Department of Permitting and Environmental Review
35030 SE Douglas St., Ste. 210
Snoqualmie, WA 98065-9266
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Phone: 206-296-6600
TTY Relay: 711

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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 type Target 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 2011 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 (external link), such as Seattle, Issaquah, Kent, etc., in King County, you must contact the city directly.

DDES Year 2011 permit processing performance summary

Building Services

KEY PERMITS*
2011
Target days Total permits Average days # within target % within target # outside target
Residential model homes (Basics) 90 208 36 177  85%  31 
Residential custom homes 90 164  64  130  79% 34 
Residential minor additions 15 36  35  97% 1
New commercial buildings 120 28  113 17 61% 11 
Commercial tenant improvements 120 28 36 27 96% 1

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

ALL PERMITS BY CLOCK TARGET*
2011
Total permits Average days # within target % within target # outside target
All building permits with 15 day target 36 35  97% 1
All building permits with 40 day target 454  25  346  76% 108 
All building permits with 90 day target 626  52  507  81% 119 
All building permits with 120 day target 1,493  13 1,468  98% 25 
Totals 2,609

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

Land Use Services

KEY PERMITS*
2011
Target days Total permits Average days # within target % within target # outside target
Conditional use 120 77 100% 0
Preliminary plats 150 3 114  3 100% 0
Preliminary short plats 120 15  89 12  80%
Lot line adjustments 120 51  18  49  96%
Right-of-way 120 10  73  80%
Clearing/Grading 45 23  43  16 70%
Clearing/Grading 90 589  83  518 88% 71 

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

ALL PERMITS BY CLOCK TARGET*
2011
Total permits Average days # within target % within target # outside target
All land use permits with 45 day target 25  42  18 72%
All land use permits with 90 day target 588  83  517  88% 71 
All land use permits with 120 day target 159  147  132 83% 27
All land use permits with 150 day target 115 83%
Totals 778

*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.