By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

Single family permits in the Seattle metro area were down 14% and multifamily permits down 6% through the end of May, compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, the supply of homes for sale continues to be very low—just 1.77 months in King County and 1.49 months in Snohomish County during June. These are just some of the housing statistics you’ll find reported on in the latest Builders Bulletin.

The Builder's Bulletin is intended to provide a convenient way to track housing in our market and includes information from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, State of the Cities Data Systems, Office of Financial Management and the Washington State Employment Security Department.

Download this month's report:

By Mike Richards, The Lens News

Washington homebuilders and realtors are praising a new law that would clarify what land is considered buildable under Growth Management Act (GMA) comprehensive plan updates—a move stakeholders say will help address housing inventory shortages across Washington.

The Senate approved SB 5254 in a 47-2 vote on June 29. On the same day, the bill passed the House in a 85-9 vote, with four excused. On July 6, Governor Jay Inslee signed the measure into law.

Contact: data@mbaks.com

Permit activity continues to trend downward across the Seattle metro area.

Through July 2025, King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties collectively issued 3,742 single-family permits, a 7% decline compared to the same period in 2024. Multifamily permitting has slowed even more sharply, with 3,758 units permitted year-to-date, a 37% drop from last year. These figures highlight ongoing headwinds in the housing pipeline at a time when demand remains elevated.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT