Seattle permits
By Mario Bailey Last checked 2026-06-18 · 2 official sources
Verified against official sourcesSeattle Department of Construction and Inspections
- 700 5th Ave Suite 2000, Seattle, WA 98104
- Phone: (206) 684-8600
- Official permit page
- Permit portal
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in Seattle
Seattle runs an online permit portal. Many local portals let you check application status, search permit records, and view inspection results without calling the office.
Search the Seattle permit portal
Planning a project in Seattle?
Hire it out
Before you sign, ask the contractor:
- Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
- Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
- Is your contractor license active in this locality, and under which business name?
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Real permit outcomes in Seattle
Based on 4,935 residential permits issued in Seattle between 2025-07-12 and 2026-07-12: the median declared project value was $103,577;
Source: City of Seattle built-environment permits (open data), fetched 2026-07-12. Figures are medians of actual issued-permit records, not a quote.
Permitting activity in Seattle
In 2024, Seattle authorized permits for 5,895 new residential housing units (405 single-family, 5,490 in multi-family buildings), valued at $1.2B , up from5,299 the year before. That works out to about 7.7 permits per 1,000 residents. It is a useful gauge of how busy the local permit office is.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual data · population 769,714.
About Seattle
Seattle has about 382,933 housing units. The median home is valued at $912,100, against a median household income of $121,984. About 44% of homes are owner-occupied, and the typical home was built around 1974. Older housing stock usually means more renovation, electrical, and plumbing permits.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year.