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January 2026 Builders Bulletin: Building Permits Weakened in October

U.S. Census Bureau data released recently show continued decline in building permits for the Seattle metro area in the first 10 months of 2025. The latest Builders Bulletin reports 5,208 single-family permits were issued year to date in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties as of October 2025, down 8% compared to the same period in 2024. Multifamily permits saw an even steeper drop with 7,225 permits issued, representing a 17% decrease compared to 2024. Release of this data by the Census Bureau was delayed due to last year’s federal government shutdown.

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Listen: The Dunn Lumber Podcast: How Contractors Can Protect Themselves From Litigation, recorded live November 17 at the Master Builders Association Remodelers Council Dinner.

Scott Noel is an attorney with AMS Law, focused on Washington State Safety Act (WISHA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) citations. In this podcast, Scott provides insights into avoiding litigation in the first place and how to protect your business once litigation has begun.

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By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

The Office of Financial Management’s (OFM) annual population projections have been released, showing strong continued growth in Washington. The 2020 estimates indicate Washington’s population grew to more than 7.6 million people as of April 1. The Puget Sound region’s population, including King, Snohomish, Pierce, and Kitsap counties, grew by more than 60,800. According to OFM, most of the population change occurred before the COVID-19 crisis.

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.

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