57,209 permits from 1,220 contractors across 10 kinds of work in the City of Seattle, October 2023 through September 2026: about 19,070 a year. Furnace & Heating is the biggest trade with 18,668 permits. The busiest month for filings is October.
Firms are distinct business names on the file. A linked usual filed value opens what that work costs. Finished is the share of permits a year or more old that the city closed out. Days to finish run from issue to the city's completion date, not from application.
| Trade | Permits | Firms | Active last 12 mo | Usual filed value | Finished | Days to finish | Busiest month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furnace & Heating | 18,668 | 316 | 231 | $7,550 | 86.1% | 66 | October |
| Heat Pump & AC | 15,441 | 272 | 206 | $8,000 | 85.4% | 105 | June |
| Electrical | 15,130 | 749 | 348 | $4,067 | 94.6% | 44 | October |
| EV Charger | 2,602 | 311 | 93 | $1,701 | 94.0% | 20 | November |
| Solar & Battery | 1,858 | 69 | 45 | $15,040 | 96.9% | 43 | October |
| Alarm & Low-Voltage | 1,830 | 122 | 26 | $1,200 | 95.0% | 25 | October |
| Roofing | 633 | 61 | 33 | $19,345 | 87.4% | 67 | June |
| Boiler | 428 | 37 | 19 | $15,000 | 91.7% | 24 | January |
| Stairlift & Home Elevator | 342 | 15 | 13 | $12,345 | 92.6% | 51 | September |
| Fire Sprinkler | 277 | 31 | 21 | $16,000 | 87.7% | 413 | August |
The file we publish splits exactly into the last 12 months on file and the 24 months before them, so these are 12-month periods ending September 2026, not calendar years. Per year scales each period to 12 months. Counts cover the 10 kinds of home work we track, not every permit Seattle issues.
| Period | Months | Permits | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2023–Sep 2025 | 24 | 42,759 | 21,380 |
| Oct 2025–Sep 2026 (last 12 months) | 12 | 14,450 | 14,450 |
Share of filings by month, 100 = an average month (the thin line). The 7 biggest trades (every trade with 500 or more permits), October 2023 through September 2026. A tall bar is a busy month at the permit counter, which usually means a longer wait for a contractor.
18,668 permits · busiest October, quietest August
15,441 permits · busiest June, quietest January
15,130 permits · busiest October, quietest March
2,602 permits · busiest November, quietest September
1,858 permits · busiest October, quietest February
1,830 permits · busiest October, quietest June
633 permits · busiest June, quietest November
| Trade | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furnace & Heating | 106 | 91 | 102 | 94 | 98 | 97 | 99 | 87 | 90 | 130 | 96 | 109 |
| Heat Pump & AC | 80 | 80 | 98 | 103 | 122 | 130 | 120 | 101 | 84 | 113 | 81 | 89 |
| Electrical | 88 | 90 | 84 | 89 | 91 | 86 | 101 | 88 | 88 | 154 | 124 | 115 |
| EV Charger | 110 | 106 | 90 | 95 | 85 | 86 | 92 | 85 | 78 | 122 | 125 | 124 |
| Solar & Battery | 92 | 70 | 94 | 83 | 95 | 87 | 97 | 109 | 126 | 143 | 113 | 91 |
| Alarm & Low-Voltage | 98 | 89 | 84 | 88 | 107 | 73 | 85 | 79 | 93 | 146 | 130 | 130 |
| Roofing | 91 | 66 | 114 | 106 | 118 | 136 | 133 | 118 | 123 | 82 | 51 | 63 |
For each trade, the month with the most permit filings and the month with the fewest, October 2023 through September 2026. Trades do not all peak together, so the busy season depends on the job. Busiest is not the same as best: these are counts of filings, not prices or weather, though a quiet month at the permit counter can mean contractors have more room in the schedule.
