoption by the Council include, but are not limited to, any topic discussed in committee, and any amendment included in the Executive's proposed version of the legislation.

 

MORE INFORMATION on the public hearing and how to participate in public comment can be found at:  www.kingcounty.gov/council/committees/full_council.aspx.

 

Proposed Ordinance 2025-0321 is available at https://mkcclegisearch.kingcounty.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7685931&GUID=794B76B7-6422-4960-951E-51C113473722&Options=Advanced&Search=

 

This notice is also available at the Clerk’s page at www.kingcounty.gov/council/clerk/ordinances_advertised.aspx.

 

DATED at Seattle, Washington, this 30th day of October, 2026.

 

METROPOLITAN KING COUNTY COUNCIL

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON

Melani Hay

Clerk of the Council