My Auburn house is on the Pierce County side. Who handles permits?

Inside Auburn city limits, the City of Auburn issues building permits regardless of county. Outside the city line, county rules may apply. We check the address first.

Do you come out to Auburn?

Yes. Auburn is part of our regular coverage across south King County and Pierce County. Call any hour and tell us what is going on.

What should I do if a tree limb hits my roof?

Keep people out of the rooms below, take photos from the ground and call us. We tarp the opening first and plan the permanent repair once it is safe.

Why do my gutters overflow only in the corners?

Inside corners often sit below a valley that pours two roof planes into one spot. A bigger outlet or an extra downspout near the corner usually solves it.

How often should Auburn gutters be cleaned?

At least once in the fall before the heavy rain. Houses under fir or maple often need a second cleaning in late winter.

Auburn roofs and gutters, on both sides of the King and Pierce county line

Auburn is one of the few cities that sits in two counties at once. Inside city limits, it is the city's permit rules that matter, and we work on either side of the line.

Call (253) 449-1922

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From our Puyallup office
King County

Rehanging a storm-loosened gutter on an Auburn house

Short answer

Auburn straddles King and Pierce counties, and we work on both sides of the line. For a reroof, the county matters less than you might think, because the City of Auburn sets the permit rules inside its limits. Most calls here are leaks, worn flashing, overflowing gutters and damage after big fall storms.

One city, two counties: who handles your roof permit?

Auburn had 87,256 residents in 2020, spread across parts of both King and Pierce counties. Homeowners sometimes assume the county decides their permit, especially on the Pierce side. Inside city limits, though, the City of Auburn issues building permits, not the county.

Where it does make a difference is just outside the city line. A house in unincorporated territory nearby may fall under county rules instead. We check the address before scheduling and tell you which office applies. For anything unusual, such as a roofline change or added structure, confirm with the permit office directly.

Storms on the east side of the South Sound

The November 19 to 20, 2024 bomb cyclone produced 74 mph gusts in Enumclaw, Auburn's neighbor to the southeast, and left nearly 600,000 western Washington customers without power. Storms like that work along the edges of a roof and pull at anything already loose: ridge caps, rake shingles, flashing and gutter hangers.

After a storm, check from the ground. Missing shingle pieces, a gutter pulled away from the fascia or a downspout lying in the yard are clear signs. If a limb came down on the roof, keep everyone out of the rooms below until we look. We tarp openings and then handle the storm repair once the weather breaks.

Gutters and downspouts that keep up with the rain

Sea-Tac averages 39.34 inches of rain a year over about 156 days. Most of that falls between fall and spring, and a gutter that cannot carry a long November storm spills over its front edge onto siding, walkways and the foundation. Whatever the age of the house, the checks are the same: pitch toward each outlet, sound hangers and downspouts that are not clogged at the elbow.

Where the water goes after the downspout matters as much. A spout that empties against the foundation can keep a crawlspace wet all winter. Extensions, splash blocks or a tightline connection carry it away. We often find a single added downspout fixes overflow better than replacing a whole run.