Issaquah Leads State With Program to Self-Certify Backyard Cottage Plans

Issaquah became the first Washington city to adopt a self-certification program for backyard cottage permits, allowing licensed architects to approve their own detached accessory dwelling unit plans without city review. The unanimous council vote implements state legislation (HB 1353) intended to speed up housing production, with Issaquah’s building department auditing at least 20% of submitted plans annually to ensure quality.