Data through September 2026 · updated 20 Oct 2026
The usual permit in unincorporated Pierce County takes 74 days from issue to the county's final inspection; the middle half take 21 to 169 days. That is from 5,187 permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025 that reached a final. Plumbing permits are quickest at 21 days; home addition permits take longest at 257 days. This is the time to finish the work and close the permit, not the wait for approval.
“How long does a permit take?” can mean two waits. This page measures the second one.
Getting the permit (not measured): application → issue, the wait for the county to approve the plans. Ask the county for its current review times.
Finishing the work (measured here): issue → final. From the day the county issued the permit to the day it recorded the final inspection. We count only permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025, at least 12 months before the file ends, so slow jobs have had time to finish; a permit still open is not in the days.
Permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025. Usual days is the middle permit among those with a final date: half finished sooner, half later. Middle half is the range the middle 50% fell in. Kinds of work with fewer than 100 permits in that period are left out.
| Kind of work | Permits | Finished | Expired | Usual days to final | Middle half (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC | 2,683 | 61.8% | 37.0% | 24 | 14–49 |
| Plumbing | 1,412 | 63.0% | 35.5% | 21 | 7–70 |
| New homes | 1,385 | 89.9% | 2.0% | 166 | 142–208 |
| Remodels & repairs | 582 | 66.3% | 30.1% | 65 | 29–152 |
| Garages, sheds & shade structures | 294 | 70.4% | 17.3% | 168 | 87–284 |
| Solar | 191 | 84.3% | 15.2% | 40 | 26–56 |
| Other | 620 | 68.4% | 22.9% | 131 | 63–252 |
Each kind of work on its own, issue to the county's final.
The usual HVAC permit in unincorporated Pierce County takes 24 days from issue to final; the middle half take 14 to 49 days (1,659 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 62% of the 2,683 permits issued then have finished and 37% expired. Pierce County HVAC permits →
The usual plumbing permit in unincorporated Pierce County takes 21 days from issue to final; the middle half take 7 to 70 days (890 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 63% of the 1,412 permits issued then have finished and 36% expired. Pierce County plumbing permits →
The usual new home permit in unincorporated Pierce County takes 166 days from issue to final; the middle half take 142 to 208 days (1,244 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 90% of the 1,385 permits issued then have finished and 2% expired. Pierce County new home permits →
The usual remodel and repair permit in unincorporated Pierce County takes 65 days from issue to final; the middle half take 29 to 152 days (386 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 66% of the 582 permits issued then have finished and 30% expired. Pierce County remodel and repair permits →
The usual garage, shed and shade structure permit in unincorporated Pierce County takes 168 days from issue to final; the middle half take 87 to 284 days (207 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 70% of the 294 permits issued then have finished and 17% expired. Pierce County garage, shed and shade structure permits →
The usual solar permit in unincorporated Pierce County takes 40 days from issue to final; the middle half take 26 to 56 days (161 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 84% of the 191 permits issued then have finished and 15% expired. Pierce County solar permits →
The usual demolition permit in unincorporated Pierce County takes 99 days from issue to final; the middle half take 28 to 154 days (57 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). Pierce County demolition permits →
The usual home addition permit in unincorporated Pierce County takes 257 days from issue to final; the middle half take 197 to 374 days (58 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). Pierce County home addition permits →
From our cross-city data studies: the same measure, read the same way, for every city we cover.
How long permits take for other places in Seattle and Puget Sound. Each permit office keeps its own file, so the numbers are not added together.
Seattle, WABellevue, WAKing County, WAEverett, WATacoma, WAKitsap County, WAAuburn, WA
Source: Pierce County Open Data, Permits - Pierce County (Permits_Pierce_County, from PALS Plus), read 20 Oct 2026. We count permits issued October 2024 through September 2026; denied and withdrawn permits are left out.
Building, mechanical, plumbing, manufactured-home, demolition, pool and sign permits Pierce County Planning & Public Works issues for unincorporated land only: Spanaway, Graham, Frederickson, Parkland, South Hill, Lake Tapps, the Key Peninsula, Gig Harbor peninsula and similar places. Tacoma, Lakewood, Puyallup, University Place, Gig Harbor city, Bonney Lake and the other cities run their own permit offices and are not in this file. Engineering, sewer and fire-prevention permits are left out.
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, "How long do permits take in unincorporated Pierce County, WA?", https://contractorrecords.com/pierce-county/how-long-does-a-permit-take, data through September 2026, from Pierce County Planning & Public Works building-permit records.Link to a table: By kind of work · Each kind of permit.
Download the tables (CSV): Days to final by kind of work.