Home Remodeling in
Spanaway, WA

Because Spanaway is unincorporated, building permits and zoning questions go to Pierce County Planning and Public Works rather than to a city, and the rules that apply are the county's development regulations.

The county's About My Property tool is the quickest way to see the zoning and any regulations mapped on a specific parcel. It is the first thing worth checking before a project is designed.

Pierce County's accessory dwelling code, section 18A.37.120, sets different limits depending on whether a lot sits inside or outside the urban growth area.

Inside the urban growth area, two ADUs are allowed per lot, each up to 1,000 square feet. Outside it, one ADU is allowed, and it can be up to 1,250 square feet.

Units can be attached to the house, detached from it, or a combination. A new detached ADU cannot go within the required front, side or rear setbacks, so on a smaller lot the setbacks usually decide where a backyard unit can realistically sit.

For most remodels, whether that is a kitchen, a bathroom, a roof, a deck or new flooring, the county process runs much like a city one, just through a different office. Where it matters most is additions and accessory dwellings, because the growth area line and the county setbacks set the limits.

Confirm your parcel's zoning, and whether it sits inside the urban growth area, before choosing between one larger unit and two smaller ones. That single fact decides which option is even available.