Port Orchard permit guide
Building an ADU in Port Orchard: what the permit rules say
Quoted from Port Orchard's own pages, with the date we read them: October 13, 2026.
Short answer
Permit required
In Port Orchard you apply for an ADU building permit online through the City's Permit Center, and the permit is issued after site plan review. For a pre-approved detached ADU, the City's zoning sheet allows no more than two ADUs per lot, with a 25-foot maximum height and minimum lots of 6,000 square feet in R1 or 5,000 square feet in R2 and R3. Source [2]Source [3]Source [5]
The rule, quoted
The City's "ADU Residential Zoning Requirements" sheet is for pre-approved detached ADUs. It opens with:
The location and number of ADUs per lot may be determined by zoning requirements. The total number of dwelling units, inclusive of ADUs, may not exceed the zoning district’s maximum unit density.
The sheet's figures:
- Minimum lot size: 6,000 sq ft in Residential 1 (R1); 5,000 sq ft in Residential 2 (R2) and Residential 3 (R3). Source [2]
- Number of ADUs per lot: no more than two. A footnote adds that two ADUs are permitted in R1 in conjunction with a detached house. Source [2]
- Maximum hard surface coverage per lot: 50% in R1, 70% in R2, 80% in R3. Source [2]
- Height: 25 ft maximum. Source [2]
- Setbacks and separation: rear 10 ft minimum (2 ft minimum allowed when abutting an alley); side street 5 ft minimum; side interior 5 ft minimum; primary street 10 ft minimum; building separation 10 ft minimum. Source [2]
The City's how-to guide adds:
You may not occupy the ADU until it has passed the final inspection, and a certificate of occupancy has been issued by the City.
What to submit
The City's guide says to apply online, select the options for your plan, upload the required site plan, and pay the "basic plan review fee" (currently $225). Source [3] The site plan must at a minimum show: Source [3]
- property lines
- setbacks
- existing structures
- utilities
- septic system, if you have one
- proposed ADU location
- significant trees (larger than 18” diameter at breast height)
- existing impervious surfaces
- proposed impervious surfaces
Worth knowing
- "Anyone can use a preapproved ADU plan in Port Orchard at no cost, as long as no modifications are made." Source [1]
- The City published a fee estimate dated July 28, 2025, "SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE", for a 1-story, 1 bedroom, 600 square foot ADU on a Community Basic Plan: estimated building permit fees $1,675.55, impact fees $5,912.35, total $7,587.90. Source [4]
- The City says that estimate does not include utility connection fees, and that "Final permit fees will be calculated at the time of payment." Source [1]
- "Building permits expire after 6 months unless an inspection is completed. For each inspection, your permit will be extended for an additional 6 months." Source [3]
- The guide asks you to check for "critical areas (wetlands, streams, or steep slopes) on the site that could require additional reporting or ADU plan customization." Source [3]
- "Port Orchard does not issue electrical permits. Contact State L&I for information." Source [4]
- The ADU application is found "in the list of permit applications" in the Permit Center's Online Permit Guide. Source [5]
Sources
Where this comes from
Compiled from Port Orchard's published rules; last checked
JKM pulls the permit as part of the job
Call Ian Laughlin at (206) 226-1988, or send the address and the scope. We find the right office and take it from there.