Building Permits and Code Updates in Lakewood, WA Create A Faster Path for Business Success

Lakewood's Online Permit Center went live on June 16, 2025, and now handles permit applications, payments, and status updates online. The system works like tax-prep software: it walks applicants step by step through the requirements for each permit type and sends instant notifications to the applicant and city staff whenever a status changes.

With this system, applicants get a more predictable, trackable permit from application to approval, with a clear record of where each project stands.

Faster reviews are the clearest early result. Average review time is down 20% overall. In the Building division, the average time spent on a single review dropped from 1.61 hours to 0.96 hours. Planning and Engineering review times are holding steady so far.

For a business, less review time means less downtime before you can operate, hire, and open to customers. Lakewood rebuilt the process to meet state timeline requirements and to get businesses operating sooner, with fewer barriers between a plan and an open door.

Speed only helps if you also know what the City will ask for. 

"We recently completed a major update to Lakewood Municipal Code Title 12 and the City's engineering standards to make right-of-way, infrastructure, and public improvement requirements clearer and more consistent," said Angie Silva, Assistant Director of Planning and Public Works. "The current work on the consolidated use table continues that same customer-service approach by making it easier for residents, applicants, and staff to understand what uses are allowed, what standards apply, and how the code will be implemented. Together, these updates support a more predictable, transparent, and consistent permit process for both public and private projects."

Some approvals no longer require a full review. Lakewood added an over-the-counter building occupancy permit for simple, lower-risk changes, many of which can be handled in a single visit. Current over-the-counter categories include:

• Change of ownership or business name only
• Adult family home
• Water heater (gas or electric), like-for-like replacement
• Residential demolition
• Residential HVAC, like-for-like replacement
• Residential re-roof
• Residential window or door replacement, like-for-like

For a business taking over an existing space under a new name or new ownership, that means a shorter path to opening the doors instead of waiting on a full occupancy review.

Lakewood is also widening where certain businesses can locate. Under Ordinance 844, the City increased the number of zoning districts that allow breweries and brew pubs, including additional industrial areas where those uses are now permitted outright. A related change allows night work in commercial areas, letting some work happen after hours to reduce disruption to daytime business operations and traffic.

The City is also considering allowing marijuana retail businesses, a change that still requires City Council approval.

The City paired the technology with people. The permit counter at Lakewood City Hall, 6000 Main St SW, is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with no closure for lunch and walk-ins welcome. Applicants can book virtual or in-person appointments, and pre-application meetings are available for projects that need early guidance.

Call 253-512-2261 or email permits@cityoflakewood.us to reach a person who can answer your questions. Department leadership is also available to meet with prospective businesses early, before the first application is filed, to help turn a concept into a workable project.

Businesses and developers can also help shape the next round of code changes. Lakewood's 2026 Comprehensive Plan and development-regulation amendment cycle is in review now, with a City Council public hearing set for August 17, 2026 and Council action expected September 2, 2026. Many of these amendments respond directly to changes in state law.

A faster, clearer permit process is one more reason to put your next project here, alongside no local B&O tax and available commercial space. If you are evaluating a site, the City's Business Concierge can connect you with the right people before you apply. Talk to an expert or explore target areas for development across the city.