HomeMy WebLinkAboutSmall Business FlyerNew Businesses
The City of Port Orchard
welcomes you!
New businesses in the City of
Port Orchard require a City
Business License and a
Certificate of Occupancy before
they can open. This is important
i'
to ensure the space is safe for
i the community and suites the
use of the business.
Before signing the lease, START HERE! Schedule a free 30 -minute meeting with
the Building Department to visit the site with you and talk about what will be needed.
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What is a Certificate of Occupancy?
It is a legal document granted by the City Building Official upon the successful completion of approved
work on a project, and approved inspections. It certifies what the business is, what codes the business is
approved under, and the maximum number of people that can safely occupy the space.
There are two ways a Certificate of Occupancy can be granted for a business moving
into an existing space:
1 If work that requires a building,
plumbing, or mechanical permit will be
performed, either by the landlord or by the
tenant, a Commercial Tenant Improvements
(C -TI) permit is required. Construction plans will
be needed before you can apply. Work must be
completed, inspected and approved before a
Certificate of Occupancy will be granted under
the C -TI permit.
Even if the business owner does not intend on
making any changes to the space, the space
may require changes to be made to meet
minimum life safety and fire codes for the new
business moving in, especially if the use of the
space is changing from what was last approved.
2 If there is no work being performed
that would require a building permit, a C of 0
permit application can be applied for. A
dimensioned floor plan is still required,
showing the boundaries of the space, its
features such as windows, doors, walls,
equipment, exits and furnishings.
The issuance of the C of 0 permit application
does not mean the business is ready to be
opened. Inspections are needed and must
be approved before the certificate of
occupancy can be granted. The business is
only ready to be opened once the certificate
is granted.
Avoid the Common Mistakes
What was the previous approved
business in the space?
Just because it is a commercial space does not
mean it is ready to be used by your business. If
the previous approved occupancy
classification or use was different from what
your business is, different
requirements for building
systems, life safety, fire
safety systems, and
accessibility codes may
DON'T START MOVING IN WITHOUT
PERMITS! This may result in Code
Enforcement action, penalty permit
fees, having to uncover work, or re-
build work that doesn't meet
requirements.
Construction Project Types by
Occupancy Classification
Group A - Assembly
A For large groups of people.
trigger necessary changes.
Some of these changes
Group B - Business
may be costly, so be
For buildings where services are
provided.
prepared or keep looking
for different tenant spaces
r Group E - Educational
.A. For schools and childcare centers
that are already designed
upto12thgrade.
for your business type.
Group F - Factory
For spaces that produce or repair
goods.
Group H — High -Hazard
For storing or using flammable,
toxic, or explosive materials.
0 � �
Accessibility Requirements
If the space was previously
approved for a use that was not
open to the public or was used
by the public differently than
how your business will operate,
it may not meet the minimum
code requirements for people
with accessibility needs. The
space will need to be
reconstructed to meet the code
requirements before your
business is granted a Certificate
of Occupancy.
Changes to the space will need
to be coordinated with the tenant
and the building owner.
Group I - Institutional
HiH
For buildings where people need
help to leave
Group M - Mercantile
For selling or displaying
goods to the public
Group R - Residential
For overnight stays or permanent
living
Group S - Storage
For storing items that aren't
hazardous
flGroup U - Utility & Misc.
For buildings that don't fit other
groups
0 mastt
Occupancy classification is a reference to the way the
building codes categorize different ways that buildings are used.
They each have unique requirements in the code, some more
stringent than others.
Read more about occupancy classifications here:
https://codes. iccsafe. org/content/WABC2021 P 1 /chapter-3-
occupancy-classification-and-use#WABC2021 P1 Ch03
ARCHITECT REQUIRED If the changes to the
occupancy classification or use of the space results in
requirements that affect life safety, or if the space
exceeds 4,000sqft, a Washington licensed architect is
required to provide stamped plans per WAC 308-12-340.
COOKING EQUIPMENT Adding cooking
equipment to a space will require a
mechanical system to be designed by a
professional and will likely require a Type 1
or Type 2 hood with a fire suppression
system. Plans and equipment specifications
need to be submitted, reviewed, and
approved before equipment is installed. We
suggest you wait to make final purchases
until plans are approved.
Multi -Department Requirements
What is a Pre -Application Meeting? The departments that
will be involved in the project get together to review your
conceptual plans and then meet with you for an hour to discuss
an overview of requirements specific to your project to help
prepare you for the permit application. This is a great time to
have your questions answered before finalizing decisions and
preparing plans. A conceptual plan, narrative, application form,
and $150 fee is required to schedule the meeting.
Other Departments
Even if you are not required to attend a pre -application meeting,
you will still need to contact the other departments involved in your
project to determine their requirements and ensure you are
planning for them before applying for your permits with City of Port
Orchard Department of Community Development.
Kitsap Public Health
For food -related businesses, septic systems, and private wells
(htti)s://www. kitsappublichealth.org/)
Water Purveyors:
West Sound Utility District
(https://www.wsud.us/)
City of Bremerton Utilities
(https://www.bremertonwa.qov/523/Local-Utilities)
City of Port Orchard Public Works
For water, storm drainage, traffic impact
(https://portorchardwa.gov/departments/public-works/)
Washington Department of Labor and Industries
For electrical, elevators, and manufactured structures
(https://Ini.wa.gov/)
Some businesses involve
requirements from multiple
departments. This may
include the Health
Department, the water
provider, the Planning and
Building Department,
Washington Department of
Labor and Industries and
maybe more. Depending on
the complexity of the
requirements based on your
business or how much the
space must change for the
needs of a different
business type, you may be
required to apply for a Pre -
Application Meeting before
applying for permits.
QUICK LINKS
Work Exempt from a Building Permit
30 Minute On -Site Meeting Request
Pre -Application Meeting Request
Online Permit Application
Apply for a Business License
Inspection Request
Contact the Permit Center
City of Port Orchard
Community Development
720 Prospect St
Port Orchard, WA 98366
Phone 360.874.5533
httcs: //po rto rc ha rdwa. goy/
departments/com m unity -
d evel o pm ent-d epa rtme nt/