County Road Standards

Overview

Counties are required to adopt uniform definitions and design standards for county roads (RCW 36.86.070-.080). These standards, along with standards for pedestrian and bicycle facilities, are set by a state design standards committee pursuant to chapter 43.32 RCW, in cooperation with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

These uniform design standards apply to all new construction within the county primary road system, as well as reconstruction of old roads as far as practicable and feasible. No deviation from the adopted design standards may be made without the approval of the WSDOT state aid engineer.

The County Road Administration Board (CRAB) sets administrative standards and provides oversight for the county road departments of each of the 39 counties.

WSDOT Design Standards and Technical Assistance

Below are local agency design standards and other resources from WSDOT and the City and County Design Standards committees.

• Support for Local Programs – Includes contact information, project delivery guidance, funding programs, training opportunities through the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP), and other technical assistance
• All Manuals & Standards – Includes engineering manuals, project delivery memos, general special provisions (GSPs), plan sheet library, and standard plans
• Local Agency Guidelines (LAG) Manual – Policies and standards for local agencies to follow when using Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) funds for transportation projects
• Highway Railroad Coordination – Resources for coordinating highway project delivery with impacts to railroad companies, including railroad crossing safety projects

Examples of County Road Standards

The following are selected examples of road standards from Washington counties.

• Chelan County Code Ch. 15.30 – Development Standards
• Douglas County Road Standards (2014)
• Franklin County Design Standards for the Construction of Roads and Bridges (2002)
• King County Road Design and Construction Standards (2016)
• Kitsap County Road Standards (2007)
• Kittitas County Code Title 12 – Roads and Bridges (2015)
• Klickitat County Transportation Standards
• Lewis County Code Ch. 12.60 – Road Development Standards 
• Pend Oreille County Road Standards and Regulations (2007)
• Pierce County Code Title 17B – Construction and Infrastructure Regulations - Road and Bridge Design and Construction Standards 
• Snohomish County Engineering Design & Development Standards (EDDS)
• Spokane County Standards for Road and Sewer Construction (2018)
• Thurston County Road Standards (2017)
• Whatcom County Road Standards
• Yakima County Standard Plans