What changes a remodel in Lacey.
62.6 percent of Lacey homes were built in 1990 or later
Census Bureau survey data for 2020 to 2024 counts 24,652 housing units in Lacey. The median year built is 1996, and 21.6 percent of homes went up in 2010 or later. Fewer than 2 percent predate 1950. For most Lacey owners, a remodel means replacing finishes, fixtures and roofs that are reaching their first replacement cycle, not the wiring and plaster problems of older towns nearby.
The area gets 50.62 inches of rain a year, most of it in winter
NOAA's climate normals for 1991 to 2020 at Olympia Regional Airport show 50.62 inches of rain a year. Of that, 20.74 inches falls in December, January and February alone. The station records 105 days a year with a tenth of an inch or more. That steady wet season is hard on roofs, gutters, decks and siding. Lacey issued 156 reroof permits in 2025.
Source: NOAA NCEI, 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Olympia Airport
Lacey requires four trees per 5,000 square feet of lot
Each residential property in Lacey must keep a minimum tree density of four trees per 5,000 square feet of lot area, so a 10,000 square foot lot keeps eight. Before removing any tree, owners need a land clearing permit exemption or a land clearing permit. The exemption covers up to three trees in five years. Removing more than that needs a full land clearing permit and a free presubmission meeting with city staff first.
What a remodel costs in Lacey in 2026.
$457,100
Lacey sits in the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater wage area, where trade pay runs below Seattle's. In May 2025 the median carpenter earned $30.41 an hour, against $36.74 in the Seattle metro. The median roofer earned $27.84, close to the $26.65 national figure. Electricians are the outlier at $46.44 an hour, far above the $30.38 national median, which matters for any remodel that adds circuits or a new panel.
Lacey homes are worth less than their neighbors to the north: the median value was $457,100 in Census data for 2020 to 2024, below Olympia's $486,200. With most houses built since 1990, the work leans toward roofs, HVAC and kitchens rather than structural repair. Permit counts show it. In 2025 the city issued 835 mechanical permits and 156 reroof permits, against 91 residential additions and alterations.
| Figure | Value | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $457,100 | Owner-occupied homes in Lacey, Census ACS 2020-2024 (Census ACS 2020-2024, Median Value, Lacey) |
| Reroof permits issued | 156 | City of Lacey, all of 2025, from its monthly construction activity reports (City of Lacey, Community and Economic Development Reports) |
| Median carpenter wage | $30.41 an hour | Carpenters in the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater area, May 2025; Seattle metro carpenters earned $36.74 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025) |
| Median electrician wage | $46.44 an hour | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater metro, May 2025, against $30.38 nationally (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025) |
| Median roofer wage | $27.84 an hour | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater metro, May 2025, against $26.65 nationally (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025) |
Who issues permits in Lacey.
Inside city limits, permits come from the City of Lacey Community and Economic Development Department, through its online permit and payment portal. The city requires a permit to build, enlarge, repair, alter, move or demolish any building, including its electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas systems, unless a specific code exemption applies. Homes in unincorporated Thurston County go through the county instead.
- City of Lacey Community and Economic Development
Building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, reroof and land clearing permits, and ADUs, inside Lacey city limits
- Lacey issues its own electrical permits. In 2025 it issued 875 residential electrical permits and 835 mechanical permits, more than any other type.
- Reroofs are permitted in Lacey. The city issued 156 reroof permits in 2025, next to 91 residential addition and alteration permits and 53 solar panel permits.
- Even when a project is exempt from a permit, it still has to meet setbacks from property lines and the rest of the code, the city says.
- Removing up to three trees in five years needs a land clearing permit exemption, as long as the lot keeps its minimum tree density. Removing more needs a land clearing permit.
- Trees within 10 feet of a planned single-family or duplex home, plus its driveway and utility area, fall under the exemption.
- Washington's 2023 ADU law requires cities like Lacey to allow two ADUs per residential lot, at least 1,000 square feet each, with no owner-occupancy requirement. Lacey has its own ADU application.
- Lacey's permitting page carries a scam alert about fake requests for permit fees. Pay only through the city's portal or its offices.
What Lacey homeowners plan most.
Landscaping and tree work
Any tree removal needs a land clearing permit exemption or permit, and the lot must keep four trees per 5,000 square feet.
Roofing
Lacey issued 156 reroof permits in 2025 as homes from the 1990s and 2000s reach their first replacement. The roofing guide linked here is written for Seattle; Lacey issues its own reroof permits.
Bathroom remodel
Most Lacey bathrooms date from after 1990, and in a house that age a first full bathroom redo is a common project.
Flooring
Floors in homes from the 1990s and 2000s are coming due for replacement, often alongside a kitchen or bathroom project.
Kitchen remodel
Adding circuits for new appliances needs a city electrical permit, and electricians in the Olympia area earn a median of $46.44 an hour.
Deck building
A wet climate with 105 rainy days a year wears on deck boards and railings. Seattle is the setting of the decks guide we link, and a Lacey deck permit comes from the city.
Before you start.
How much do contractors charge in Lacey WA?
Federal wage data for May 2025 shows the median carpenter in the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater metro earning $30.41 an hour and the median roofer $27.84, both below Seattle-area pay. Electricians earn a median of $46.44. A contractor's rate runs above those wages, since it also covers insurance, overhead and profit.
Do I need a permit to cut down a tree in Lacey?
Yes, in one of two forms. Removing up to three trees in five years needs a land clearing permit exemption, as long as the lot keeps four trees per 5,000 square feet. Removing more needs a land clearing permit and a free presubmission meeting. Whether a tree counts as a hazard is judged by the City Arborist.
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Lacey?
Yes. Lacey issues reroof permits, and it issued 156 of them in 2025. The city requires a permit to repair or alter any building unless a specific code exemption applies. Applications and payments go through the city's online permit and payment portal, and questions go to the building department at 360-491-5642.
Does Lacey issue its own electrical permits?
Yes. Lacey's permit rules cover building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work, and the city issued 875 residential electrical permits in 2025. Adding circuits or a new panel in a Lacey remodel goes through the city. Solar panels have their own permit, with 53 issued in 2025.
Can I build an ADU in Lacey?
Yes. Washington's 2023 ADU law requires cities like Lacey to allow two ADUs on residential lots, with a size cap of no less than 1,000 square feet, with no rule that the owner live on site. Lacey takes ADU applications through its community development department. Any trees removed for the ADU must leave the lot at its minimum tree density.
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Sources
- Census ACS 2020-2024, Year Structure Built, Lacey
- NOAA NCEI, 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Olympia Airport
- City of Lacey, Tree Protection and Removal
- Census ACS 2020-2024, Median Value, Lacey
- City of Lacey, Community and Economic Development Reports
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- City of Lacey, Construction Permits and Applications
- City of Lacey, Permitting
- Washington State Department of Commerce, Accessory Dwelling Units