AFH Club · Resource Guide · Last reviewed September 2026
What Is WABO? A Simple Overview for Washington Adult Family Homes
If you are exploring an Adult Family Home in Washington, you will probably hear someone mention a "WABO inspection." The term comes up often, but it is easy to misunderstand.
WABO stands for the Washington Association of Building Officials. It is a nonprofit professional association made up of building officials, inspectors, plans examiners, architects, engineers, and other professionals involved in building-code safety. WABO is not the agency that licenses Adult Family Homes, and it generally does not inspect the property itself.
In the Adult Family Home world, "WABO inspection" is informal shorthand for the local building inspection completed using the Adult Family Home Local Building Inspection Checklist developed by WABO in cooperation with the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.
The key point is simple:
- WABO helped develop the checklist.
- Your local city or county building department performs the inspection.
- DSHS decides whether the home can be licensed as an Adult Family Home.
Understanding those separate roles can help avoid confusion, delays, and costly mistakes when evaluating a property.
Guides on WABO and the building inspection
- What Is WABO? A Simple Overview (this page): Start here: what WABO is and what the building inspection does and does not mean.
- WABO Checklist: The Technical Guide: The checklist itself: requirements, common delays and how to prepare.
- AFH Building Requirements & Inspections: The whole building side: requirements, inspections and how they fit with licensing.
What WABO Does
WABO supports the development, interpretation, administration, and enforcement of construction codes throughout Washington. One of its important roles in the Adult Family Home process was helping create a consistent inspection checklist for local building departments to use.
That checklist gives local officials a common framework for reviewing the basic life-safety and accessibility features that matter in an Adult Family Home. It helps make the process more consistent from one jurisdiction to another, even though each city or county still handles its own inspection process.
Why People Call It a WABO Inspection
The nickname comes from the checklist itself. Because WABO helped create the form, many applicants, contractors, real estate professionals, and local jurisdictions simply refer to the process as a WABO inspection.
That is convenient shorthand, but it is not technically exact. The inspection is performed by the local building official, not by WABO. WABO provides the framework, but the city or county actually conducts the review.
Who Inspects the Home
The inspection is done by the local building official for the jurisdiction where the property is located. In most cases, that means either the city building department or the county building or permitting department.
This matters because the correct jurisdiction is based on where the property physically sits, not just the mailing address. A home may have a city name in its postal address and still be located in unincorporated county territory. Before starting the process or making improvements, it is important to confirm which jurisdiction has authority over the property.
Why the Inspection Matters
The inspection is intended to confirm that the home meets the building-code requirements that apply to Adult Family Homes. The focus is on resident safety, emergency exit access, and basic accessibility.
This is not the same as a general home inspection, and it is not the same as the DSHS licensing review. Each review serves a different purpose. A home may pass one review and still need corrections for another. For example, DSHS licensing rules require interior doors that residents pass through to be at least 27 inches wide in homes licensed after September 20, 2026, a requirement that does not appear on the building checklist. It applies to newly licensed homes and to former adult family homes that are being relicensed, but not to a buyer of a home that has stayed continuously licensed.
For buyers, sellers, and operators, that distinction is important. A property may look suitable on the surface, but still have issues that affect whether it can function as an Adult Family Home.
Why This Matters Before Buying
If you are considering the purchase of an Adult Family Home property, the WABO process should be part of your early due diligence. It is much better to identify problems before closing or before committing to construction.
Some homes will need relatively minor work. Others may require changes to windows, doors, ramps, stairways, bathrooms, or other features before they can be approved for AFH use.
That is why it is wise to confirm the building department, review the property carefully, and understand whether the home is likely to work for your intended use.
Bottom Line
WABO is not the licensing agency and does not usually perform the inspection. It is the organization that helped develop the standardized checklist used by local building departments in the Adult Family Home process.
The local city or county building official performs the inspection, and DSHS handles licensing. Knowing the difference can save time, money, and frustration.
Ready for the technical details? WABO Checklist & Technical Requirements →