Seattle Floating Homes and Seattle Houseboats – Part 2 – Types of Homes

The term “houseboat” is used widely, and it is applied to many different types of residences.  You’ll find floating homes, house barges, and even sailboat vessels with bunks being called houseboats, and there’s a different usage of the term in different locales.  Here are the standards used in Seattle:

The City of Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development CAM 229 – Client Assistance Memo
Seattle Shoreline Master Program (SSMP) – Seattle Municipal Code 23.60

Floating Home – usually a true house, sitting on a float, connected to permanent utilities.

SSMP defines a floating home as a single-family dwelling constructed on a float that is moored, anchored, or otherwise secured in waters. Seattle’s construction codes apply to floating homes and have requirements similar to those for houses built on land. Floating homes are required to be located in approved “floating home moorages” and have direct connections to sewer and water utilities, in addition to other location and design restrictions. The number of authorized moorage locations for new floating homes is very limited.

House Barge – a floating home with a hull built for towing/navigating the water if needed.

The SSMP defines a house barge as a vessel that is both:
1. designed and used for navigation but lacks a means of self-propulsion and steering equipment or capability (for example, it is designed and used for navigation by towing); and
2. designed or used as a place of residence.

A house barge houses people over water, but does not need to comply with the construction and utility requirements applicable to floating homes. Only house barges that have been continuously moored and used for residential purposes within the City of Seattle since June 1990 are allowed, and they are regulated as nonconforming uses. They must be moored in recreational marinas, meet State water quality standards, and demonstrate that all overboard discharges havevbeen sealed and that a satisfactory means of conveying waste-water to an approved disposal facility has been provided.

There are approximately 34 authorized house barges in Seattle. New house barges are not permitted. Moorage restrictions on house barges and floating homes are intended to preserve moorage space for boats rather than non-water-dependent residential uses.

Vessel – a boat with living quarters.

Boats, ships, barges, or other floating craft that are both designed and used for navigation and that do not interfere with the normal public use of the water are classified as vessels. Vessels are not regulated by the City’s construction codes.

Vessels must be moored at a site that has the appropriate use permits for providing moorage to that type of vessel. Uses on vessels must be consistent with the policy of the Shoreline Management Act and with the regulations of the Land Use Code and the SSMP, even if no shoreline substantial development permit is required.

Incidental residential use of a bona fide vessel is permitted under the shoreline regulations. Several unique features of vessels with residential use differentiate them from house barges and floating homes. Vessels must be designed for navigation, including having a seaworthy hull design that meets U.S. Coast Guard standards for flotation, safety equipment, and fuel, electrical, and ventilation systems. They are capable of being used for water transportation, and if they are used for residential purposes they must be able to travel under their own power to open water, including a method for steering and propulsion, deck fittings, navigational and nautical equipment, and the required marine hardware (absent these features, they will be categorized as house barges, as described above). 

In addition, vessels must be used for navigation in a manner consistent with the type of vessel. Finally, vessels must be registered with federal, state, or county agencies. (NOTE: Being registered alone does not mean that something will be classified as a vessel for the purposes of the City’s Codes-a vessel must be designed and used for navigation.) A structure on the water lacking any of these features does not qualify as a vessel and is subject to the SSMP and other City codes as a structure and as an obstruction.

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
Seattle Real Estate Brokers
Seattle Waterfront Homes
SeattleHome.com  (206) 552-8820