Washington Form 17 Guide for Seattle FSBO Sellers (2026)
Washington's Form 17 is the state's required seller disclosure form. Seattle FSBO sellers must complete Form 17 accurately — it's one of the most comprehensive seller disclosure forms in the country, covering environmental hazards, neighborhood noise, and title issues that most other state forms don't address.
What Is Form 17?
The Washington State Seller Disclosure Statement, known as "Form 17," is required under RCW 64.06. Sellers of residential property must provide Form 17 to buyers. Buyers have 3 business days after receiving Form 17 to rescind the contract without penalty.
Form 17 asks sellers to answer questions about known conditions, with a unique feature: sellers are given three answer choices — "Yes" (I am aware of this condition), "No" (I am not aware of this condition), or "Don't Know."
Key Form 17 Sections
Title: Known title issues, boundary disputes, survey problems, easements, rights-of-way.
Water: Known issues with water supply (well or public), water quality, water rights, irrigation rights.
Sewer/On-site sewage systems: Septic system existence, age, last service, any known failures. In Washington (especially rural Snohomish, King County rural areas, and much of Eastern Washington), septic is common.
Structural: Foundation, roof, walls — any known defects.
Systems and fixtures: HVAC, electrical, plumbing — age and known conditions.
Flooding: FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area status, any prior flooding, any shoreline/waterway designations. Seattle and King County have areas along the Green River, Cedar River, Duwamish River, and puget Sound shoreline with flood zone exposure.
Soil stability: Washington has documented soil liquefaction risk in the Seattle fault zone area (fault runs through the city), hillside landslide risk in West Seattle, Beacon Hill, and Capitol Hill adjacent areas, and documented fill areas (much of SoDo, Stadium District, and some parts of Capitol Hill are on fill).
Environmental: Known contamination, underground storage tanks, hazardous materials, asbestos (especially in homes built 1930–1980), lead paint.
Legal: Violations of building codes, unpermitted additions.
Neighborhood features: Proximity to designated farm land, farmland sources of odors/noises, airports, highways, freeways.
Form 17 and Neighborhood Noise
Washington's Form 17 specifically asks about neighborhood noise sources — proximity to airports, train tracks, highways, or industrial areas. This is a differentiator from most state disclosure forms. Seattle's market has significant noise variability:
Answer the noise question accurately and specifically.
Washington Soil Stability and Seattle Earthquakes
The Seattle Fault Zone runs roughly east-west through the south half of Seattle (through SoDo, near Beacon Hill, through neighborhoods like Seward Park and Mercer Island). A Mw 6.5+ earthquake on this fault would be significantly damaging to structures on or near the fault.
Additionally:
Answer Form 17's soil stability questions carefully for hillside and fill-area properties.
Seattle's Oil Tank Legacy
Like Portland, older Seattle homes (pre-1970) frequently have abandoned underground heating oil tanks. Form 17 asks specifically about underground storage tanks. Seattle Fire Marshal requires notification and permitting for UST removal. Disclose any known tanks and provide decommissioning documentation if available.
Completing Form 17 Accurately
"Don't Know" is a legitimate answer — if you genuinely don't know whether a condition exists, use it. However, if you have reason to suspect a condition (prior owner disclosed something, you've seen indicators), "Don't Know" may not be defensible.
Complete Form 17 before listing and have it ready to provide to buyers immediately at the time of showing or offer. The 3-business-day rescission clock doesn't start until the buyer receives the completed form.