Metal Carports, RV Covers and Garages in Kennewick, Washington

Permit steps in Kennewick

1. Find out whether your lot is inside Kennewick city limits or in unincorporated Benton County.
2. Inside city limits, call the City of Kennewick. Ask the City which office answers zoning and setback questions and which one handles the building permit.
3. Outside city limits, call the Benton County Building Division. It issues the building permit and covers unincorporated areas only.
4. Ask three things: whether your size and height need a building permit, what setbacks apply, and what snow load and wind speed the office wants on the drawings.
5. Have your building size, leg height and the spot on your lot ready. If you order certified, we give you engineer-stamped drawings to hand in.

We have not verified an exempt size or height for the City or the County. Ask the office for its current limit. If your building is under it, ask what still applies, such as setbacks, before you pick the spot.

How permits work in general: our permit guide (written for Central Oregon; the questions to ask are the same anywhere).

Snow load & certified options

Outside city limits, the Benton County Building Division publishes a "Roof and Ground Snow Load" of 20 psf for unincorporated Benton County. County code sets 20 psf as the minimum snow load and lets the building official require more for a given site. The Building Division confirms the number for your exact address.

Our certified buildings come rated for 40, 50, 60 or 80 psf snow load. The lowest at or above the county's 20 psf is a building rated for 40 psf snow load. That is the starting point in unincorporated Benton County. We confirm the rating at order. Read more on certified buildings.

Inside Kennewick city limits, we have no city-published number to give you. It depends on your exact address and elevation. Ask the City's building department and tell us what they say.

New to certified buildings? Certified buildings made simple explains it in three steps.

Frost, wind & other local rules

These numbers come from Benton County and apply to unincorporated areas. Inside city limits, ask the City's building department for its own.

Frost: county code puts the frost line at generally 24 inches. If you pour a slab or footings, give that number to whoever does your concrete.

Wind: the county's design criteria page lists a wind speed of 110 mph. Tell us when you order, and ask the office what anchoring it wants to see.

Siding near open land: a structure within 30 feet of the property line needs non-combustible siding, soffits or skirting on the side facing more than five contiguous acres of undeveloped natural vegetation. Interior lots of platted parcels with accessible streets and a working water system are excepted. Non-combustible siding and soffit material is also required on the downhill side of a structure within 30 feet of a 15 percent or steeper grade. Ask the Building Division how this applies to your lot.

What we've delivered near Kennewick

We have two signed orders on record in Kennewick. Both are 12 ft wide by 40 ft long, one with 14 ft legs and one with 13 ft legs. Both are non-certified.