Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Concrete, Washington

Town of Concrete’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction or legalization of an accessory dwelling unit inside Town of Concrete limits.

  • Pre-existing nonpermitted ADUs must meet the same requirements as new ADUs, including zoning, parking, fire, and building-code standards.

  “An approved building permit is required to construct an ADU.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Structures within Town of Concrete limits.

  • The adopted codes include stated Washington amendments and exceptions.
  • The code specifies conflict priority among the enumerated codes.

  International Building Code edition: 2021 (With stated Washington amendments, exceptions, and listed appendices.) · International Residential Code edition: 2021 (Except Chapters 11 and 25 through 43, with listed appendices and Washington amendments.)

  “This code shall consist of the following codes which are hereby adopted by reference:”

• InspectionsRequired

  Utility-line installation or alteration for an accessory dwelling unit inside Town of Concrete limits.

  • Inspection is part of the building-permit process.

  “Any utility lines being installed or altered must have their connections inspected as part of the building permit process.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Town of Concrete limits.

  • Uses, building sites, yards, and height must conform to the applicable district regulations.

  “In order to classify, segregate, and regulate the uses of land, buildings, and structures, the town is divided into the following use districts:”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Town of Concrete limits.

  • Unclassified lands, including lands not shown on officially adopted zoning maps, are subject to Residential district restrictions pending future classification.

  “the town is divided into the following use districts:”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Overnight recreational-vehicle occupancy inside Town of Concrete limits.

  • Overnight occupancy outside an approved RV park requires an approved Town temporary visitor permit.
  • In an RV park, an RV generally may not be a permanent abode or remain more than 14 days in a 60-day period unless Town Council approves an extended-stay permit.

  standard maximum RV-park stay: <= 14 days in any 60-day period (Town Council may approve an extended-stay permit.)

  “No recreational vehicle shall remain in the park for more than 14 days in any 60-day period unless the town council approves an extended stay permit.”

• Camping on your landAllowed (with conditions)

  Tent areas in approved recreational-vehicle parks inside Town of Concrete limits.

  • The RV park must meet Town location, permit, site-plan, and design requirements.

  “Tent areas may be provided in addition to the recreational vehicle spaces.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Manufactured or modular homes on single-family residential lots in residential zones that allow single-family homes inside Town of Concrete limits.

  • The home must meet the listed dimensional, foundation, roof, siding, crawl-space, steps, HUD-insignia, zoning, and other applicable-regulation conditions.

  “A manufactured home or modular home may be allowed to be placed on a single-family residential lot within any residential zone that allows single-family homes”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Proposed projects inside Town of Concrete limits where public sewer and/or water is unavailable.

  • The proponent must extend service unless the reviewing official and all other appropriate agencies authorize an interim system.
  • The Town may require dry-line sewer installation or interim community systems managed or owned by an approved satellite management agency.

  “the proponent shall extend such service unless the reviewing official and all other appropriate agencies authorize the use of interim systems.”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

  Structures and uses inside Town of Concrete limits where public water and sewer are available.

  • Where service is unavailable, the proponent must extend service unless the reviewing official and other appropriate agencies authorize interim systems.
  • Authorized interim systems may require dry-line sewer work or an approved satellite-management agency.

  “All structures and uses require connection to public water and sewer systems where available.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Private-driveway access for middle-housing development inside Town of Concrete limits.

  • Private driveway access is permitted where a fire apparatus access road is within 150 feet of all structures and first-story exterior walls, measured by an approved route.
  • If that condition is not met, one of the listed sprinkler, two-unit, or approved-alternative-fire-protection conditions must be met.

  fire apparatus access distance: <= 150 feet (For the initial private-driveway access condition.)

  “Private driveway access shall be permitted for middle housing development with any number of units when a fire apparatus access road is within 150 feet of all structures on the lot”

• Short-term rentalsProhibited

  Accessory dwelling units inside Town of Concrete limits for rentals shorter than six months (180 days) in a calendar year.

  • This claim is limited to ADUs; it does not establish rules for other dwelling types.

  short-term-rental threshold: < 180 days in a calendar year (ADUs.)

  “ADUs shall not be used as short-term rentals (STR) for less than six months (180 days) within a calendar year.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Town building permits and plan review inside Town of Concrete limits.

  • Fees are designated in the current Town fee schedule adopted by Town Council resolution and on file with the clerk-treasurer.
  • Required plan-review fees are due with the application; building-permit fees are due before issuance.

  “Fees shall be assessed as designated in the current town of Concrete fee schedule as adopted by resolution of the town council and on file with the clerk-treasurer.”

• Permit processPartial

  Town building-permit applications inside Town of Concrete limits.

  • An application expires six months after submission.
  • A permit is valid one year after issuance; an extension may be granted by written request at 50 percent of original cost.
  • A new application and current fees are required if the permit has not been inspected and finalized within one year and six months.

  application expiration: 6 months from submission · permit validity: 1 year from issue date

  “All permit application shall expire six months from the date the application was submitted.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Concrete

Town of Concrete does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Residential (R) district inside Town of Concrete limits.

  • Accessory buildings in the rear yard have a separate 50-percent coverage limit.

  total lot coverage by buildings: <= 40 percent (R district.) · rear-yard accessory-building coverage: <= 50 percent (R district.)

  “Lot Coverage by Buildings Total lot coverage (%) | 40% | | 100% | 100% | 100% | | Accessory buildings of rear yard | 50% | | | | | |”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Concrete or Skagit County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Town of Concrete limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential construction inside Town of Concrete limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Principal single-family dwellings inside Town of Concrete limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Town of Concrete limits.
• Who permits septic — On-site sewage systems inside Town of Concrete limits.

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Concrete means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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