ADU Pass
Port Orchard
ADU Pass helps homeowners in Port Orchard, Kitsap County, Washington navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. This area covers 2 ZIP codes.
Map
ADU details
ADU legality: allowed
Washington preempts most local ADU restrictions. Port Orchard permits ADUs by right in single-family zones per its zoning ordinance.
Cost scenarios
| Scenario | Sq ft | Permit | Build | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| minimum | 150 | $2,900 | $42,000 | $44,900 |
| 600 | 600 | $2,900 | $168,000 | $170,900 |
| midpoint | 675 | $2,900 | $189,000 | $191,900 |
| maximum | 1,200 | $2,900 | $336,000 | $338,900 |
Fee breakdown (as of 2026-04)
Permitting process
- Confirm zoning under POMC 20.68 / 20.32 (~3d)
Verify lot is in a zone allowing detached house, duplex, or middle-housing building type per POMC Title 20. Confirm Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) AICUZ accident-potential / noise overlay does not exclude residential intensification on the parcel. - Optional: request pre-approved ADU plan packet (~7d)
Submit Pre-Approved ADU Plans Request form to planning@portorchardwa.gov to receive free architect-stamped drawings (Lille, Sidney, Sinclair, Blakely, Salish, or Kitsap carriage house) at no cost when used without modifications. - Online application via SmartGov Public Portal (~1d)
Apply at ci-portorchard-wa.smartgovcommunity.com using the ADU permit type or Residential Building Permit type. Upload site plan, floor plans, elevations, structural calcs, WSEC 2021 energy compliance forms, geotechnical report if required, and SEPA checklist if applicable. - DCD Permit Center intake screening (~5d)
Department of Community Development Permit Center performs completeness screening at 720 Prospect Street. Custom plans get full review queue; pre-approved packets receive abbreviated review focused on site-specific elements only. - Concurrent plan review (planning, building, public works, fire) (~30d)
Planning reviews POMC 20.68 / 20.32 compliance. Building reviews IRC 2021 with Washington amendments. Public Works reviews driveway/utility connections. South Kitsap Fire & Rescue reviews access and Knox box. Typical 2 cycles for custom plans. - Permit issuance and fee payment (~3d)
Pay permit fees, plan-review fees, system development charges (SDCs) for water/sewer if applicable, and Washington State Building Code Council surcharge. Permit valid 180 days from issuance with 180-day extension available. - Construction inspections through SmartGov
Footing, foundation, framing, mechanical/plumbing/electrical rough, insulation, drywall, final. Schedule via the SmartGov portal or call inspections line. - Certificate of occupancy (~5d)
Final inspection sign-off triggers CO; ADU eligible for occupancy and rental.
Viability (permitted uses)
- Long-term rental: yes Long-term rental of ADU explicitly permitted; Washington owner-occupancy preemption (where applicable) makes ADU eligible for full landlord-tenant treatment.
- Short-term rental: with-restrictions STR rules vary by city. Port Orchard regulates STRs separately from ADU permitting; check local STR ordinance and HOA covenants.
- Office rental: with-restrictions Detached office rental requires home occupation permit or rezoning.
- Home office: yes Home occupation permitted with restrictions on signage and customer traffic.
- Studio / workshop: yes Personal artist studio is a permitted accessory use.
- Agriculture: with-restrictions Limited urban agriculture permitted in residential zones; livestock varies by district.
- Relative support: yes Family-occupancy ADU explicitly permitted in single-family zones.
Incentives
Pre-approved plans Pre-approved plans
Contacts
Staff: Permit Center - Online Permitting Support (Inspections and online permit assistance) inspections@portorchardwa.gov, Permit Center - General Feedback (Permit Center service feedback) permitcenter@portorchardwa.gov, South Kitsap Fire & Rescue (Fire access and Knox box review)
Utilities
- Water: Port Orchard Water Utility · 21d connect · $4,500
- Sewer: Port Orchard Sewer / Wastewater · 21d connect · $5,500
- Electric: Port Orchard Electric Utility · 14d connect · $1,800
- Gas: Port Orchard Gas Utility · 21d connect · $1,500
Property values & taxes
Construction timeline
Realistic total: best 7mo · typical 11mo · worst 17mo
Financing
State ADU loans:
Insurance impact
HOA prevalence & preemption
Washington enacted HOA preemption of ADU bans in Substitute House Bill 1337 (2023), which amended the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act and the Washington Horizontal Property Regimes Act to prohibit common-interest communities from banning ADUs on lots in GMA-planning jurisdictions. A homeowners' association may impose reasonable aesthetic or architectural standards, but may not categorically prohibit ADUs.
Regulatory overlays (2)
- flood-zone
Port Orchard has FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas; elevation certificates and flood-resistant construction required for SFHA parcels. - historic-district
Port Orchard historic districts trigger Architectural Review Board / Historic Preservation Commission review for ADUs in historic boundaries.
