There is adopted by the board of county commissioners the State Building Code consisting of those codes as delineated by RCW 19.27.031 including those amendments to those codes as set out in this chapter.
(Res. 2013-49 (part), 6/25/13; Res. 2016-67 (part), 7/19/16)
Replace with:
Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this code as amended shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and each person, firm or corporation shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for each and every day or portion thereof during which any violation of any provision of this code as amended is committed, continued, or permitted, and upon conviction of any such violation, such person, firm or corporation shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $500.00 or by imprisonment for not more than ninety (90) days.
(Res. 2013-49 (part), 6/25/13; Res. 2016-67 (part), 7/19/16)
(1) 
The Chelan County hearing examiner is hereby designated as the Chelan County building code board of appeals.
(2) 
The board of appeals has the authority to determine the suitability of alternate materials and methods of construction or fire safety protection, and to provide for reasonable interpretations of the IBC, IRC, IMC, IFC, ISPSC and this title; provided, that the board of appeals does not have the authority to interpret the administrative provisions of this code or those codes referenced in Section 3.04.010, nor shall the board of appeals have the authority to waive the requirements of this code or the codes referenced in Title 3. The board of appeals has broad authority and discretion to impose conditions determined necessary to implement the purposes of this title.
(3) 
Appeals to the board of appeals shall comply with Section 14.12.010. Review of applications for appeals shall be in accordance with Section 14.10.040. All appeals to the board of appeals shall be open record appeals. Decisions of the board of appeals shall be in writing and filed with the building official and served on the appellant(s) and respondent(s), if any. The board of appeals may adopt rules and procedures for conducting appeal proceedings. There shall be no administrative appeal of a decision of the board of appeals and such decision shall be final and conclusive unless appealed to the superior court in accordance with Section 14.12.020.
(Res. 2013-49 (part), 6/25/13; Res. 2016-67 (part), 7/19/16; Res. 2019-128 (Exh. A)(part), 12/10/19)
Replace IBC Section 105.5 and IRC Section R105.5 with:
Section 105.5, R105.5 Expiration.
A.
Every building permit issued shall expire two years from the date of issuance.
(a)
The building official is authorized to approve a request for an extended expiration date, for commercial related permits where a construction schedule is provided by the applicant and approved by the building official or designee prior to permit issuance.
(b)
Every permit may be renewed for a period of one year beyond the original expiration date for an additional fee equal to 50 percent of the original building permit fee, as long as no changes have been made to the originally approved plans and new building codes have not been adopted. Renewals must be applied for prior to the expiration date of the original permit. No building permit shall be renewed more than once.
(Res. 2013-49 (part), 6/25/13; Res. 2016-67 (part), 7/19/16; Res. 2019-128 (Exh. A)(part), 12/10/19)
The fee for each permit shall be as set forth in the Chelan County community development fee schedule.[1] The Chelan County community development fee schedule shall be reviewed and approved via separate resolution by the board of Chelan County commissioners.
(Res. 2013-49 (part), 6/25/13; Res. 2016-67 (part), 7/19/16)
[1]
Code reviser’s note: Additional fire prevention and investigation department fees can be found in Section 3.25.010.
(1) 
Amend Section 101.1, Title:
These regulations shall be known as the Fire Code of the County of Chelan, hereinafter referred to as “this code.”
(2) 
Delete Section 105.6.32, Open Burning.
(3) 
Sections 503.1.1 through 503.1.3 of the International Fire Code, 2018 Edition, are hereby adopted. Section 503.2 is not adopted. Refer to Title 15.30 for road specifications. Sections 503.3 through 506.6 of the International Fire Code, 2018 Edition, are hereby adopted.
(4) 
Section 308.1.4, Open-flame cooking devices. Revised to read:
308.1.4 Open-flame cooking devices. Charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices shall not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10 feet (3048 mm) of combustible construction.
Exceptions:
1.
One- and two-family dwellings.
2.
Where buildings, balconies and decks are protected by an automatic sprinkler system.
3.
LP-gas cooking devices having LP-gas container with a water capacity not greater than 2 1/2-pounds [nominal 1-pound (0.454 kg) LP-gas capacity].