October: Seattle furnace & heating permits peak in October (130 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); August is the quietest (87). That is from 18,668 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule HVAC work, August has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 66 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the furnace & heating chart →
June: Seattle heat pump & AC permits peak in June (130 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (80). That is from 15,441 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule heat pump installation, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 105 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the heat pump & AC chart →
October: Seattle electrical permits peak in October (154 against an average month of 100, about 13% of a year's filings); March is the quietest (84). That is from 15,130 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule electrical work, March has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 44 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the electrical chart →
November: Seattle EV charger permits peak in November (125 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); September is the quietest (78). That is from 2,602 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule EV charger installation, September has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 20 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the EV charger chart →
October: Seattle solar & battery permits peak in October (143 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); February is the quietest (70). That is from 1,858 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule solar installation, February has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 43 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the solar & battery chart →
October: Seattle alarm & low-voltage permits peak in October (146 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); June is the quietest (73). That is from 1,830 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule alarm and low-voltage work, June has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 25 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the alarm & low-voltage chart →
June: Seattle roofing permits peak in June (136 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); November is the quietest (51). That is from 633 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule roofing work, November has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 67 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the roofing chart →
January: Seattle boiler permits peak in January (149 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); August is the quietest (50). That is from 428 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule boiler work, August has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 24 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month.
September: Seattle stairlift & home elevator permits peak in September (137 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); May is the quietest (81). That is from 342 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule stairlift and home elevator work, May has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 51 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month.
August: Seattle fire sprinkler permits peak in August (126 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (65). That is from 277 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule fire sprinkler work, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 413 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month.
Top 10 by permits pulled in the last 12 months, all trades. This is volume, not quality: a busy firm is not a careful one. Pick what you value on the compare page to build a ranking.
| Contractor | Trades | Last 12 mo | All permits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenwood Htng & Home Services | Furnace & Heating, Heat Pump & AC, Electrical, EV Charger, Solar & Battery, Alarm & Low-Voltage, Boiler | 1,623 | 5,049 |
| Ballard Natural Gas Service | Furnace & Heating, Heat Pump & AC, Electrical, EV Charger | 659 | 2,005 |
| Evergreen Home Heating & Engy | Furnace & Heating, Heat Pump & AC, Electrical, EV Charger, Alarm & Low-Voltage | 447 | 1,839 |
| Seatown Electric Corp | Furnace & Heating, Heat Pump & AC, Electrical, EV Charger, Solar & Battery, Alarm & Low-Voltage | 394 | 2,177 |
| Gene Johnson Plbg Htg Elec LLC | Furnace & Heating, Heat Pump & AC, Electrical, EV Charger, Boiler | 339 | 1,181 |
| Bob's Heating & Air Cndtng LLC | Furnace & Heating, Heat Pump & AC, Solar & Battery, Alarm & Low-Voltage | 330 | 1,125 |
| Ecospark Heating & Cooling | Furnace & Heating, Heat Pump & AC | 314 | 768 |
| Washington Energy Svcs Co LLC | Furnace & Heating, Heat Pump & AC, Electrical, EV Charger, Alarm & Low-Voltage | 292 | 1,047 |
| As You Wish Electric | Furnace & Heating, Heat Pump & AC, Electrical, EV Charger, Alarm & Low-Voltage | 288 | 1,336 |
| Essential Heating & Air | Furnace & Heating, Heat Pump & AC, Electrical, EV Charger | 246 | 811 |
Each permit counted at its property's ZIP code, October 2023 through September 2026, for the 10 kinds of home work we track. The 10 busiest of 23 ZIP codes with 100 or more permits; each opens permits by trade and the most active contractors there.
| ZIP code | Permits | Share | Top trade | Usual home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98115 | 6,321 | 11% | Furnace & Heating | $1,108,000 |
| 98103 | 4,970 | 9% | Furnace & Heating | $1,057,000 |
| 98117 | 4,968 | 9% | Furnace & Heating | $1,015,000 |
| 98118 | 3,818 | 7% | Furnace & Heating | $788,000 |
| 98125 | 3,516 | 6% | Furnace & Heating | $875,000 |
| 98112 | 2,973 | 5% | Furnace & Heating | $1,650,000 |
| 98199 | 2,830 | 5% | Furnace & Heating | $1,345,000 |
| 98116 | 2,818 | 5% | Furnace & Heating | $1,044,000 |
| 98105 | 2,747 | 5% | Furnace & Heating | $1,359,000 |
| 98144 | 2,363 | 4% | Furnace & Heating | $940,000 |
Source: City of Seattle (SDCI) building, trade and electrical permits on single-family and duplex homes (the city's open-data exports). The window is October 2023 through September 2026; a permit filed after that isn't here yet.
A filed value is what the contractor wrote on the permit when they applied. It is not a quote and not the final bill.
Counts are permits, not jobs: one job can need several permits, and one permit can cover several visits. 80.4% of the 1,220 firms on the file match an active license at the Washington L&I contractor license data file; the match goes by name and can miss one.
Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. How the records work in Seattle →
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