Whatcom County Code 15.04.010 adopts the 2015 edition of the International Fire Code (IFC) as our local fire code. In addition, our office routinely references other codes in the International Code family and the National Fire Protection Association Codes.

Common Reviews

Our inspectors review new construction plans for compliance with the IFC.

Commercial Plans

• Review for fire flow (Whatcom County has adopted appendix B of IFC)
• Review for any needed fire safety systems including sprinklers, fire alarms, hood systems, and fire extinguishers
• Review for storage and or use of hazardous materials or other dangerous processes
• Review for access for fire department apparatus

Residential & Personal Storage Building Plans

• Review for Fire Flow - If your house is over 4,000 square feet or your personal storage building is over 2,500 square feet
• Review for Access - If your driveway is longer that 150 feet from a county roadway

Inspections

When fire systems are required on new construction our Fire Inspectors conduct site inspections to ensure the systems are installed properly.

If you need an inspection for you new construction you need to notify the Fire Marshal’s Office at least 1 working day in advance. You can call in your request to 360-676-6907 and ask to speak to a fire inspector or email us your inspection request.