Final SDCI inspection + Certificate of Occupancy

What the final inspection checks

The SDCI inspector walks the cottage with the GC and verifies:

• All prior inspections passed and signed off.
• Required tests (blower-door, duct leakage) on file.
• Smoke and CO detectors installed and operational.
• Address numbers visible from the street.
• Egress operable (windows that count as egress open as required).
• Stair and guard heights / spacing.
• All systems (electrical, plumbing, HVAC) finished and functional.
• Site work — drainage, hard surfaces — matches the approved plan.
• Final landscaping or stabilization (if required).

If anything fails, the inspector issues a punch list. The GC corrects, then requests re-inspection.

When you get the CofO

When the final inspection clears, SDCI issues the Certificate of Occupancy (CofO). From that moment on, the cottage is legally a dwelling. Until then, it's not legal to occupy.

Why the CofO matters before move-in

Three concrete reasons to wait:

• Code status. SDCI treats a pre-CofO occupied cottage as a code violation. That can mean fines and a stop-occupancy order.
• Insurance coverage. Builder's Risk policies generally exclude occupied buildings, and homeowner / landlord policies generally exclude unfinished ones. A loss in the gap is uncovered.
• TRAO exposure. Once a tenant occupies, Seattle's Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance can apply on lease termination, even if the initial occupancy was technically illegal.

CofO is usually issued within 1-3 weeks of the final inspection request — short relative to the rest of the project.