Where to look for Auburn permits
The City of Auburn permits work inside city limits, in both its King County and Pierce County parts. Electrical permits come from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Kent, Federal Way, Algona, Pacific and unincorporated King County run their own permit offices.
| Tool | Search by | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| MyBuildingPermit permit search | Jurisdiction (required), permit number, street number and name, contractor company or license, parcel, applicant last name, permit type, status, applied/issued/finaled dates | Permit records and status |
| Permits (City open data) | Any column, including address, permit number and contractor | Type, status, applied, issued and finaled dates, contractor; stopped updating 25 February 2025; our source |
| Public records portal | Request | Records not found online |
How to look up the permits on an Auburn address
- Open the MyBuildingPermit permit search and set the jurisdiction to Auburn.
- Enter the street number and street name (both match partially), or the permit number.
- Open each permit for its type, status and dates. Mechanical, plumbing and building work are separate permits.
- Search by Contractor Company or Contractor License to see a firm's other Auburn permits, and compare the name with your contract.
- For electrical work, ask the Washington Department of Labor & Industries, not the City.
What the statuses mean in Auburn's file
| Status in the record | What it means | Finished in our data? |
|---|---|---|
| Finaled (a few read Complete) | Final inspection passed; the finaled date is recorded | Yes |
| Issued, In Construction | Permit in force, no final yet | Not yet |
| Expired | Lapsed before a final | No |
| Withdrawn, Void | Cancelled | Not counted |
| Applied, In Review, Approved | Not yet issued | Not counted |
On our Auburn page, 69% of the permits issued February 2023 to January 2024 were finaled. The City's file stopped updating on 25 February 2025, so a permit finaled after that still shows as open with us; MyBuildingPermit has the current status.
When the permit you want is not online
The City takes requests through its online public records portal and responds under RCW 42.56. The City Clerk's Office answers questions on 253-931-3039 (Public Records Request, read 24 October 2026).
What our Auburn pages add
Our Auburn page counts the City's permits and times them from issue to final, February 2023 to January 2025:
| Kind of work | Permits (Feb 2023–Jan 2025) | Usual days to final (permits issued Feb 2023–Jan 2024) |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC | 1,642 | 34 |
| Plumbing | 665 | 82 |
| Solar | 170 | 44 |
| Fences and walls | 169 | not shown |
| New homes | 111 | 217 |
The usual permit took 63 days from issue to final (1,343 permits issued February 2023 to January 2024 with a final); see how long permits take in Auburn. 60% of the 3,821 permits were for homes. ZIP 98092 had the most, 1,430 (37%); see Auburn permits by ZIP code. 91% of the permits name a contractor we can show, and the Auburn page lists the firms named on the most, by count only. The permit statistics page has year and month counts, and browse permits lists the rows. To check the contractor's registration, see how to check a contractor's license in Washington.
What this does not tell you
The City's open file has no job value, so we show no costs and do not rate firms. It has no electrical permits, and it ends with January 2025, the last full month before it stopped updating.
How we know this
The portal and its search fields are from the MyBuildingPermit permit search and the City of Auburn's Community Development FAQ, and the records route from the City Clerk's Public Records Request page, all read 24 October 2026. Statuses, counts and days to final are from the City's Permits open data file, read 19 October 2026: permits issued February 2023 to January 2025.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 19, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How do I find out if a permit was pulled on my house in Auburn, WA?
Open the MyBuildingPermit permit search (the City's Permit Status link goes there), choose Auburn as the jurisdiction, and search the street number and street name. Electrical permits are issued by Washington L&I, so check those with the state.
- Can I look up Auburn permits by contractor?
Yes. The MyBuildingPermit search has Contractor Company and Contractor License fields. Our Auburn page also lists the firms named on the most permits, February 2023 to January 2025, as a count only.
- How long does a building permit take to final in Auburn?
The usual permit took 63 days from issue to the City's final, from 1,343 permits issued February 2023 to January 2024 that reached a final. HVAC took 34 days, plumbing 82 and a new home 217.
- How do I request old Auburn permit records?
Use the City's online public records portal (auburnwa.govqa.us). The City Clerk's Office answers questions on 253-931-3039.
- Why is there no electrical permit for my Auburn house?
In Washington, electrical permits are issued by the state Department of Labor & Industries, not the City of Auburn, so they are not in the City's search or our counts.
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
Related guides
- Adams County, CO building permit search: the e-Permit Center, statuses and CORA
- Alachua County building permit search: Citizenserve, statuses and old records
- Anaheim building permit search: Anaheim NEXT and the Building Permit Report
- Arlington, VA building permit search: Permit Arlington lookups and FOIA requests
- Baton Rouge building permit search: how to look up permits in East Baton Rouge Parish
- Benton County, WA building permit search: Civic Access, statuses and old records
- Community Development FAQ — City of Auburn (2026-10-24)
- MyBuildingPermit permit search (2026-10-24)
- Public Records Request — City of Auburn City Clerk (2026-10-24)
- Permits (fted-8bve) — City of Auburn Open Data (2026-10-19)