Weekly digestSeattleWeek of May 18, 2026

Seattle building permits — week of May 18, 2026

Seattle's demolition wave is accelerating — five single-family homes and a triplex are coming down this week alone, with combined declared values topping $5.8M, a signal that land is being cleared for denser replacement projects across the city. The week's biggest dollar figure is an $8M exterior overhaul on a North Lake Union multifamily building, while a $4M load-testing shaft on Harbor Island hints at serious infrastructure groundwork underway. With 132 permits filed and $43.3M in declared value, the pipeline looks healthy even if a lot of this week's action is about clearing the board before building begins.

132

PERMITS FILED

$43.3M

DECLARED VALUE

+14%

VS PRIOR WEEK

108

BUILDING

Top permits this week

1700 N NORTHLAKE WAY

$8,000,000

Building

An $8M exterior renovation on a North Lake Union apartment building — the scale suggests a full envelope replacement, not a patch job.

ZIP 98103

4000 27th AVE W

$4,500,000

Roof

Wayne's Roofing wins a $4.5M, two-summer job to reroof a West Seattle elementary school — phased to avoid disrupting the school year.

Contractor: Wayne's Roofing, Inc. ·

1001 SW KLICKITAT WAY

$4,000,000

Grading

$4M to sink a below-grade test shaft on Harbor Island — this kind of load testing typically precedes heavy structural construction on challenging waterfront soil.

ZIP 98134