Administrative overview · FIPS 44009
Washington County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
Municipal Fallback
This profile identifies a handoff outside the county’s ordinary structural permitting lane.
Required jurisdiction check
Confirm the controlling local or state authority before filing.
The record is marked Municipal Fallback. That means the county profile should be treated as a routing brief: incorporated municipalities, a state building department, or a state fire marshal may control plan review, permits, and inspections. Contact the named agency below and verify the parcel’s jurisdiction before paying a fee or scheduling field work.
Responsible agency
Rhode Island Building Code Commission; municipal building, zoning, and code-enforcement departments for Charlestown, Exeter, Hopkinton, Narragansett, New Shoreham, North Kingstown, Richmond, South Kingstown, and Westerly issue permits and conduct inspections
For a project in or near Washington County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
Charlestown: 401-364-1215; Exeter: 401-667-2912; Hopkinton: 401-377-7771; Narragansett: 401-782-0619; New Shoreham: 401-466-3216; North Kingstown: 401-268-1500/401-294-3331; Richmond: 401-539-9000 ext. 3; South Kingstown: 401-789-9331 ext. 1225; Westerly: 401-348-2547; RI BCC: 401-921-1590
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Charlestown Building/Zoning, 4540 South County Trail, Charlestown, RI 02813; Exeter Building Department, 675 Ten Rod Road, Exeter, RI 02822; Hopkinton Building/Zoning, 395 Woodville Road, Hopkinton, RI 02833; Narragansett Building Inspection, 25 Fifth Avenue, Narragansett, RI 02882; New Shoreham Building Department, 16 Old Town Road, Block Island, RI 02807; North Kingstown Code Enforcement, 100 Fairway Drive, North Kingstown, RI 02852; Richmond Building Office, 5 Richmond Townhouse Road, Wyoming, RI 02898; South Kingstown Building/Zoning, 180 High Street, Wakefield, RI 02879; Westerly Building Office, 45 Broad Street, Westerly, RI 02891
Operating hours
Charlestown Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Exeter Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; Narragansett Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; North Kingstown summer hours Mon-Tue 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Wed-Thu 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Fri 8:00 a.m.-noon; Westerly Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; remaining municipal schedules vary; RI BCC Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Review expectation
N/A countywide; municipal review times vary with project completeness, zoning, coastal/floodplain review, septic or wastewater approvals, fire review, and state-agency requirements.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Washington County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
This record is marked Municipal Fallback. Confirm whether a city, state agency, or other local authority controls the parcel before filing.
How should I begin an application?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact Charlestown: 401-364-1215; Exeter: 401-667-2912; Hopkinton: 401-377-7771; Narragansett: 401-782-0619; New Shoreham: 401-466-3216; North Kingstown: 401-268-1500/401-294-3331; Richmond: 401-539-9000 ext. 3; South Kingstown: 401-789-9331 ext. 1225; Westerly: 401-348-2547; RI BCC: 401-921-1590.
How long might review take?
N/A countywide; municipal review times vary with project completeness, zoning, coastal/floodplain review, septic or wastewater approvals, fire review, and state-agency requirements.
How are inspections scheduled?
Narragansett does not schedule inspections through its online system: call 401-782-0619 one day ahead for electrical (Mon/Wed/Thu), plumbing/mechanical (Tue/Thu), or building inspections (24 hours ahead); a $50 reinspection fee applies after a failed inspection or missing permit card/plans. North Kingstown requires at least 24 hours' notice by calling 401-294-3331 ext. 301 or 303; same-day requests are not accommodated, with plumbing/mechanical generally Mon/Wed/Fri. Westerly requires applicants to call the office for all inspections and does not accept email requests.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
For 2026 work, Rhode Island State Building Code: 2021 editions of ICC codes with Rhode Island amendments, effective December 1, 2025; the adopted International Energy Conservation Code is the 2024 edition. Local officials also enforce municipal zoning, property-maintenance, floodplain, coastal, fire, wastewater, and land-use requirements. No countywide exemption list. Ordinary code-compliant repairs may be exempt only within the Rhode Island State Building Code definition; structural alterations, additions, new buildings, demolition, changes of occupancy, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, pools, decks, sheds, roofing/siding, and work in coastal or flood zones commonly require review or permits. Charlestown publishes separate accessory-structure, flood-zone, and inspection requirements; confirm the exact scope with the local official.