Metal Carports, RV Covers, Garages and Shops in Moses Lake, Washington

Permit steps in Moses Lake

1. Check which side of the city line you are on. The city's Parcel Information Lookup shows zoning and jurisdictional boundaries.
2. Inside city limits, call City of Moses Lake Development Services. It handles building permits and inspections.
3. Outside city limits, call the Grant County Building Division in Ephrata. The county Planning Division reviews the same submittal for land use.
4. For a city accessory structure application, bring a site plan showing the entire parcel, all property lines and building setback distances.
5. Bring the engineer-stamped drawings that come with a certified building. The city enforces the 2021 International Residential Code with Washington amendments.

In unincorporated Grant County, one-story detached tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses are exempt up to 200 square feet, measured from the outside corners of the supporting structure, with overhangs of 18 inches or less. The handout gives no height in feet and does not name carports, so ask. An exempt structure must still follow the code and other county laws. In the city, ask Development Services about a permit for any structure attached to the residence.

Before you order, ask your local building officials three things: whether a small open carport is exempt from a permit, whether a building of exactly 200 square feet needs one, and what wind speed they want on the drawings. That is Grant County outside city limits and City of Moses Lake Development Services inside.

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

Snow load & certified options

The City of Moses Lake publishes a roof snow load of 20 psf and a ground snow load of 30. Grant County's design criteria list a ground snow load of 30 and call the 20 a roof live load. The building department confirms the number for your exact address.

Our certified buildings come rated for 40, 50, 60 or 80 psf snow load. The lowest one at or above the published numbers is 40, so a building rated for 40 psf snow load is the starting point. We confirm the rating at order. A certified building comes with engineer-stamped drawings for the building department.

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

Frost, wind & other local rules

Frost depth is 18 inches in both the city and the county. The county measures from the bottom of the footing or pier to finished grade. It does not require frost protection for free-standing light-frame accessory structures of 600 square feet or less with eaves 10 feet or lower. For other construction the limit is 400 square feet.

In the county, carport and garage slabs exposed to weather need concrete with a compressive strength of at least 3,000 lbs, air entrained 5% to 7%. See site prep.

Grant County's residential design wind speed is 110 mph ultimate, and it reads flood hazard from FEMA maps. The city's development code (Chapter 15.427) also sets height limits for structures in certain areas. Ask about all three before ordering a tall building.

What we've delivered near Moses Lake

We have two orders on record in Moses Lake. Both are 12 feet wide by 21 feet long with 12-foot legs, non-certified. That size is 252 square feet, which is over Grant County's 200 square foot exemption limit for sheds and similar uses, so ask about a permit first. Then get a free estimate.