Expert advice, project insights, and construction knowledge from Eastern Washington's trusted contractor.
A filled hot tub with people in it is one of the heaviest things you'll put in a backyard. Here's what spa makers ask for in a pad, the electrical clearances in NEC Article 680, frost and mix basics, and how City of Spokane and Spokane County permits work.
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Snow slides off metal roofs fast, and in a 39 psf snow county that can tear off gutters and bury doorways. Here's when a metal building needs gutters, how to keep sliding snow from ripping them off, and why snow guards change how the roof is engineered.
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Footings in Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Airway Heights and unincorporated Spokane County go at least 24 inches below grade. Deer Park requires 36 inches, and Colville, Stevens County and Pend Oreille County require 30. Here is each local frost depth, the small-building exceptions, and what it means for shops, pole barns and slabs.
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A properly specified metal building in Eastern Washington shouldn't rust for a very long time, but road salt, manure, treated lumber and cut-edge mistakes can shorten panel life. Here's what ASTM A792 and A653, PVDF vs. SMP paint warranties and panel manufacturers say, and how we spec panels for Spokane shops and pole buildings.
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Yes, if every crack is sorted into moving or static and repaired the right way first, and the slab passes an ASTM F1869 or F2170 moisture test. Here's what coating manufacturers' data sheets say about crack fillers, honoring joints, moisture limits and CSP grinding before a Spokane garage or shop floor gets coated.
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Code doesn't require rebar in a residential slab, and reinforcement won't stop cracking, but it keeps cracks tight through Spokane freeze-thaw winters. Here's what IRC R506 says, where rebar and mesh have to sit, how fibers compare, and what we use on driveways, patios, shop slabs and PEMB foundations.
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Windows in a PEMB or red iron shop sit in framed openings (jambs, header and sill tied to the girts) that should be ordered with the building. Here's how factory- vs. field-located openings work, which windows and trim suit metal panels, Washington's 2021 energy code U-factors for heated shops and barndos, and IRC egress rules for barndominium bedrooms.
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A metal shop with power has to be grounded and bonded under the NEC that Washington L&I enforces. Here's what that means for the steel frame, the footing rebar (Ufer ground), ground rods and vapor barriers, and why it has to be planned before the footings are poured.
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Pole barn posts have to go below the frost line, 24 inches in Spokane County and deeper up north, but the engineering usually sets the real depth. Here's what IBC 1807.3 and the NFBA say about embedment, concrete vs. sand backfill, uplift anchors, treated posts and frost heave.
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Site prep for a pole barn or metal building in Spokane County: calling 811, when you need a grading permit, stripping and compacting the pad, and grading for drainage.
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Floor drains in Spokane-area shops and garages: what IRC R309.1 requires, why Washington bans vehicle-fluid drains to drywells and septic, Spokane County's sewer rules, and options that work.
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A lean-to hangs its roof on your existing sidewall columns, so the old frame, footings and snow drift at the roof step all have to be checked. Here's what Washington's 2021 IEBC, MBMA and Spokane County's loads mean for adding a lean-to to a shop or PEMB.
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Yes, a steel or post-frame barndominium can sit on a slab, a crawlspace or a full basement. Here's what each option takes in Spokane County: frost depth, PEMB anchor rods and column reactions, R-10 slab insulation, Class A vapor retarders, egress windows, drainage, waterproofing and permits.
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How far apart should control joints be? 8 to 12 feet in a 4-inch slab, 10 to 15 in a 5-inch slab and about 12 to 15 in a 6-inch shop floor. Here's the 24-36x rule, cut depth, saw timing in cold weather, and how joints work around metal building columns.
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Washington's stair rules for concrete steps (7-3/4 in risers, 10 in treads, 36 in landings, handrails at 4 risers), why Spokane stoops heave and scale, and when steps can be repaired vs. replaced.
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The City of Spokane allows residential driveway approaches 12 to 30 feet wide and no more than 40 percent of your frontage; Spokane County allows 16 to 30 feet in urban areas and asks for 20 feet on rural approaches. Here are the real rules, permits and what they mean for widening a driveway.
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Why most Spokane retaining walls fail from trapped water, what NCMA and the building code call for (12 in of drain gravel, a perforated base pipe, outlets every 20 to 50 ft), and the local stormwater rule on where wall drains can discharge.
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Commercial concrete isn't a different material, it's held to different rules: ACI 318 exposure classes up to 5,000 psi, IBC special inspection, ADA slopes of 1:20 and 1:48, and Spokane's right-of-way standards. Here's what changes for shops, storefronts and parking lots.
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A PEMB is a steel building whose frames, purlins, girts, bracing and panels are engineered together by one manufacturer for your site, then bolted up on your foundation. Here's what "red iron" means, how a PEMB differs from a pole barn or kit, and what Washington's code expects.
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Washington caps street-legal vehicles at 14 feet tall and 8.5 feet wide, and RVs at 46 feet long. Here's how those limits size the door, sidewalls, depth and slab of a metal RV garage in the Spokane area, plus Raven's installed price per square foot.
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A heated slab can't be added later without new concrete. Here's what Washington's energy code requires under a heated slab, how deep the tubing goes, how control joints and tubing are planned together, and which permits apply around Spokane.
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Washington's residential code requires a 10-mil ASTM E1745 Class A vapor retarder under heated home and barndominium slabs, while unheated detached garages and shops are exempt. Here's what the IRC, IBC, ACI 302.1R and the WA energy code say, plus moisture testing before epoxy.
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A mezzanine adds storage or office space without a bigger footprint, but Washington's codes cap its size and headroom, the floor has to carry the right live load, and the steel building has to be designed for it. Here's what to know before you order.
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Every column of a pre-engineered metal building is held down by anchor bolts cast into the concrete. Here's who designs the bolts and footings, the tolerances AISC and ACI allow, the inspections Washington's code calls for, and how a misplaced bolt gets fixed.
Read MoreYes, a PEMB can go up in a Spokane winter. Washington's 75% concrete-strength rule, ACI cold-weather protection, crane weather limits, erection bracing and snow on a half-built roof, explained.
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Narrow cracks and sunken-but-intact slabs can be repaired or lifted; wide cracks, heaving and failed base mean replacement. Here are 2026 costs and the Spokane and Spokane Valley approach permit rules.
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Code says 3.5 inches, most shops need 4, and trucks, RVs and heavier car lifts call for 6. Here's what the IRC, BendPak's lift specs and 2026 slab prices say for a Spokane shop floor.
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Steel packages are running about 8 to 14 weeks, Spokane County aims to review accessory building permits in 10 business days, and a typical project runs about 4 to 8 months from quote to locked-up building. Here's the timeline and how to shorten it.
Read MoreSpokane is a severe-weathering area, so code calls for 3,500 psi air-entrained concrete (5-7% air) for garage floors and exterior flatwork, and 4,000 psi for steel-troweled garage floors with lower air.
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Spokane ready-mix runs roughly $125 to $190 a yard in 2026 depending on the source and supplier. Here are the published prices, the fees that change the bill, and yard counts for common slabs.
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Walk on it after about 48 hours, drive a car on it after at least 7 days, and keep RVs and heavy trucks off for about 28 days. Here's where those numbers come from, why Spokane's cold months stretch the wait, and how to protect a new driveway through its first winter.
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How thick a concrete driveway should be in Spokane: 4 vs 5 vs 6 inches, City and County approach standards, freeze-thaw mix rules from ACI 332, base, joint spacing and when rebar helps.
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A broom-finish concrete patio in Spokane runs about $12 to $20 per sq ft with Raven, including site prep and the pour, and stamped concrete about $18 to $30, depending on size and pump access. Here's what common sizes cost and when you need a permit.
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Spokane-area snow loads for shops and metal buildings: City and County 39 psf ground and 30 psf roof minimums, Deer Park's 56-65 psf, SEAW town values, drifts and how to look up your parcel.
