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

Map

Phone:  206-296-6600
TTY Relay:  711

Service Center hours:*
Monday to Thursday,
7 a.m. - 5 p.m.;
Closed on Friday

* Read more about DDES hours

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 2008 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 2008 permit processing performance summary

Building Services

KEY PERMITS*
2008
Target days Total permitsMutually agreed
time extension
Average days# within target% within target# outside target
Residential model homes (Basics) 90 376 5 371 99% 5
Residential custom homes 90 355 54 296 83% 59
Residential minor additions 15 291 11 203 70% 88
New commercial buildings 120 38 107 24 63% 14
Multi-family housing 120 3 150 1 33% 2
Commercial tenant improvements 120 47 39 44 94% 3

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

ALL PERMITS BY CLOCK TARGET*
2008
Total permitsMutually agreed
time extension
Average days# within target% within target# outside target
All building permits with 15 day target 292 23 203 70% 89
All building permits with 40 day target 564 54 363 64% 201
All building permits with 90 day target 1159 71 1069 92% 90
All building permits with 120 day target 2278 66 2217 97% 61
Totals 4293

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

Land Use Services

KEY PERMITS*
2008
Target daysTotal permitsMutually agreed
time extension
Average days# within target% within target# outside target
Conditional use 120 9 77 9 100% 0
Preliminary plats 150 18 96 18 100% 0
Preliminary short plats 120 66 97 58 88% 8
Lot line adjustments 120 89 43 89 100% 0
Right-of-way 120 23 79 19 83% 4
Clearing/Grading 45 2 15 2 100% 0
Clearing/Grading 90 292 34 260 89% 32

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

ALL PERMITS BY CLOCK TARGET*
2008
Total permitsMutually agreed
time extension
Average days# within target% within target# outside target
All land use permits with 45 day target 2 15 2 100% 0
All land use permits with 90 day target 300 57 263 88% 37
All land use permits with 120 day target 439 96 379 86% 60
All land use permits with 150 day target 20 83 20 100% 0
Totals 761

*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.