(5) 
Section 503.1.2, Additional access. Revised by adding a second paragraph:
Whenever a proposed development, or portion thereof exceeds the thresholds set by Chelan County Code 15.30.230, provisions for at least two ingress-egress routes must be supplied, as required by Chelan County Code 15.30. The Fire Code Official is authorized to require additional fire prevention/fighting requirements if no secondary access is practical due to geographic or topographic features.
(6) 
Add new Section 507.2.3 to read:
507.2.3 Fire Protection Credits. The fire code official is authorized to promulgate policies/procedures applying fire protection measure alternatives as credits to meet the fire flow requirements as determined by this section.
(7) 
Section 507.5.1, Where required. Revised to read:
Fire hydrant locations shall be determined by the fire marshal, in coordination with the water purveyor. The fire marshal may use Appendix C of the International Fire Code as a guide when determining fire hydrant locations subject to the following exceptions:
(a)
Fire hydrants serving single-family or duplex dwellings shall have a maximum lateral spacing of one thousand feet with no lot in excess of five hundred feet from a fire hydrant when serving lots greater than forty-three thousand five hundred sixty square feet (one acre).
(b)
Fire hydrants serving single-family or duplex dwellings shall have a maximum lateral spacing of six hundred feet with no lot in excess of three hundred feet from a fire hydrant when serving lots less than forty-three thousand five hundred sixty square feet (one acre).
(c)
Fire hydrants serving commercial developments shall have a maximum lateral spacing of three hundred feet with no lot in excess of one hundred fifty feet from a fire hydrant.
For dead-end streets or roads, the fire marshal may make adjustments to the lateral spacing requirements to facilitate locating the fire hydrant at or near the intersection and fire hydrants shall be located at or near street intersections whenever possible.
All fire hydrants shall be accessible to the fire department by roadways or accesses meeting the requirements of Chapter 15.30, Road Standards, and the requirements of this Section.
When fire hydrants cannot be installed in conformance with this chapter, the fire marshal shall confer with the water purveyor and provide for alternate locations as allowed by the IFC.
(8) 
Section 507.5.3, Private fire service mains and water tanks. Revised to read:
Private fire service mains and water tanks shall be periodically inspected, tested and maintained in accordance with NFPA 25 at the following intervals:
1.
Private fire hydrants of all types: Inspection annually and after each operation; flow test and maintenance annually.
2.
Fire service main piping: Inspection of exposed, annually; flow test every 5 years.
3.
Fire service main piping strainers: Inspection and maintenance after each use.
Records of inspections, testing and maintenance shall be reported utilizing the automated reporting system in use by Chelan County - Department of Fire Prevention & Investigation within 14 days of service.
(9) 
New Section 507.5.7, Fire Hydrant Installation and maintenance requirements:
Fire Hydrant Installation and Maintenance Requirements. The standards contained in this section apply to all new fire hydrant installations and to replacement of existing hydrants on public water systems that are required by the IFC to provide fire flow:
(A)
The installation of all fire hydrants shall be in accordance with sound engineering practices and supplied by mains as prescribed by this chapter. Fire hydrants shall be installed, tested and charged prior to the start of building construction, unless otherwise approved by the fire marshal.
(B)
All fire hydrants shall be accessible to the fire department by public or private roads or approved fire apparatus access roads meeting the requirements of this chapter.
(C)
Approval of fire hydrant types must be obtained prior to installation from the water purveyor or, in the absence of a water purveyor, from the fire marshal.
(D)
All elements of fire hydrant installation including water mains, pipes, valves and related components shall conform to the UFC, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 24 Standard for the Installation of Private Fire Service Mains and Their Appurtenances, 2016 Edition, and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) C502-94 Standard for Dry-Barrel Fire Hydrants.
