DDES
900 Oakesdale Ave. SW
Renton, WA 98057-5212

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Phone:  206-296-6600
TTY:  206-296-7217

Service Center hours:*
Monday to Thursday,
7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.;
Friday, 7:30 - 11:30 a.m.

*New hours effective July 7 Read more...

DDES yearly statistics: Permit processing performance measures

Since 1996, King County's Department of Development and Environmental Services (DDES) has observed guidelines setting target time periods for processing key permit applications. These targets are:

Permit typeTarget time period
New residential building permits 90 days
Residential remodels 40 days
Residential appurtenances, such as decks and garages 15 days
Residential appurtenances requiring substantial site review 40 days
SEPA exempt clearing and grading 45 days
Clearing and grading requiring SEPA review 90 days
All other permit applications except 120 days
     preliminary plats 150 days

King County is required by state law (RCW 36.70B.080, external links) to provide a performance report on its permit timelines.

DDES' performance on its permit targets for calendar year 2007 is provided below and past years also are available at DDES' yearly statistics archive.

Please note: DDES issues permits for property in unincorporated King County only. For information on property within a city boundary (Seattle, Issaquah, Kent, etc.) in King County, you must contact the city directly.

DDES Year 2007 permit processing performance summary

Building Services

KEY PERMITS*
2007
Target days Total permitsMutually agreed
time extension
Average days# within target% within target# outside target
Residential model homes (Basics) 90 759 3 758 100% 1
Residential custom homes 90 629 60 527 84% 102
Residential minor additions 15 458 10 357 78% 101
New commercial buildings 120 47 95 36 77% 11
Multi-family housing 120 7 152 2 29% 5
Commercial tenant improvements 120 59 26 59 100% 0

*Key permits are individual permit types that are considered representative of major construction groups.

ALL PERMITS BY CLOCK TARGET*
2007
Total permitsMutually agreed
time extension
Average days# within target% within target# outside target
All building permits with 15 day target 463 21 360 78% 103
All building permits with 40 day target 711 50 402 57% 309
All building permits with 90 day target 1921 43 1793 93% 128
All building permits with 120 day target 2921 62 2869 98% 52
Totals 6016

*Excludes less than 1% of permits that did not have targets assigned.

Land Use Services

KEY PERMITS*
2007
Target daysTotal permitsMutually agreed
time extension
Average days# within target% within target# outside target
Conditional use 120 17 96 15 88% 2
Preliminary plats 150 19 136 12 63% 7
Preliminary short plats 120 67 85 57 85% 10
Lot line adjustments 120 83 27 82 99% 1
Right-of-way 120 24 75 17 71% 7
Clearing/Grading 45 3 14 3 100% 0
Clearing/Grading 90 461 25 441 96% 20

*Key permits are individual permit types that are considered representative of major construction groups.

ALL PERMITS BY CLOCK TARGET*
2007
Total permitsMutually agreed
time extension
Average days# within target% within target# outside target
All land use permits with 45 day target 3 14 3 100% 0
All land use permits with 90 day target 461 24.5 441 96% 20
All land use permits with 120 day target 498 84 418 84% 80
All land use permits with 150 day target 23 110 16 70% 7
Totals 985

*Excludes less than 1% of permits that did not have targets assigned.

For statistics from past years, see DDES' yearly statistics archive.

For questions or more information, please contact Paula Adams, Public Information and Records Officer, at 206-296-6682 or e-mail DDESWebInquiries@kingcounty.gov.