What's Required in Seattle
- An SDCI electrical permit is required for any panel replacement, service upgrade, service repair or subpanel; only like-in-kind branch breakers, controls and small device swaps are exempt.
- Fees are flat by service size: $146 up to 125 A, $292 for 150-200 A, $365 for 225-350 A, plus a $55.48 administrative fee and 5 percent technology fee; 400 A and up is plan review on value.
- Contractors must hold a Washington electrical contractor license and a Seattle business license and must buy the permit themselves; owner-occupants may permit and do their own work.
- Coordinate the disconnect and reconnect with Seattle City Light for service changes or new services.
- Schedule the cover, service and final inspections (plus a feeder inspection for a subpanel); the service must pass inspection before it is energized.
- Work must comply with the 2023 Seattle Electrical Code (2023 NEC with Article 80 amendments).
- Online permits cover homes, renovations under 5,000 sq ft and services under 400 amps; larger work needs plans under Sections 80.50 and 80.51.
- Renew an expired permit within a year for one-quarter of the $292 base fee.
Do You Need a Permit to Replace an Electrical Panel in Seattle?
Yes. Seattle issues its own electrical permits through SDCI rather than the state, and the Seattle Electrical Code (Section 80.50) makes it unlawful to install, alter, repair, replace or modify electrical equipment without one. The like-in-kind exemptions cover small things such as up to five light fixtures or receptacles and branch-circuit breakers, thermostats and control components, not the service equipment, so a panel change, a service upgrade, or even a mast and meter base repair needs a permit. The good news is the price is flat and the permit is instant: SDCI's online (OTC) fee table charges $146 for a new or altered service up to 125 amps, $292 for 150 to 200 amps and $365 for 225 to 350 amps, each plus a $55.48 administrative fee and the 5 percent technology fee, and the permit prints the moment you apply in the Seattle Services Portal. A 400 amp or larger service needs a plan-review permit priced on valuation.
Seattle Electrical Panel Permit Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Panel replacement or service change up to 125 amps | Online electrical permit: $146 + $55.48 admin + 5 percent = $211.55 | Fee Subtitle Table D-15 item 6 |
| Upgrade to a 150 to 200 amp service | Online electrical permit: $292 + $55.48 + 5 percent = $364.85 | Table D-15 item 6 |
| Upgrade to a 225 to 350 amp service | Online electrical permit: $365 + $55.48 + 5 percent = $441.50 | Table D-15 item 6 |
| 400 amp service or larger | Plan-review electrical permit priced on the value of the work (Table D-14) | Table D-15 item 6; 22.900D.150.A |
| Repairing the mast or meter base only | Service repair specialty permit: $146 + $55.48 admin | Table D-15 item 3a |
| Adding a subpanel fed by a 60 to 200 amp feeder | Feeder line item $146 (plus admin); feeder inspection required | Table D-15 item 7; SDCI Electrical Permit page |
| Swapping a branch-circuit breaker, thermostat or control component like-for-like | No permit | Seattle Electrical Code 80.50(B)(3) |
How Much Does an Electrical Panel Permit Cost in Seattle?
The 2026 Fee Subtitle (Table D-15, electrical permits when plans are not required) prices a new or altered service by amperage, and the service or panel fee includes the conductors feeding the panel. The three residential tiers work out to $211.55, $364.85 and $441.50 once the $55.48 administrative fee and 5 percent technology fee are added; the most common job, a 100 amp panel replaced with a 200 amp service, is the middle tier at $364.85. Add-ons on the same permit are cheap: a Level 2 EV charger circuit at 30 to 50 amps is $52.56, a heat pump or furnace circuit at 30 to 50 amps is $43.80, and an electric heater of 3 to 15 kW is $23.36. Every online permit has a $105.12 minimum. The state Building Code Council surcharge applies to building permits, not electrical permits. Renewing an expired electrical permit costs one-quarter of the $292 base fee if done within a year. SDCI's 2026 fee summary says the electrical fee table was rewritten to remove duplicate line items and is not expected to raise costs.
Who Can Do the Work and Pull the Permit?
Any professional applying must hold a Washington State electrical contractor license and a Seattle business license, and state law requires the contractor to buy the permit for work it does on your property. Property owners may do their own work when they own and occupy the property, and SDCI's FAQ says a homeowner permit can later have a contractor added if you change your mind. Because a service change interrupts power, SDCI lists Seattle City Light among the agencies to coordinate with for service changes or new services; the panel is inspected before the service is energized. Most permits need three inspections, cover, service and final, plus a feeder inspection if you add a subpanel. Inspections are scheduled in the portal for the next available day; call your inspector between 7 and 8 a.m. on the day for a two-hour window.
When Plan Review Is Required
Online permits are for single-family homes, renovations under 5,000 sq ft and services under 400 amps. Above that, or where Sections 80.50 and 80.51 of the Seattle Electrical Code call for plans, you submit drawings through the portal and the fee follows Table D-14 on the value of the electrical work: $260 for the first $1,000 of value plus $6 per additional $100 up to $5,000. Plan-reviewed permits take up to a few weeks if no corrections are needed. Seattle currently enforces the 2023 Seattle Electrical Code, based on the 2023 NEC with local amendments in Article 80.
How to Get a Electrical Panel Permit in Seattle
Size the new service
Decide the amperage with your electrician; up to 125 A, 150-200 A and 225-350 A are online permits, while 400 A and up needs plan review and drawings.
Confirm who applies
A licensed Washington electrical contractor with a Seattle business license buys the permit for work it performs; an owner-occupant doing the work personally may take a homeowner permit.
Buy the permit in the Seattle Services Portal
Choose Permit - Trade, Construction and Land Use, select the electrical permit, list the service size and any added circuits, pay the fee, and print the permit immediately.
Coordinate with Seattle City Light
Arrange the service disconnect and reconnect with City Light before the panel change, since the utility must interrupt power for a service change.
Schedule cover, service and final inspections
Request inspections online or at (206) 684-8900 with the permit number; the service inspection must pass before the new panel is energized, and inspections are scheduled for the next available day.