Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Pullman, Washington

Pullman’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Pullman city limits.

  • The City code establishes underlying, overlay, and floating zoning districts.

  “Principal uses permitted in the Residential Districts are listed in the Use Chart, Section PCC 17.70.030.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Living or sleeping in a recreational vehicle inside Pullman city limits.

  • RV habitation is allowed in a permitted manufactured-home park or permitted recreational-vehicle park. A nonresident visitor may live in an RV while visiting a City resident for no more than 14 consecutive days. RVs outside permitted parks may not be permanently connected to separately metered gas, water, or sewer service.

  nonresident visitor habitation limit: <= 14 consecutive days (Only when visiting a City resident.)

  “A recreational vehicle shall will not be used in any zone zoning district within the city City of Pullman for living or sleeping when the recreational vehicle is located outside of a permitted MHP or a permitted RVP; provided, however, that this restriction shall will not apply when the user of the recreational vehicle is not a resident of the city City but is visiting a resident of the city City in which event the recreational vehicle may be lived in for a period not exceeding fourteen no more than 14 consecutive days.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Wastewater disposal from recreational vehicles parked inside Pullman city limits.

  • This restriction addresses RV wastewater; it does not establish the rule for every form of off-grid sanitation.

  “The discharge of waste water from a recreational vehicle into a storm drain or onto the property where a recreational vehicle is parked is prohibited.”

Rules another office applies inside Pullman

Pullman does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R1 Minimal-Density Multi-Family Residential District inside Pullman city limits.

  • PRD, PUD, townhouse, and qualifying open-space lots have stated exceptions; the Director may approve an administrative variance up to 15 percent smaller when there is no significant impact on adjoining properties.

  minimum lot size: 6000 square feet (R1 and R2.) · minimum lot width: >= 60 feet (Or 25 percent of lot depth, whichever is greater.)

  “In R1, RT and R2: The minimum lot size shall will be 6,000 square feet with a minimum lot width of sixty (60) feet or twenty-five (25%) percent of lot depth, whichever is greater.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Pullman or Whitman County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Pullman city limits.
• Inspections — General residential building construction inside Pullman city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — New or altered dwellings inside Pullman city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — R1 Minimal-Density Multi-Family Residential District inside Pullman city limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Pullman city limits.

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Pullman means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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