Read MoreInstalled, a red-iron PEMB and a pole building both run about $60-75 per sq ft in the Spokane area, with electrical, plumbing and hookups extra. Here's how clear span, snow load and foundations decide which fits.
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On most rural Spokane County acreage, a shop must sit 25 feet from the front property line and 5 feet from side and rear lines, plus a foot for every foot of height over 25 feet. Here are the County's rural zoning numbers for setbacks, height and lot coverage before you place a metal building or pole barn.
Read MoreMost driveway cracks in Spokane come from normal shrinkage, and control joints are meant to put them in straight lines. Cracks that wander, sink or keep widening usually point to joint spacing, a soft base, drainage or freeze-thaw. Here's what the concrete industry says and what to do about it.
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Standard epoxy needs the slab itself at about 50 to 55°F and 5°F above the dew point for the whole cure, which an unheated Spokane garage rarely is from November to February. Here's what the data sheets say, how polyaspartic changes the picture, and why moisture testing matters more than the calendar.
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How the common metal building panels compare in Spokane: PBR and R-panel specs, standing seam, gauge and span, the code's minimum roof slopes, sliding snow and snow guards, and what Raven installs.
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In Spokane County, a barndominium is permitted and inspected as a house, with the same residential code, energy code, snow load and frost depth as a stick-built home. The real differences are the frame, insulation, appraisal and insurance. Here's how they compare and when a barndo is worth it.
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Size your shop from what goes inside: truck and RV dimensions, overhead and RV door heights, two-post lift ceiling clearance, Spokane snow loads and permits, plus Raven's installed price for each size (electrical, plumbing and utility hookups extra).
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Yes, sealing exterior concrete in Spokane is worth it, but timing matters. Freeze-thaw cycles and deicing salt cause scaling, a breathable silane or siloxane sealer helps once the slab is dry, and new concrete should get no deicers its first winter. Here's what the concrete industry recommends.
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A pole barn in the Spokane area runs about $60 to $75 per sq ft installed with Raven, so a 30x40 is roughly $72,000 to $90,000 and a 40x60 roughly $144,000 to $180,000. Electrical, plumbing and utility hookups are extra. Here's what moves the price, plus snow-load and permit rules.
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Yes, concrete can be poured in a Spokane winter, but it has to be protected from freezing until it reaches 500 psi, it can't go on frozen ground, and it cures slower in the cold. Here's what ACI and the building code say, what Spokane's November-to-March weather looks like, and how it changes your project.
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Washington's energy code caps metal building roofs at U-0.031 and walls at U-0.050, and the wrong vapor retarder lets a steel shop rain on itself all winter. Here's what the code requires, which insulation works on a PEMB, and how to stop condensation in a Spokane shop.
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Steel building kits run about $15 to $25 per sq ft for materials only, but the foundation, erection, freight, permits and Eastern Washington snow loads aren't in that number. Raven's going installed rate in the Spokane area is about $60 to $75 per sq ft, with electrical, plumbing and hookups extra.
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A fair look at stamped concrete and pavers in Spokane's 132 freezing nights a year: mix and base requirements, frost heave, deicers and resealing, patio permit rules in Spokane, Spokane Valley and the County, plus Raven's stamped patio pricing.
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In Spokane County and Spokane Valley, a retaining wall up to 4 feet from the bottom of the footing usually needs no permit, unless it holds up a driveway, path, building or slope. The City of Spokane is stricter. Here's how each jurisdiction words it and when a wall must be engineered.
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A 6-inch concrete RV pad runs about $8 to $14 per sq ft in published 2026 ranges, and Spokane-area plain concrete starts at $6 to $10. Here's cost by pad size, the right thickness for trailers and motorhomes, and the RV parking rules in Spokane, Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake.
Read MorePole barn, shop and garage permit rules for Spokane County, Spokane Valley, Deer Park and Lincoln County: 200 sq ft exemption, snow load, frost.
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