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How Do I Apply for a Street Use Side Sewer Permit?

Updated

Instructions for Applying for a Street Use Side Sewer Permit

Follow these steps to apply for a Street Use Minor Utility Side Sewer/Drainage permit using the Seattle Services Portal. This process helps ensure that your application for side sewer or drainage work impacts to the public meets Street Use's requirements for uses of the right-of-way with minimal impacts to the traveling public and existing infrastructure.

This permit is used for:

  • side sewer installation, lining, repair, or replacement,
  • drainage lines installation or replacement,
  • curb weep holes, and
  • staging and restoration in the right-of-way.

What You Need to Know about Side Sewer Permits

General Information

The Street Use Minor Utility Side Sewer/Drainage application is no longer tied to the Seattle Public Utilities (SPUI) Side Sewer permit issuance. 

  • It can be applied for at any time OR requested during the SPU Side Sewer permit application.
  • If applied for through the SPU Side Sewer permit application, a Street Use Minor Utility Side Sewer/Drainage application is automatically created when the SPU Side Sewer permit is issued. Information is automatically copied to the Street Use application including:
    • Address
    • Contacts (Tip: The Contractor on the Side Sewer permit becomes the Onsite Contact on the Street Use permit.)
    • The SDCI Site Plan and Side Sewer As-Built Template form (if either uploaded on the SDCI Side Sewer application).
  • If applied for separately, the Street Use permit is not issued until after the related SPU Side Sewer permit is issued.
  • Relevant fees are collected by each department separately.
  • The Street Use application follows the normal Minor Utility permit review process.

Helpful Tips

What You'll Need to Start Your Application

Before you start, gather these documents. Most are available on the Street Use Permitting Checklists, Forms, and Templates page. The initial documents frequently required are:

  • Letter of Authorization: A signed document that gives permission from the property owner to another party (like the Applicant) to manage the permit or pay the fees (like the Financially Responsible Party).
  • ROW Impact Plan: A Right-of-Way Impact Plan (ROWIP) shows all temporary side sewer or drainage (utility) related closures in the right-of-way. We use the ROWIP to understand how the right-of-way will function during utility work and identify safety, mobility, access, and utility work conflict issues that need to be addressed. Refer to Client Assistance Memo 2116.
  • Any additional documents specific to your project. A reviewer will notify you if additional materials are needed.

What You Need to Know About Construction Pauses That May Affect Your Project

Your project may be required to pause and restore the site if it meets both the location and date conditions listed below.

FIFA World Cup Construction Pause (Summer 2026)

Your project will be paused if:

  • It is located in a construction pause zone (shown with colored lines on the SDOT Construction Moratorium Map) AND
  • Work in the right-of-way occurs between June 8 and July 13, 2026

For more information or to request an exception, see:

 Keeping Seattle Moving: Your Guide to the 2026 FIFA World Cup Construction Pause.

Lunar New Year Construction Pause

Your project will be paused if:

  • It is in the Chinatown-International District moratorium zone AND
  • Work in the right-of-way occurs 3 weeks before through 3 weeks after Lunar New Year

For more information or to request an exception, see:

Applicant Guide 1010: Holiday Construction Pause (Construction Moratorium).

Holiday Construction Pause

Your project will be paused if:

  • It is in the Downtown Retail Core (including Pioneer Square) moratorium zone AND
  • Work in the right-of-way occurs between Thanksgiving Day and January 1

For more information or to request an exception, see:

Applicant Guide 1010: Holiday Construction Pause (Construction Moratorium).

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Login or Register

  1. Go to the Seattle Services Portal.
  2. Log in:
    • If you already have an account, log in with your credentials.
    • If you don’t have an account, register for a new account before proceeding.

Step 2: Start Your Application

  1. Click the Home tab.
  2. Under Create New, click Permits – Street Use.
  3. Records are grouped by type of permit. For a Side Sewer permit, click the triangle symbol to expand the Utility group.
  4. Click Minor Utility Permit.

