Michelle,
I do not have any experience with shipping containers in Washington, but I have been studying them for several years as a housing option. While every location will be different, it is generally the county or
city that handles the code and permitting when required. Not all locations require permitting. I did a quick search and came across
this guidance document from Mason County. I believe it provides the general information you would need and in most cases it boils down to the following unless your location explicitly forbids shipping container usage.
Mason County guidance document wrote:The site and building construction plans shall be adequate to
demonstrate compliance with zoning, building, and fire regulatory standards. Structural
calculations are required for altered or structurally connected containers.
The intent is to make sure someone doesn't create a death trap. A lot of red tape to wade through at times, but it appears that anything you build is going to require similar permitting. From the videos and blogs I've combed through over the years researching this, if you have to go though all the permitting and have an engineers stamp on plans, and licensed professionals doing all the work it will not be cost effective. If you live in an area that is not subject to that kind of permitting, you know a few professionals who can guide you through plumbing and wiring and such, and then check it for you at the end, shipping containers can be a viable, low cost option.
I hope that helps although I'm not sure it's
the answer you were looking for. Hopefully someone else here has first hand knowledge on this in Washington and can give better advice.
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