Official website of the
City of Vancouver, Washington

Building and Development Permits

ATTENTION developers of Condominiums and Multi-Family Housing

Additional Regulations Effective August 1, 2005

• Engrossed House Bill 1848, an act relating to managing construction defect disputes involving multiunit residential buildings.
• Applicable to all multi-unit residential buildings including but not limited  buildings containing more than two attached dwelling units, including buildings containing non-residential units if the building also contains more than two attached dwelling units.
• The following classes of buildings are not subject to this bill
  • Hotels
  • Dormitories
  • Care Facilities
  • Floating homes
  • A building containing attached dwelling units that are each located on their own platted lot
  • A building in which all of the dwelling units are held under one ownership and s subject to a recorded irrevocable sale prohibition covenant.
• All applications for construction of multi-unit residential buildings must include design documents prepared and stamped by  an architect or engineer that identify the building enclosure (building enclosure documents), including but not limited to,  waterproofing, weather proofing and/or otherwise protected from water or moisture intrusion, unless a recorded irrevocable sale prohibition covenant is submitted to the City.
• Effective August 1, 2005 the City is prohibited from issuing a permit for construction or rehabilitation construction unless the building enclosure documents that contain a stamped statement by the person stamping the building enclosure design documents in substantially the following form “The undersigned has provided building enclosure documents that in my professional judgment are appropriate to satisfy the requirements of sections 1 through 10 of this act”.
• This act is applicable to all permits issued August 1, 2005 or later regardless of the application date.
• All multi-unit residential buildings shall have the building enclosure inspected by a Qualified Inspector during the course of initial construction and during rehabilitative construction.  This inspection is to be done by a third party, independent inspector
• The City shall not issue a Certificate of Occupancy until the Qualified Inspector prepares a report and submits to the building department a signed letter certifying that the building enclosure has been inspected during the course of construction or rehabilitative construction and that the construction is in substantial compliance with the building enclosure design documents.
• The City is not responsible for determining whether the building enclosure design documents or the inspections performed are adequate or appropriate to satisfy the requirements of the act.
• For a complete copy of the act, please click on www.leg.wa.gov.  Click on “legislature” then scroll down to the section that allows you to search bills, entering 1848, click search.  On next screen click on Engrossed Bill PDF version.