We have a process to prioritize permitting for projects that are enrolled in eligible green building certification programs, per the City’s Priority Review Policy.

The program can be used for the following permit types:

• Work Orders (WO),
• Site Development Permits (SDEV),
• Building Permits for New Commercial Buildings (BLDCN),
• Building Permits for Commercial Alterations (BLDCA),
• Building Permits for New Residential Permits (BLDRN), and
• Building Permits for Residential Alterations (BLDRA).

This program is NOT applicable to land use permits (LU) at this time.

For help deciding which certification program and level to choose, schedule a complimentary green building consultation for your project or contact Beth Jarot, Resilient & Green Building Specialist, at (253) 208-4351 or bjarot@cityoftacoma.org.

Residential (single-family, accessory dwelling units and/or duplexes)

1. Three star or better rating through BuiltGreen OR
2. Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) OR
3. Silver or better rating through Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes OR
4. Living Building Challenge (LBC) Petal or Net Zero OR
5. Equivalent building certification programs as approved by the Director of Planning & Development Services.

Commercial (multi-family)

1. Three star or better rating through BuiltGreen OR
2. Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) OR
3. Two globes or better rating through Green Globes OR
4. Silver or better rating through LEED for Building Design and Construction OR
5. Living Building Challenge (LBC) Petal or Net Zero OR
6. Equivalent building certification programs as approved by the Director of Planning & Development Services.

1. Use an integrated design process to identify opportunities and avoid project pitfalls. Notify staff that this is a proposed green building project as early in the process as possible, preferably as part of a pre-development review.
2. Enroll in one of the eligible green building certification programs prior to building permit application.
3. Apply for a building permit online. Include building certification program enrollment/registration number as part of the project description. Upload the completed preliminary certification checklist for the applicable certification program as part of the permitting package. Items that qualify the project for priority review will be verified by staff prior to assigning the faster due date.

Apply for Tacoma Public Utilities and/or Puget Sound Energy incentives separately.

Dustin Lawrence, Development Specialist

Email: dlawrence1@cityoftacoma.org 

Phone: (253) 312-1323