I'm planning to build an attached garage that's 35x40' with a bonus room above, but I'm curious if adding this garage will require me to bring my existing house up to code. Right now, I want to remodel the home completely but can only afford to add the garage at this moment. If it turns out that I need to do it as a detached structure, that's okay too; I just figured it would be nice to have it attached. By the way, my house is in Snohomish County, WA, and it was built in 1972.
3 Answers
Generally, you only have to bring items that you’re actually working on up to code. So for your garage, you're likely in the clear unless your project affects plumbing or electrical systems that are out of compliance. Just be prepared that if you're connecting to older systems, the inspector might require upgrades. It’s good practice to consider updating your electrical panel while you’re at it—it could save you headaches later on!
You typically won’t need to bring the rest of your house to code unless there are existing issues that the inspector might catch. If you've done any unpermitted work before, that could come up during the garage inspection and may need to be addressed. Just keep in mind that if a permitting officer sees anything they think should be updated, they could require you to fix it even if it’s not directly related to the garage.
In places like Seattle, they offer a STFI (subject to field inspection) permit for DIY jobs. It lets you work on your project and have an inspector come at different stages to check everything. If you have any doubts about what will be required during your garage project, it might be worth contacting your permitting office for more clarity—they can be surprisingly helpful!