Technical envelope (climate & building code)
Climate & energy code
Building code
Amendments:
- Amendment
- Amendment
Legal history (timeline)
Current ordinance: Port Orchard Municipal Code Chapter 20.68 (Accessory Dwelling Units) and Chapter 20.32 (Building Types - backyard cottage), adopted 2017-06-13, last amended 2024-12-10
- 2017-06-13 — Port Orchard form-based code adoption (Ordinance 016-17) (city-ordinance)
Adoption of the form-based POMC Title 20 framework, including Chapter 20.32 Building Types defining the 'backyard cottage' building type alongside detached house, duplex, and cottage court.
Effect: Established backyard cottages as a regulated building type and laid the structural basis for the dedicated ADU chapter (POMC 20.68) added in subsequent updates. - 2023-05-08 — Washington EHB 1337 statewide ADU enabling act (state-law)
Required GMA-planning cities >= 2,500 population (Port Orchard qualifies) to allow two ADUs per single-family lot, drop owner-occupancy, eliminate parking minimums within 1/2 mile of major transit, and allow up to 1,000 sqft.
Effect: Triggered Port Orchard's 2024-2025 Development Regulations Update for Middle Housing and ADUs. - 2024-12-10 — Port Orchard Development Regulations Update - Middle Housing and ADUs (POMC 20.32 / 20.68 amendments) (city-ordinance)
Amendments to POMC 20.32 (Building Types) and POMC 20.68 (Accessory Dwelling Units) bringing local code into compliance with HB 1110 (middle housing) and EHB 1337 (ADUs).
Effect: Allowed two ADUs per lot, removed owner-occupancy requirement, set 1,000 sqft maximum for backyard cottages, and removed off-street parking mandate near transit corridors. - 2025-05-15 — Pre-Approved ADU Plans program launch (Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council partnership) (city-ordinance)
Port Orchard joined the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council's free pre-approved ADU plan catalog, offering six designs (Lille 480sf, Sidney 600sf, Sinclair 800sf 1-story, Blakely 800sf 2-story, Salish 1000sf, Kitsap 672-834sf carriage house).
Effect: Provides homeowners free architect-stamped plans usable without modification, dropping plan-review effort and reducing soft costs by an estimated $8,000-15,000 per project.
Kitsap County — county ADU rules and overlays
County ADU ordinance
Kitsap County regulates accessory dwelling units on parcels in unincorporated Kitsap through Kitsap County Code (KCC) Title 17 (Zoning), with procedural administration in KCC Title 21 (Land Use and Development Procedures). Kitsap is a fully GMA-planning county under RCW 36.70A.040 and therefore sits under the state's HB 1337 (2023) preemption floor at RCW 36.70A.680-.681; the county's local ADU standards must conform to that floor within urban growth areas.
State-floor overlay: Within Kitsap's urban growth areas, the state ADU floor at RCW 36.70A.680-.681 applies: at least two ADUs per lot, no owner-occupancy requirement, no stricter setbacks than for the primary residence, and allowance for condominium sale of ADUs. Outside urban growth areas (rural zones governed by KCC Title 17), the county retains broader discretion subject to general GMA consistency requirements.
County regulatory overlays
Kitsap County administers critical-areas and shoreline overlays that cut across multiple jurisdictions and materially affect ADU siting. The county's critical-areas ordinance is in KCC Title 19 and covers wetlands, fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas, frequently flooded areas, geologically hazardous areas, and critical aquifer recharge areas. The county's Shoreline Master Program governs development within 200 feet of Puget Sound shorelines under the Shoreline Management Act (RCW 90.58).
- Kitsap County Critical Areas Ordinance — Regulates development within designated critical areas. An ADU proposed on or near a mapped critical area requires a critical-areas report prepared by a qualified professional and may require buffer averaging or reasonable-use authorization.
- Kitsap County Shoreline Master Program (SMP) — Applies to shorelines of statewide significance, shorelines of the state, and shorelands within 200 feet of the ordinary high-water mark on Puget Sound and other jurisdictional water bodies in Kitsap. An ADU within the shoreline jurisdiction requires a Shoreline Substantial Development Permit unless specifically exempt.
- FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) — Kitsap participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and enforces FEMA-mapped SFHAs through the county floodplain-management ordinance. An ADU proposed in a Zone A, AE, or VE area faces elevation, venting, and anchoring requirements that materially change construction cost.
- Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) / Wildland Fire Hazard — Washington adopted a statewide WUI code effective July 2023. Kitsap enforces WUI construction requirements on parcels mapped as moderate, high, or extreme wildland-fire hazard. ADUs on mapped WUI parcels require ignition-resistant construction measures that affect cladding, roofing, vent protection, and defensible space.