(E)
Fire hydrants shall conform to AWWA 502-80 Standard for Dry-Barrel Fire Hydrants for post-type, dry-barrel, self-draining hydrants suitable for at least a fifty-four-inch depth. Each hydrant shall be equipped with a six-inch inlet, a minimum valve opening of five and one-fourth inches, two - two and one-half-inch NST hose connections, and one four-inch Pacific Coast Thread (PCT) pumper port. All valves and caps shall open counterclockwise and have one - one and one-half-inch flat point pentagon operation and cap nuts. Hydrants shall be breakaway traffic models. When two-port fire hydrants are replaced, they shall be replaced with three-port hydrants.
(F)
Quick coupling type steamer port fittings as approved by the fire marshal shall be provided on new fire hydrants when required by the local fire district.
(G)
Hydrants shall stand plumb and be set to the finished grade. The bottom of the lowest outlet shall be no less than eighteen inches above the grade. There shall be a thirty-six-inch radius of clear area around the hydrant for the operation of a fire hydrant wrench on the outlets and the control valve. The pumper port shall face the street, or where the street cannot be clearly identified, the port shall face the most likely route of approach of the fire truck while pumping, as determined by the fire marshal. The fire hydrant shall be installed within fifteen feet from the street or access roadway.
(H)
Fire hydrants shall be a minimum of fifty feet from a commercial structure to be served and no further than one hundred feet from a fire department connection if present.
(I)
The fire hydrant lateral shall be designed to deliver the required fire flow.
(J)
Fire hydrants shall not be obstructed by structures, fences, the parking of vehicles, or vegetation. Fire hydrant visibility shall not be impaired within a distance of seventy-five feet in any direction of vehicular approach to the fire hydrant.
(K)
Fire hydrants subject to possible vehicular damage shall be adequately protected with guard posts in accordance with the IFC.
(L)
Fire hydrants shall be provided along public and private access roads, and when practical shall be located at street intersections.
(M)
Fire hydrant systems shall be maintained in an operative condition at all times and shall be repaired where defective. Additions, repairs, alterations and servicing shall be in accordance with approved standards. Fire hydrant systems shall be subject to such periodic tests as required by the fire marshal.
(N)
When any portion of the facility or building protected is in excess of one hundred fifty feet from a water supply on a public street, as measured by an approved route around the exterior of the facility or building, on-site fire hydrants and mains capable of supplying the required fire flow shall be provided.
(O)
The fire district may, in accordance with an agreement with the water purveyor, test fire hydrants for flow capability and may color code tops of existing public and private fire hydrants, with the proper notification to the water purveyor. For all new fire hydrant installations, either public or private, the developer shall color code the tops of the fire hydrant(s) to designate the level of service being provided by the fire hydrant. Color coding for existing and new fire hydrants shall be in accordance with the following:
Light Blue
1,500 GPM or greater
Green
1,000 to 1,499 GPM
Orange
500 to 999 GPM
Red
Less than 500 GPM
Black
Private
(P)
Internal maintenance of public fire hydrants shall be the responsibility of the recognized water purveyor. Private fire hydrants and mains shall be protected and maintained by the owners in accordance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 24 Standard for the Installation of Private Fire Service Mains and Their Appurtenances.
(Q)
The water purveyor shall submit documentation to the fire marshal indicating which entity is responsible for proper installation, operation and maintenance of fire protection facilities associated with public water systems. The statement shall also indicate which fire district or utility is responsible for repair and maintenance of fire hydrants in unincorporated Chelan County.
(R)
Vehicles shall not be parked within fifteen feet of a fire hydrant or fire department connection or a fire protection system control valve.
(10) 
New Section 507.5.8, Water main specifications:
The following requirements shall apply to all water main construction except for those systems served by a public water purveyor that requires alternative water main specifications:
(A)
New or replaced water mains providing fire flow shall be a minimum of six inches in diameter and be designed to deliver fire flow required by the IFC. All dead end water mains in excess of fifty feet which provide fire flow shall be a minimum eight inches in diameter.
(B)
When existing water mains are replaced, replacement mains shall be sized to meet minimum fire flow requirements.
(11) 
New Section 507.5.9, Compliance Procedures:
Compliance requirements prior to final approval of activities subject to this chapter include:
(A)
Water system plans and specifications, consistent with this chapter, and stamped by a registered professional engineer shall be submitted to the Chelan County Department of Fire Prevention and Investigations and the Chelan County Public Works Department.
