Do You Need a Permit for a Shop, Pole Barn or Detached Garage? Spokane-Area Rules by Jurisdiction (2026)

Short answer: almost every shop, pole barn or detached garage needs a building permit. The details depend on which building department covers your lot, and around Spokane that can be any of half a dozen offices. This guide covers each jurisdiction's actual numbers so you know what to expect before you draw plans.

Codes and fees change, so always confirm with the building department for your parcel. This guide is a starting point, not legal advice.

Step 1: Figure out who issues your permit

• Unincorporated Spokane County (Mead, Colbert, Nine Mile Falls, Otis Orchards, Elk, Chattaroy) plus Millwood, Rockford and Spangle: Spokane County Building & Planning, 1026 W Broadway, 509-477-3675 (1, 2)
• City of Spokane: City of Spokane Development Services
• City of Spokane Valley: Spokane Valley Permit Center
• City of Liberty Lake: Liberty Lake Building Services, 22710 E Country Vista Dr, 509-755-6704 (3)
• City of Deer Park: City of Deer Park building department (4)
• Davenport / unincorporated Lincoln County: Lincoln County Land Services, Building Division, 509-721-0539 (5)

Mead isn't a city, so a shop in Mead goes through Spokane County. Deer Park and Liberty Lake are cities with their own departments.

Step 2: Is your building small enough to skip a permit?

Spokane County's permit-exemption brochure (BP-25) exempts one-story detached accessory structures up to 200 sq ft (6). Nearly every shop, pole barn or garage is bigger than that, so plan on a permit.

Even when a building is exempt, you still have to follow setbacks, critical-area rules, lot coverage and right-of-way rules (6). A 10x20 shed 2 feet from the property line can still be a violation.

Step 3: Know the design numbers your building has to meet

These are the figures that set your truss, post and footing sizes:

• Spokane County (unincorporated): Ground snow load: 39 psf base. Parcel-specific from the SCOUT snow-load map, some areas reach 150 psf; Roof snow load (min.): 30 psf; Frost depth: 24"; Wind: 110 mph (1, 7)
• City of Spokane Valley: Ground snow load: 39 psf; Roof snow load (min.): 30 psf; Frost depth: 24"; Wind: per SVMC table (8)
• City of Deer Park: Ground snow load: 56–65 psf (per County map); Roof snow load (min.): County roof map, nonresidential min. 45 psf; Frost depth: 36"; Wind: 110 mph (4)
• Lincoln County (Davenport): Ground snow load: 50 psf; Roof snow load (min.): 40 psf; Frost depth: 30"; Wind: 85 mph (5)

The City/County joint frost policy lets detached residential accessory structures use an 18-inch footing depth instead of 24 (9). Check whether your building qualifies before you over-dig.

Step 4: Pole buildings have a prescriptive path, with limits

Spokane County's BP-32 handout gives a standard cross-section for residential and agricultural pole buildings that you can submit with your application. It only applies when:

• The truss span is 36 feet or less
• The building is 3,000 sq ft or less
• The ground snow load is 43 psf or less (30 psf roof) (10)

A 40-foot clear span, a building over 3,000 sq ft, or a lot above 43 psf (which includes all of Deer Park at 56–65 psf) falls outside the handout and needs engineered plans. The County's residential permit guidance also calls for structural or engineering documents for pole buildings (1).

BP-32 requires two inspections:

1. Footing inspection before the post holes are backfilled. The inspector checks diameter, depth and setbacks.
2. Framing and final inspection after framing, siding and roofing are done, and before you use the building (10).

Step 5: Metal (steel) buildings

Pre-engineered steel buildings come with stamped drawings from the manufacturer. The drawings have to match your parcel's snow load and wind speed, so give the supplier those numbers before you order. The foundation has to be designed for the building's column loads and anchor-bolt layout.

Step 6: Don't forget the other permits

• Electrical: Washington electrical permits come from L&I, not the building department.
• Driveway approach: Work in a public right-of-way, like a new curb cut, needs a separate right-of-way permit in cities like Liberty Lake (3).
• Grading: Large cut-and-fill jobs can trigger grading review. Ask when you apply.

Permit checklist

• Confirm your jurisdiction (table above)
• Look up your parcel's snow load (SCOUT map in Spokane County)
• Mark setbacks from property lines, septic drainfield and well
• Get engineered or prescriptive plans that match your span, size and snow load
• Draw a site plan showing the driveway and utilities
• Schedule a footing inspection before backfill or pouring
• Pass the final inspection before use

FAQ

Do pole barns require permits in Spokane County? Yes, unless it's a one-story detached structure of 200 sq ft or less. Setbacks and other land-use rules still apply (6).

Do I need a permit for a metal carport or metal garage? Same 200 sq ft threshold in Spokane County. Most carports and garages are over that and need a permit with snow-load-rated drawings.

Can I use the County's pole building handout for a 40x60? No. BP-32 maxes out at a 36-foot span and 3,000 sq ft. A 40-foot span needs engineering (10).

How deep do pole building footings go in Deer Park? The Deer Park code table lists a 36-inch frostline depth, compared with 24 inches in most of Spokane County (4).

Let us handle the permit drawings

Raven Buildings builds pole buildings, steel shops and garages throughout Spokane and Lincoln counties. Call 509-350-2016 or request a quote. See our pole buildings, steel buildings and concrete slabs and flatwork.

Sources

1. Spokane County BP-06 Residential Building Permits
2. Spokane County Building FAQ
3. City of Liberty Lake, Building Permits
4. City of Deer Park Municipal Code 15.04.010
5. Lincoln County, WA, Design Guidelines; Building Division
6. Spokane County BP-25 Permit Exemptions
7. Spokane County SCOUT map, Snow Loads layer
8. City of Spokane Valley SVMC 24.40
9. City of Spokane / Spokane County Joint Policy BUILD-07 Frost Depth
10. Spokane County BP-32 Pole Buildings