Step 3: Provide Your Project Location

  1. On the Location Information page, enter the project address that is on your SPU side sewer permit. For best results, only enter the Street No. and Street Name when searching.
    • Street No. (required): Enter the house or building number.
    • Street Name (required): Enter the name of the road. For a numbered street, such as 700 5th Ave, only enter "5".
  2. Click Search. If prompted, select the correct address or parcel number and click Select.
  3. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 4: Provide Contact Information

On the Contacts page, provide details for the required contacts:

  • Applicant: You, the person who is applying.
  • Owner: The company/contractor performing the work.
  • Financially Responsible Party (FRP): The person or company in charge of paying any permit fees.
  • Onsite Contact: The person who is available if we need to speak with somebody onsite.

  1. To add a contact:

    • Click Myself to auto-populate the contact information from your Seattle Services Portal user account. 
    • Click Someone Else to find an existing contact. If the person or organization isn’t found, click the “Person or organization not listed? Add them here." link.

    If the Applicant or the Financially Responsible Party is not the same as the Owner, you may be asked to upload a Letter of Authorization later in the process.

  2. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 5: Provide Your Project Details

  1. On the Project Information page:
    • Optionally, enter a Project Name for your reference. This Project Name appears on your invoice, if you are billed.
    • For the Project and Location Description, enter a detailed description. The screen displays some guidance about the kind of information to provide. If this application is for emergency work, indicate that this is an emergency repair or replacement.
  2. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 6: Provide Related Information

On the Related Information page, use the top section to tell us about what else is related to your application:

  • Add any relevant Seattle Department of Construction and Inspection (SDCI) or Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) Street Use permit numbers.
  • Optionally, enter a Customer Reference. There are two fields you may use for your reference. Customer Reference appears on your invoice, if you are billed.
  • Optionally, update the 24-Hour Contact and Restoration Party information.

Step 7: Provide Utility Information

  1. Scroll down to the Utility Information section.
  2. Select at least one utility.
    • If there is side sewer work, set Sewer to "Yes."
    • If there is drainage line or curb weep hole work, set Storm to "Yes."
  3. Specify Method of Installation (for example, hole hogging, trenching, and the like).

Step 8: Provide Work Type Information

  1. Scroll down to the Work Type Information section.
  2. Select at least one work type.

Step 9: Specify the Permit Priority

  1. Specify the permit priority.
  2. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 10: Provide Project Use Information

  1. On the Use Information page, scroll down and click Add a Row.
  2. A pop-up window prompts you to provide right-of-way (ROW) usage information. Fill in the fields. Required fields are marked with a red asterisk. Click on a blue circle with a question mark for help.
    • Use Type (required): Select "Side Sewer/Drainage" from the dropdown.
    • Space (required): Defaults to "A." The Space is an informational designation for an area in the right of way. You may leave the default value. Note: If you add another usage row for the same Use Type, then optionally update Space to "B," and so on.
    • Rate Start Day (required): Defaults to "1." You may leave the default value.
    • Use Start Date (required): Select the start date for your usage.
    • Duration (Calendar Days) (read-only): Defaults to "180" days.
    • Exp Date (read-only): Automatically calculates based on Use Start Date and Duration. It may not appear until the review step if you tab out of the field.
    • Total Days in ROW (required): Enter the total number of actual days that you will occupy the right of way. This value must be greater than zero and less than or equal to Duration.
    • Side of Street (required): Select the side of the street where work will be performed. For road closures, pick "Both Sides." If the work will be on more than one street frontage, you will be able to create another usage row later in the process.
    • Work Days (required): Defaults to "Every Day." Select from dropdown if not every day. Options are:
      • "Weekdays Only" (Monday through Friday)
      • "Weekends Only" (full weekend)
      • "Every Day" (seven days a week)
      • "Partial Week" (not all weekdays or not all weekend or a combination that is not included in the above options)
    • Use Area (required): Enter the right-of-way area for the usage, in square feet.
    • Sidewalk Impact (required): Concrete sidewalk or asphalt pathway. Defaults to "None." If your work will block the sidewalk, select a value from the dropdown.
    • Bike Lane Impact (required): 24/7 dedicated bike lane. Defaults to "None." If your work will block the bike lane, select a value from the dropdown.
    • Travel Lane(s) Impact (required): General purpose travel lanes. Defaults to "None." If your work will block the travel lane(s), select a value from the dropdown.
    • Transit Lane Impact (required): 24 hour dedicated bus or other transit lanes. Defaults to "None." If your work will block the transit lane, select a value from the dropdown.
    • Parking Lane Impact (required): Paid or unpaid parking lanes or spaces. Defaults to "None." If your work will block the parking lane, select a value from the dropdown.
    • Other ROW Impact (required): Alley, gravel shoulder, planting strip, and the like. Defaults to "No." If your work will block other right-of-way, select "Yes."
    • Do you need to request a Construction Pause Exception for this Use (conditionally required)
      • If you will continue your work during the pause, select "Yes." 
        Note: We may deny your request.
      • If you will stop all work during the pause, select "No."
    • Working Hours (start time/end time) (conditionally required)
      • If you selected "Yes" to request an exception, enter your actual working hours.
        For example: "8:00 AM - 5:00 PM." 
      • If you selected "No," enter "N/A."
  3. Click Submit.
  4. The pop-up form closes, and you are returned to the Use Details section. The ROW usage information you just added is visible.
  5. Repeat steps to add additional ROW usage information.
  6. Once all the ROW usage information is added, click Continue to proceed.

