Seattle ADU Intake & Application
Intake is the moment Seattle accepts your ADU permit application as complete enough to assign to reviewers. You upload drawings and forms to the city's online portal, the city verifies the package against its intake checklist, and either accepts it for review or rejects it back for missing items.
Last verified 2026-05-15
| Typical timeline | 1–2 weeks |
|---|---|
| Direct city fees | $500–$1,500 |
| Reviewing department | SDCI |
| Submittal portal | https://cosaccela.seattle.gov/portal/ |
Timeline and fee ranges are project-level averages aggregated from public data and Golden State ADU project history. Authoritative current numbers live in the Seattle published fee schedule and the city's permit portal — verify before budgeting.
What intake & application actually means in Seattle
Permit intake is the administrative front door. Reviewers do not read your plans yet — an intake coordinator checks that the application form, owner authorization, site plan, floor plans, and required reports are present, named correctly, and use the file formats the city expects.
If the package is complete, Seattle routes it into the review queue and your "weeks in review" clock starts. If it is incomplete, the package bounces back. Bounce-backs do not just lose the day you submitted — they push you to the back of the intake queue.
For ADUs specifically, intake usually wants to see scope (AADU vs DADU vs garage conversion), site plan with setbacks and existing structures, dimensional floor plans, and basic project data (height, lot coverage, parking). Energy and structural details often arrive later, but the project description must already match what the zoning code allows.
SEATTLE NOTE
Seattle SDCI applications go through the Seattle Services Portal. SDCI's published guidance walks applicants through research, pre-application, application, intake, review, issuance, and inspections as a single pipeline — intake is the gate between application and review.
Why Seattle intake & application hits the high end
- 01Whether the application form, owner authorization, and contractor information are filled in correctly the first time
- 02Whether plans use the city's required file naming and PDF page sizes
- 03Whether a pre-application or pre-submittal meeting is required for the project type
- 04Backlog at the intake desk in peak permit season
Where the dollars actually come from
- 01Most cities collect an application or intake fee at this step; the larger plan review fee usually invoices after intake
- 02Pre-application meetings, when required, may have their own fee
- 03Re-intake after a rejected submittal is generally free, but consultant time to fix the package is not
Exact dollar amounts vary by project. Use the Seattle fee schedule linked below for the current numbers.
Common homeowner mistakes
Cities update their submittal checklists. Pulling last year's checklist almost guarantees a rejection at intake.
Most intake desks reject submittals where plan sheets are not named per the city's standard or are uploaded as a single oversized PDF.
If setbacks, height, lot coverage, or unit count obviously violate the underlying code, intake will catch it before review and ask you to fix the application first.
Intake & Application checklist
These are typical artifacts for an ADU project at this phase in Washington cities. Exact requirements depend on the project and the current Seattle submittal checklist — verify with the city before submitting.
- Completed permit application form (with parcel ID and project address)
- Owner authorizationRequired when a contractor or designer applies on the owner's behalf.
- Site planExisting and proposed structures, setbacks, easements, lot lines, and dimensions.
- Floor plansDimensions, room labels, doors/windows, and stair locations.
- ElevationsAll sides, with overall height and grade.
- Project data sheetLot size, lot coverage, FAR, parking, height, and ADU type.
- Address verificationSome cities require a new address request for a DADU prior to intake.
When to call a pro
Bring in a designer or ADU-experienced contractor before intake — fixing intake bounce-backs in Seattle is almost always slower than getting the submittal right the first time.
Seattle Intake & Application questions
How long does Seattle ADU intake & application take?
For an ADU project in Seattle, WA this phase typically runs 1–2 weeks. Complex sites, missing reports, first-time submittals, or busy permit seasons trend toward the upper end. Resubmittals reset the clock for that round. These ranges are project-level averages — verify the current published timeline with Seattle for your specific project.
What does intake & application cost in Seattle?
Direct Seattle fees for this phase typically run $500–$1,500. That excludes designer/consultant time, impact fees, side-sewer / utility connection charges, and inspection fees that may apply separately. The authoritative current numbers live in the Seattle published fee schedule.
Go deeper: Read the Seattle MFTE for ADUs: do you qualify? (2026) guide
Which Seattle department handles intake & application?
SDCI handles this phase; submittals and status live in https://cosaccela.seattle.gov/portal/. See Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections (SDCI): https://www.seattle.gov/sdci/permits/common-projects/accessory-dwelling-units.
Go deeper: Read the Seattle MFTE for ADUs: do you qualify? (2026) guide
What's the most common reason intake & application stalls in Seattle?
Wrong file naming, missing owner authorization, and a site plan that disagrees with the underlying zoning are the usual stall causes in Seattle. We pre-screen every submittal against the current Seattle checklist before it goes to the city.
Go deeper: Read the Seattle MFTE for ADUs: do you qualify? (2026) guide
Do I need a contractor or designer for Seattle intake & application?
Not legally required for owner-applicants, but in Seattle every ADU permit eventually touches building, land use, fire, and public works review tracks. A designer of record is effectively required because review comments are technical and time-bound.
Go deeper: Read the Seattle electrical panel upgrade for ADUs: 100A to 400A (2026) guide
How do I check Seattle permit status during intake & application?
Seattle publishes live status inside https://cosaccela.seattle.gov/portal/. The same record carries application data, review comments, fee balances, and (after issuance) inspection results.
Go deeper: Read the Seattle SDCI ADU permit process, step by step (2026) guide
Seattle permit sources we used
Every claim on this page about Seattle permits, fees, portals, or departments traces to an official city or zoning-code source. Numbers in the at-a-glance table come from our project history and public data; verify current values with the city before budgeting.
- Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections (SDCI) · city pageAccessory Dwelling Unit — SDCI
Defines AADU vs DADU in Seattle, lists the permit types required, and links to current standards.
Accessed 2026-06-03
- SDCI · help articleHow Do You Get a Permit?
Seattle's general permit pipeline: research, pre-app, application, intake, review, issuance, inspections.
Accessed 2026-06-03
- City of Seattle · portalSeattle Services Portal
Official submittal portal for SDCI permits, document uploads, and corrections.
Accessed 2026-06-03
- SDCI · fee scheduleHow Much Will Your Permit Cost?
Seattle base permit cost drivers: project size/complexity, value of work, review time, inspections, technology fees.
Accessed 2026-06-03