Data through September 2026 · updated 23 Oct 2026
7,283 building permits issued in unincorporated King County, October 2024 through September 2026: about 3,642 a year. The biggest kind of work is HVAC, with 4,999. 3,472 permits in the last 12 months (Oct 2025–Sep 2026), 9% fewer than the 3,811 in the 12 months before. 89% were permits for homes. The busiest month for permits is October.
Permits issued October 2024 through September 2026. Last 12 months is Oct 2025–Sep 2026; the 12 months before is Oct 2024–Sep 2025. Homes is the share issued as residential permits. Busiest month is the calendar month with the most permits on average.
| Kind of work | Permits | Share | Last 12 mo | 12 mo before | Change | Homes | Busiest month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC | 4,999 | 69% | 2,417 | 2,582 | −6% | 98% | October |
| Remodels & repairs | 525 | 7% | 212 | 313 | −32% | 100% | June |
| New homes | 380 | 5% | 148 | 232 | −36% | 100% | June |
| Garages, sheds & shade structures | 320 | 4% | 177 | 143 | +24% | 100% | July |
| Additions | 255 | 4% | 129 | 126 | +2% | 100% | August |
| Demolition | 126 | 2% | 62 | 64 | −3% | 0% | August |
| Other | 610 | 8% | 297 | 313 | −5% | 13% | April |
Fewer than 100 permits, so no row: ADUs & casitas (68).
Permits issued in each calendar year of the window. Per year scales a part year to 12 months.
| Year | Months | Permits | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 (from October) | 3 | 1,004 | 4,016 |
| 2025 | 12 | 3,783 | 3,783 |
| 2026 (through September) | 9 | 2,496 | 3,328 |
Permits issued each month, October 2024 through September 2026. The tallest bar is the busiest month on file.
| Month | Permits |
|---|---|
| Oct 2024 | 378 |
| Nov 2024 | 317 |
| Dec 2024 | 309 |
| Jan 2025 | 320 |
| Feb 2025 | 284 |
| Mar 2025 | 305 |
| Apr 2025 | 314 |
| May 2025 | 316 |
| Jun 2025 | 356 |
| Jul 2025 | 323 |
| Aug 2025 | 274 |
| Sep 2025 | 315 |
| Oct 2025 | 383 |
| Nov 2025 | 301 |
| Dec 2025 | 292 |
| Jan 2026 | 244 |
| Feb 2026 | 226 |
| Mar 2026 | 289 |
| Apr 2026 | 266 |
| May 2026 | 273 |
| Jun 2026 | 309 |
| Jul 2026 | 334 |
| Aug 2026 | 289 |
| Sep 2026 | 266 |
Permits by calendar month, 100 = an average month (the thin line), October 2024 through September 2026. Kinds of work do not all peak together. Each month is counted twice (once a year), so one unusual month still moves these numbers.
4,999 permits · busiest October, quietest August
525 permits · busiest June, quietest February
380 permits · busiest June, quietest May
320 permits · busiest July, quietest December
255 permits · busiest August, quietest February
126 permits · busiest August, quietest January
| Kind of work | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC | 97 | 88 | 91 | 88 | 96 | 107 | 112 | 84 | 94 | 128 | 112 | 103 |
| Remodels & repairs | 101 | 75 | 114 | 110 | 103 | 117 | 75 | 112 | 103 | 117 | 80 | 94 |
| New homes | 95 | 85 | 120 | 95 | 69 | 145 | 98 | 95 | 101 | 139 | 73 | 85 |
| Garages, sheds & shade structures | 79 | 82 | 105 | 109 | 90 | 98 | 135 | 112 | 101 | 124 | 94 | 71 |
| Additions | 94 | 71 | 113 | 89 | 118 | 89 | 99 | 132 | 89 | 99 | 113 | 94 |
| Demolition | 38 | 38 | 114 | 105 | 114 | 105 | 114 | 133 | 105 | 114 | 95 | 124 |
How the county classed each permit. Other covers commercial buildings, signs, towers and similar work.
| Permit class | Permits | Share | Last 12 mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes (residential) | 6,507 | 89% | 3,091 |
| Other | 776 | 11% | 381 |
The 10 ZIP codes with the most permits, counted at the property's ZIP code. A ZIP code can cross into a city that runs its own permit office; only the county's permits are counted.
| ZIP code | Permits | Share | Top kind of work |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98053 | 1,095 | 15% | HVAC (745) |
| 98058 | 673 | 9% | HVAC (513) |
| 98077 | 499 | 7% | HVAC (366) |
| 98178 | 438 | 6% | HVAC (312) |
| 98001 | 396 | 5% | HVAC (298) |
| 98027 | 370 | 5% | HVAC (227) |
| 98072 | 361 | 5% | HVAC (258) |
| 98059 | 339 | 5% | HVAC (254) |
| 98042 | 333 | 5% | HVAC (246) |
| 98070 | 288 | 4% | HVAC (185) |
From our cross-city data studies: the same measure, read the same way, for every city we cover.
Permit statistics for other places in Seattle and Puget Sound. Each permit office keeps its own file, so the numbers are not added together.
Seattle, WABellevue, WAEverett, WATacoma, WAPierce County, WAKitsap County, WAAuburn, WA
Source: King County Local Services, monthly Issued Permits Reports (Excel), read 23 Oct 2026. We count permits issued October 2024 through September 2026; denied and withdrawn permits are left out. The county's monthly report shows each permit's status only as of the month it was issued and never updates it, so no finished share is shown.
Building permits King County Local Services issues for unincorporated land only: homes, additions, remodels, heating and mechanical, demolition and commercial buildings. Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, Kent, Renton and the other cities issue their own permits; Seattle and Bellevue have their own pages on this site. Fire, grading and right-of-way permits are not counted.
Counts are permits, not jobs: one job can need several permits. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. Sources and definitions →
Free to reuse with attribution (CC BY 4.0). Please credit Contractor Records and link to this page. Suggested citation:
Contractor Records, "Unincorporated King County, WA building permit statistics", https://contractorrecords.com/king-county/permit-statistics, data through September 2026, from King County Department of Local Services, Permitting building-permit records.Link to a table: By kind of work · By year · By month · When each kind of work is filed · Homes and everything else · By ZIP code.
Download the tables (CSV): Permits by kind of work · Permits by year · Permits by month · Permits by calendar month (index) · Homes and other permits · Permits by ZIP code.