Home Remodeling in Kent

56 percent of Kent homes were built between 1970 and 1999

Kent had 49,652 housing units in the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, and 27,973 were built in the 1970s, 1980s or 1990s. The median year built is 1985, and another 1,458 units are mobile homes. Houses of that age tend to need the same round of work at once: a new roof, tired siding and windows, and a furnace or water heater near the end. Kent's permit logs bear it out: reroofs, siding and window jobs and mechanical swaps made up 1,251 of the 1,980 residential permits issued through the city portal in 2025.

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024, Year Structure Built, Kent

The Kent Valley floods, and the city builds to FEMA's 2020 maps

Kent's public works department says plainly that the Kent Valley is prone to flooding. James Street is a known trouble spot in long rains, and in wet seasons groundwater stays high, so runoff pools in low areas. For development, the city uses the 2020 FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map panels until further notice, and it keeps FEMA elevation certificates for some properties that owners can request by email. Along the Green River, levee projects such as Lower Russell aim to meet or exceed FEMA accreditation standards. If you live on the valley floor, the city hands out sand and sandbags free at its operations yard, 5821 S 240th St.

Source: City of Kent, Floodplains

Kent dropped the owner-occupancy rule for ADUs in 2023

Kent has allowed accessory dwelling units, small second homes on a house lot, since 1995, yet fewer than 30 had been built when the city began rewriting its rules. The new ordinance passed May 16, 2023 and took effect June 15, 2023. It removed the requirement that the owner live on the property, so covenants recorded under the old rule are no longer enforceable, and the city offers an optional form to reverse them on title. No parking is required for an ADU within a quarter mile of major transit. In 2025 Kent's portal issued 9 permits for detached ADUs and 6 for attached ones.

Source: City of Kent, Accessory Dwelling Units

How much does a new roof cost in Kent?

Kent's permit logs show 250 residential reroof permits issued through the city portal in 2025, with a median declared value of $17,344. That is the value owners and contractors wrote on the permit, not a final price. A bigger tear-off with skylights, as modeled in Seattle's 2025 Cost vs Value data, averaged $45,077.

Do I need a permit to replace windows in Kent?

Yes. In Kent, residential window and siding work is filed as a Minor Work Permit through the city's online permitting portal, with a site plan and product specifications. These minor permits are typically processed within 2 to 3 business days. If a contractor does the job, include the contractor's Washington license number in the scope.

Is my Kent home in a flood zone?

Check before you build. Kent uses the 2020 FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map panels for development, and you can look up your address in FEMA's Map Service Center. The city says the Kent Valley is prone to flooding, and public works keeps FEMA elevation certificates for some properties, available on request by email to PublicWorks@KentWA.gov.

Do I have to live on the property to have an ADU in Kent?

No. Kent's ADU ordinance, in effect since June 15, 2023, removed the owner-occupancy requirement. Covenants recorded under the old rule are no longer enforceable, and the city offers an optional reversal form you can record with King County. An ADU within a quarter mile of major transit needs no parking space.

Who issues electrical permits in Kent?

The state does. Labor and Industries, known as L&I, handles them rather than the city. Kent handles building, plumbing, mechanical, reroof and window permits through its own portal, but electrical permits and inspections for Kent addresses go through L&I. Contractors working in Kent also need a City of Kent business license.