Is my building Tier 2? Washington Clean Buildings

Short answer

Is my building covered by Washington's Tier 2 rules?

Yes, if it is in Washington and has more than 20,000 and up to 50,000 gross sq ft of nonresidential, hotel, motel and dormitory space, or it is a multifamily building over 20,000 gross sq ft. Parking garages don't count. Federal and tribal-owned buildings are not covered. The first report is due July 1, 2027.

Key facts · checked October 27, 2026

Nonresidential: More than 20,000 and up to 50,000 gross sq ft, excluding parking Commerce Tier 2 page
Multifamily: Over 20,000 gross sq ft, no upper limit WAC 194-50-160
Not covered: Federal buildings and buildings owned by federally recognized tribes Commerce Tier 2 page
First report: July 1, 2027, then every five years WAC 194-50-160
Floor area: Measured to exterior walls; parking, docks and exterior space excluded CBPS 008

The four-step test

Step	Question	If yes
1. Location	Is it in Washington, and not owned by the federal government or a federally recognized tribe?	Go to step 2. Federal and tribal-owned buildings are not covered.
2. Use	Is it multifamily residential: sleeping units, or more than five dwelling units with mainly permanent occupants?	Tier 2 if over 20,000 gross sq ft, with no upper size limit.
3. Size	Is the nonresidential, hotel, motel and dormitory floor area over 20,000 and up to 50,000 gross sq ft, excluding parking?	Tier 2. Over 50,000 is Tier 1, which has different rules.
4. Exemption	Does a listed condition, such as no occupancy or pending demolition, affect more than 50% of the floor area?	You may apply for an Exemptions instead, by about January 1, 2027.

Measuring gross floor area

Measure to the outside surface of the enclosing walls. From Commerce guidance CBPS 008:

Count in floor area	Leave out
Offices, lobbies, restrooms, break rooms	Parking
Mechanical rooms and equipment storage	Outside bays and docks
Elevator shafts and stairwells (once per floor)	Covered walkways and breezeways
Semi-heated space	Balconies, decks and patios
Mezzanines that add usable floor area	Crawl spaces

Edge cases

No letter from Commerce: Coverage depends on the building, not the letter. Commerce says it may not reach every owner and that this does not remove the duty to comply. Check the Tier 2 Data Pool in the Clean Buildings Portal.
Condominiums: Individually owned units are not counted. Common areas and association-owned space are. See Multifamily and condo/HOA.
Separate structures: A space joined to the main building only through unconditioned space is treated as a separate building (CBPS 008).
Over 50,000 sq ft nonresidential: That is Tier 1, with a performance target to meet. This site covers Tier 2 only.

If it is Tier 2

Read the Tier 2 requirements and the Deadlines and penalties, then work through the Readiness checklist (PDF).

Want it done for you? Send the address and floor area to hello@cleanbuildingsassociates.com for a free coverage check and incentive estimate.