Home Remodeling in
Tenino, WA
Tenino already allows the full 1,000 square feet the state asks for. What it also has, and most towns do not, is a rule that your accessory dwelling has to look like your house.
Remodeling in Tenino
What building in Tenino actually involves
Tenino is a small sandstone town in south Thurston County, and its scale changes how building work gets done here. There is no large permit centre and no queue system. You deal with the city directly.
The housing reflects the town's age, with a core of older stock around the historic centre and quarry, and newer building spread out on larger parcels toward the prairie. Older homes here often need the same package of work at once: wiring, insulation, roofing and a kitchen that has not been touched in decades.
Your ADU has to match your house
This is the Tenino rule worth knowing before you spend anything on design. Under the city's land development regulations, an accessory dwelling unit must closely match the principal building's design, colour scheme and roof materials.
That is a real constraint, and it is not one that Lacey, Tumwater or Yelm impose. A modern flat-roofed studio in the back garden of a 1920s gabled house is not going to clear it. Plan the ADU as an extension of the existing house architecturally, not as a separate contemporary building.
It also has a cost implication. Matching roof materials and colour on an older house can mean sourcing to match rather than buying the cheapest current product, and that belongs in the budget from the start rather than as a surprise at submittal.
Size and count
Tenino allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot of record, with a maximum of 1,000 square feet of habitable floor area.
That 1,000 square foot figure is worth noting, because it already matches the floor state law sets. HB 1337 prohibits jurisdictions from capping an ADU below 1,000 square feet, so on size Tenino is not behind the way some larger neighbours currently look on paper. The state also requires two units per lot inside urban growth areas, with a compliance deadline of 31 December 2026, so the count is the part to confirm rather than the size.
ADUs are permitted alongside detached single-family units and open space uses. In the West Tenino zone there is an extra condition: an accessory dwelling may not be subdivided separately from the agricultural operation.
How permitting works in a small city
Building permits are required unless the work is specifically exempt, and applications are either mailed in or brought to City Hall at 149 Hodgden Street S. Payment goes with the application according to the current Consolidated Fee Schedule.
Once it is in, the Building Official reviews the application and comes back to you on anything still outstanding. That is a genuinely different experience from a larger city portal. It is more direct, and it means a clear, complete submittal is worth more here than anywhere else we work, because you are dealing with one person rather than a queue.
City Hall can be reached on (360) 264-2368.
City requirements on this page were last checked on 8 September 2026. Codes change, so confirm current standards with the city before you apply.
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Our services in Tenino
Common Questions
Remodeling in Tenino, answered
How big can an ADU be in Tenino, WA?
Tenino allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot of record with a maximum of 1,000 square feet of habitable floor area. That size cap already matches the floor set by state law under HB 1337.
Does an ADU in Tenino have to match the main house?
Yes. Tenino requires an accessory dwelling unit to closely match the principal building's design, colour scheme and roof materials. It is an unusual requirement locally and it should shape the design from the first sketch, as well as the budget, since matching materials on an older home can cost more than standard current products.
How do I apply for a building permit in Tenino?
Applications are mailed or delivered to City Hall at 149 Hodgden Street S, with payment per the current Consolidated Fee Schedule. The Building Official then reviews and advises on anything outstanding. City Hall is on (360) 264-2368.
Do you take on smaller-town projects like Tenino?
Yes. KOI Build Co works across Tenino, Rainier, Yelm, Bucoda and the wider South Puget Sound region as well as the larger Thurston County cities. Call (253) 348-1847 for a free estimate.
Planning a project in Tenino?
Free estimates, and a straight answer on what your project will cost and how long it will take.
Also serving Olympia, Tumwater and the wider South Puget Sound.