Permits & licenses in Washington.
In the District, a project answers to more than one agency: the Department of Buildings owns permits and inspections, while business licensing runs through the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection. Two clocks, two counters, one project — and coordination between them is where District schedules are won or lost.
- For qualifying projects, third-party plan review is an accepted route.
Talk to a permit specialist — for your Washington project.
Washington · drawn from Census boundaries
What we clear here
- Building permits — new construction, fit-outs, renovations
- Trade permits — electrical, plumbing, gas, mechanical
- Use & occupancy and the inspections behind it
- Business & contractor licensing
- Signs, site work, and right-of-way
How it moves
Your package is reviewed against the current Washington submission requirements before it's filed — forms, editions, scales, signatures. Then it's tracked in the queue and carried through comments. A resubmittal means the back of the line; the pre-filing review is there to help keep you out of it. The habit comes from volume: the team has processed 400+ permits annually across Maryland, D.C., and Virginia counters.
Straight answers
Who issues building permits in Washington?
Department of Buildings (DOB) and Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) — with the trade, health, and fire reviews that attach depending on the project.
Does DaKa work in Washington?
Yes — Washington is inside our Washington, DC home turf. Call (240) 344-5075, or send the project over, and we'll lay out your project's permits and licenses, in order, with what each review will take.
Talk to a permit specialist
Ten minutes on your project. You leave knowing the approvals it needs, in what order, and what each review will take. Or send the address, scope, and plans and we start from there.