- Critical Aquifer Recharge Areas (CARA) — Kitsap relies substantially on groundwater; CARA overlays restrict certain uses and may require enhanced on-site sewage system design or connection to public sewer for a new ADU, depending on the underlying zone and CARA category.
County permitting (unincorporated parcels)
Permits for ADUs on parcels in unincorporated Kitsap County are issued by the Kitsap County Department of Community Development (DCD). DCD operates a combined permit intake for planning review (zoning / critical-areas conformance) and building review (International Residential Code / Washington State amendments). Incorporated cities inside Kitsap (Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, Port Orchard, Poulsbo) handle their own ADU permits through their own departments and are NOT covered by this unincorporated-permitting record.
Washington state — ADU law and programs
State ADU law
Washington preempts local ADU regulation in urban growth areas of cities and counties subject to the Growth Management Act through Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1337 (2023), codified principally at RCW 36.70A.680-.681. Cities and counties planning under the GMA must allow at least two ADUs per lot in urban growth areas, must not require owner-occupancy, must not impose minimum-lot-size or setback rules stricter than those for the primary residence, and must allow ADUs to be sold separately as condominiums. Related House Bill 1110 (2023), codified at RCW 36.70A.635, requires 'middle housing' (duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes) in most residential zones of large cities.
- RCW 36.70A.680 — Accessory dwelling units — Requirements for cities and counties planning under this chapter — Sets the minimum entitlement floor for ADUs in GMA-planning jurisdictions: at least two ADUs per lot in urban growth areas, no owner-occupancy requirement, no stricter setback or lot-coverage rules than for the primary residence, no parking requirements within a half-mile of major transit stops, and no prohibition on selling an ADU separately as a condominium.
- RCW 36.70A.681 — Accessory dwelling units — Design, size, and aesthetic standards — Caps what local governments may require in ADU design and size standards. Maximum ADU size must be at least 1,000 square feet in most zones. Street-facing facades and aesthetic review may not be used to categorically prohibit ADUs.
- RCW 36.70A.696 — Accessory dwelling units — Definitions — Statutory definitions of 'accessory dwelling unit,' 'attached accessory dwelling unit,' 'detached accessory dwelling unit,' 'owner,' and 'urban growth area' used by RCW 36.70A.680-.681.
- RCW 36.70A.635 — Middle housing — Cities planning under this chapter — HB 1110 (2023). Requires cities over specified population thresholds to allow duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhouses, cottage housing, and stacked flats in most residential zones. Interacts with ADU law because ADUs and middle housing both contribute to the state's response to the GMA's housing element.
State HOA preemption
Washington enacted HOA preemption of ADU bans in Substitute House Bill 1337 (2023), which amended the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act and the Washington Horizontal Property Regimes Act to prohibit common-interest communities from banning ADUs on lots in GMA-planning jurisdictions. A homeowners' association may impose reasonable aesthetic or architectural standards, but may not categorically prohibit ADUs.
- RCW 64.38.057 — Homeowners' associations — Accessory dwelling units — Prohibits a homeowners' association governing a plat within a GMA-planning city or county from recording or enforcing a provision that prohibits the construction, use, or rental of an accessory dwelling unit on a lot. Reasonable design guidelines consistent with RCW 36.70A.681 remain enforceable.
State financing programs
The Washington State Housing Finance Commission (WSHFC) administers state-level housing finance programs. Washington does not currently operate an ADU-specific statewide grant or forgivable-loan program comparable to California's CalHFA ADU Grant, but several state programs can be used for ADU construction when program criteria are met.
State housing programs
Washington supports ADU implementation through Department of Commerce technical assistance and grant programs rather than through a single statewide pre-approved-plan catalog. The state provides model ADU code under the GMA, distributes GMA update grants to help jurisdictions comply with RCW 36.70A.680-.681, and has produced ADU guidance documents for local governments.
Federal (United States) — ADU-relevant rules and programs
Federal ADU law
The United States has no federal statute that directly regulates accessory dwelling unit entitlement or design. Land-use authority over ADUs resides with states and local governments under the traditional police power. Federal engagement is limited to financing (Fannie/Freddie/FHA/VA/USDA), flood insurance (FEMA/NFIP), and discretionary housing programs (HUD), which are recorded in sibling sections of this file.
Federal financing programs
Federal housing-finance agencies and GSEs set nationwide underwriting rules that govern whether an ADU can be financed, appraised, and counted toward mortgage qualifying income. The relevant actors are Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA (HUD), VA, and USDA Rural Development.
Federal tax credits
There is no ADU-specific federal tax credit. ADUs may incidentally qualify for existing federal energy-efficiency and clean-energy tax credits when the ADU construction includes qualifying measures.
Federal housing programs
HUD administers several discretionary programs that can fund ADU-related activity at the grantee's election, but none is an ADU-specific program.
ZIP Codes
- 98366
- 98367
Post Office
- 1125 Bethel Ave, 98366