Step 11: Provide Construction Pause Request Information

  1. If you requested a construction pause exception, a Construction Pause Exception page displays.
  2. Fill in the fields. All fields are required.
    • Please explain why your work needs to take place during the Construction Pause - Enter the reason why your dates cannot be adjusted or your work paused.
    • Is this work already in progress or new work
      • Select "Continuation" if your work is already in progress and continuing into the pause. 
      • Select "New Work" if your work will start during the pause.
  3. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 12: Attach Required Documents

On the Documents page, some required documents are listed. Document requirements vary based on the ROW usages on your application. Some documents are required at application, and some are required later during the review process.

  1. To upload a document, click Select under the Upload Documents section.
  2. Select your document:
    1. Click Select in the File Upload popup.
    2. Select your document and click Open.
    3. Click Done in the File Upload popup.
  3. Select your document type:
    1. In the Document Type dropdown, select the document type that matches the document you uploaded. For example, select "Right of Way Impact Plan" as your document type when uploading the matching document.
    2. Optionally, enter the Description of the document.
  4. Click Save and wait for the upload to complete. Note: It may take a few minutes for your document to fully upload.
  5. Repeat steps for each additional document required. When prompted, select the document type that matches the document you are uploading.
  6. Click Continue to proceed.
    • If you see a red Attention message, that means you either have not selected the correct Document Type, and/or have missed a required document.
    • If a document is missing, go back to step 1 in this section and upload the missing document.
    • If you selected the wrong Document Type on a document that you have already saved, upload the document again and pick the Document Type that matches the Condition in the Attention message. You may also add a description explaining that you are uploading the document a second time with the correct Document Type.

Step 13: Review and Submit

  1. On the Review page:
    • Verify that all information is correct.
    • Make edits as needed by clicking Edit in the relevant sections.
  2. Scroll to the bottom. Agree to the certification statement by checking the box.
  3. Click Continue to submit.

Step 14: Confirmation Displays

A message displays confirming that your application is submitted for review. 

  • Your record number format is SUUTIL0000000.
  • Keep a record of your Record Number. 

An e-mail is sent to the four required contacts on the application notifying them of the application submission.

Congratulations! Your application has been submitted for review. The Street Use team will contact you if additional information is required. For questions or updates, email SDOTPermits@seattle.gov and include your Record Number in the subject line.

You can log into the Seattle Services Portal at any time to track the status of your application.

Need Help?

Visit the Seattle Services Portal Help Center, email SDOTPermits@seattle.gov, or call (206) 684-5253.

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