(B)
Water system plans shall be approved by the water purveyor or, in the absence of a water purveyor, by the fire marshal.
(C)
The approved water system must be installed and placed in service.
(12) 
New Section 507.5.10, Fire District Notification:
The Fire District shall be notified as soon as practicable when a fire hydrant or water main is placed out of service and upon restoration of service. The water purveyor shall mark out of service fire hydrants by bagging or other means approved by the fire department.
(13) 
New Section 507.5.11, Water Purveyor Authority:
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit water purveyors from imposing more stringent requirements for the construction of water mains and fire hydrants.
(14) 
Amend Section 901.6.1, Standards:
Fire protection systems shall be inspected, tested, and maintained in accordance with the referenced standards listed in Table 901.6.1 and shall be reported utilizing the automated reporting system in use by Chelan County - Department of Fire Prevention & Investigation within 14 days of service.
Appendix B
Adopt Appendix B with the following amendment:
Fire-Flow Calculation Area
AS System
Minimum Fire Flow
Duration
0-3600
No AS
1000 to 750 gpm
1 hour
(Res. 2013-49 (part), 6/25/13; Res. 2016-67 (part), 7/19/16; Res. 2021-152 (Exh. A), 12/14/21)
The board of Chelan County commissioners hereby adopts the amendments to Section R105.2 of the International Residential Code to exempt certain activities from the requirement to obtain a building permit in the unincorporated portions of Chelan County.
R105.2 Work exempt from permit. Permits shall not be required for the following. Exemption from permit requirements of this code shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of this code or any other laws or ordinances of this jurisdiction.
Building:
1.
One-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, Ag storage buildings, playhouses and similar uses (e.g. pre-fabricated temporary metal carports, provided they are anchored to the ground, tree-supported play structures) when the floor area does not exceed 288 square feet.
2.
Fences not over 7 feet (2134 mm) high.
3.
Retaining walls that are not over 4 feet (1219 mm) in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless supporting a surcharge.
4.
Water tanks supported directly upon grade if the capacity does not exceed 5,000 gallons and the ratio of height to diameter to width does not exceed 2 to 1.
5.
Sidewalks and driveways.
6.
Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops, siding, and similar finish work.
7.
Prefabricated swimming pools that are less than 24 inches (610 mm) deep.
8.
Swings; slides; and other playground equipment.
9.
Window awnings supported by an exterior wall which do not project more than 54 inches (1372 mm) from the exterior wall and do not require additional support.
10.
Decks not exceeding 288 square feet in area, that are not more than 30" above grade at any point, are not attached to a dwelling and do not serve the exit door required by Section R3.11.4, except when the deck is intended to support another structure (e.g. a hot tub). Replacement of decking on decks without replacement of any other structural members. Replacement of an existing deck within the existing footprint and not more than 30" above grade, except when the deck is intended to support another structure (e.g. a hot tub).
11.
In-kind re-roofing (like material for like material) for example asphalt shingles for asphalt shingles or a lighter roofing material.
12.
Residential re-roof overlay if limited to two total layers of roofing material; except for changing to a tile roof.
13.
In-kind window and door replacement where no structural alteration is required.
14.
Bathroom and kitchen fixture replacements.
15.
Appliance replacements that do not require gas piping modifications.
16.
Self-contained Spas and Hot Tubs installed entirely above ground and not connected to the potable water system nor to a drain into a septic or sewer system, except on decks.
17.
Shade cloth structures constructed for nursery or agricultural purposes, not including service systems.
(Res. 2012-31, 4/17/12. Formerly 3.04.035; Res. 2014-14 (Att. A (part)), 1/28/14; Res. 2021-117 (Exh. A), 9/14/21)
The definition of “building sewer” as adopted by the Uniform Plumbing Code shall be amended to mean the following: the building sewer for which the property owner is responsible for maintaining shall be that portion of the line beginning two feet outside the outer foundation wall of the structure to the sanitary sewer main or on-site septic system.
(Res. 2014-14 (Att. A (part)), 1/28/14)