Seattle Building Permit Search & History
Look up 459 recent Seattle building permits — addresses, permit types, contractors, and valuations, updated multiple times a day from the city's official records, with history back to February 13, 2004. Free email alerts when new permits match your filters.
Recent Seattle Permits
Showing 20 of 459 recent permits.
Sign up to see all permits and set alertsSeattle Permit Filing Trends
Weekly filing volume from the last 12 weeks of Seattle permit data:
| Week | Permits filed | Declared value |
|---|---|---|
| July 13, 2026 | 105 | $51.3M |
| July 6, 2026 | 124 | $43.0M |
| June 29, 2026 | 100 | $39.2M |
| June 22, 2026 | 130 | $168.6M |
| June 15, 2026 | 113 | $28.8M |
| June 8, 2026 | 171 | $84.4M |
| June 1, 2026 | 136 | $34.3M |
| May 25, 2026 | 127 | $106.7M |
| May 18, 2026 | 134 | $43.6M |
| May 11, 2026 | 116 | $66.0M |
| May 4, 2026 | 125 | $28.7M |
| April 27, 2026 | 72 | $31.7M |
Most common permit types in the last 90 days: Addition/Alteration (971) · New (304) · Roof (121) · Demolition (101) · Tenant Improvment (27) · Temporary (14)
Busiest ZIP codes: 98115 (126 permits) · 98103 (110 permits) · 98117 (105 permits) · 98118 (104 permits) · 98116 (86 permits) · 98125 (83 permits)
Most Active Seattle Contractors
The contractors named on the most Seattle permits filed in the last 90 days:
- Valentine Roofing — 41 permits
- State Roofing Inc — 8 permits
- King quality construction — 3 permits
- Axiom Division 7 — 3 permits
- James King Roofing, LLC — 3 permits
- Washington Weather Shield, Inc. — 3 permits
- 3-D ROOF SYSTEMS LLC. — 3 permits
- Lifetime Flat Roofs — 2 permits
Seattle Building Permit History
Building permits are public records: every filing leaves a permanent paper trail of what was built, altered, or repaired at an address. The Permit Sheet's Seattle feed currently covers 3,178 permits going back to February 13, 2004, refreshed multiple times a day from the city's official database.
Seattle Services Portal records go back to 2005; older scanned permits (approx. 1894-1970, plus 1970-2004 microfiche) are in the separate Permit and Property Records library
Permits older than 2005 live in SDCI's Permit and Property Records document library (web.seattle.gov/dpd/edms), which includes scanned permits from roughly 1894-1970 plus 1970-2004 microfiche records that SDCI has been uploading; they are not in the Seattle Services Portal. If you can't find an old permit (street addresses have changed over time), email SDCI's Microfilm Library at SCI_Microfilm@seattle.gov, which also holds construction plans from about 1900-2007 and can provide paper copies for a per-page fee.
To research a specific property, start with the address search on Seattle Services Portal, then use our free permit lookup to see recent filings, contractors, and valuations side by side.
Each weekly Seattle digest also lists the biggest projects filed that week by address.
Seattle Building Department
Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections (SDCI)
On the Seattle Services Portal, use the search box ("Search All Records") or narrow by the "Permits - Trade, Construction & Land Use" category, then search by address, record number, record type, status, or date. You can use "%" as a wildcard when searching by record number (e.g. %0001546). Each record shows applicant info, project description, status, and project documents such as plans and comment letters.
Which Seattle permit tool do I use?
The city runs several official tools; each answers a different question:
Weekly Seattle Permit Digests
Free weekly reports on the biggest Seattle projects filed, with addresses and valuations:
Seattle Permit Guides
About Seattle Building Permits
Building permits in Seattle are public records administered by the Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections (SDCI). They cover new construction, renovations, demolitions, electrical work, plumbing, roofing, solar installations, and more. Every permit includes the property address, type of work, estimated valuation, and the applicant and contractor on record.
The Permit Sheet monitors Seattle's official permit records multiple times per day, so you can search recent filings on this page without paging through the city portal — and get an email the moment a new permit matches your trade, neighborhood, or valuation filters. Contractors use it to be first to new projects; investors and neighbors use it to see what's being built nearby.
How to search Seattle permits
- Browse the live feed above — the 20 newest filings with addresses, types, and valuations, refreshed all day.
- Look up a specific address — use the free permit lookup or the city's official Seattle Services Portal to pull filings for one property.
- Set an alert — create a free account and get new Seattle permits matching your filters by email within minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up building permits in Seattle?
Two ways: search the city's official portal, Seattle Services Portal (On the Seattle Services Portal, use the search box ("Search All Records") or narrow by the "Permits - Trade, Construction & Land Use" category, then search by address, record number, record type, status, or date. You can use "%" as a wildcard when searching by record number (e.g. %0001546). Each record shows applicant info, project description, status, and project documents such as plans and comment letters.) — or browse the live feed on this page, which tracks Seattle filings continuously and adds contractor and valuation details.
How do I find the permit history of a Seattle address?
Search the address on Seattle Services Portal for the city's official record. The Permit Sheet's Seattle feed goes back to February 13, 2004 with 3,178 permits tracked — each weekly digest also lists the biggest filings by address. Permits older than 2005 live in SDCI's Permit and Property Records document library (web.seattle.gov/dpd/edms), which includes scanned permits from roughly 1894-1970 plus 1970-2004 microfiche records that SDCI has been uploading; they are not in the Seattle Services Portal. If you can't find an old permit (street addresses have changed over time), email SDCI's Microfilm Library at SCI_Microfilm@seattle.gov, which also holds construction plans from about 1900-2007 and can provide paper copies for a per-page fee.
How many building permits were filed in Seattle this month?
459 building permits appear in our Seattle feed for the last 30 days. The most common type is Addition/Alteration. The median declared valuation is $100,000.
Can I get email alerts for new Seattle building permits?
Yes. The Permit Sheet sends real-time email alerts within minutes of new permits being filed. Filter by permit type (roofing, electrical, solar, HVAC), valuation range, and neighborhood. Free tier available.
Where is the Seattle building department?
Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections (SDCI), Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5th Ave, Suite 2000, Seattle, WA 98104, (206) 684-8600. Phone/chat and 4th-floor information desk: Mon, Wed, Fri 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.; Tue, Thu 10:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. (most services are online; online services available anytime).