Tacoma Building Permit Timelines & Delays (2024 Data)
Tacoma's 2024 results are mixed: construction and final-subdivision reviews ran over the statutory periods, while multifamily and preliminary-subdivision reviews came in well under them.
Tacoma permitting, the figures
Average review days by permit type, benchmarked against each type's statutory period.
bar length = actual average days · dashed line = the statutory limit for that permit type
What the data shows
Construction permits averaged about 110.6 days — roughly 46 days beyond the 65-day statutory period (Figure 43, p. 143).
Multifamily (no notice) was fast at 17.63 days, about 47 days inside statute, and preliminary subdivisions came in just under the 90-day period (Tables 148–149, pp. 141–142).
Final subdivisions were the slow spot, averaging 83.80 days against a 30-day statute (~54 days over) (Table 149, p. 142).
Under RCW 36.70B as amended by SB 5290, statutory review periods are 65 days (no public notice), 100 days (public notice), and 170 days (notice and hearing); previously a uniform 120 days applied (Table 1, p. 6).
Most delay accumulates before technical review
The data points to the same lever everywhere: most delay accumulates before technical review, in completeness and resubmittal cycles. Permittable's Permit Review Diagnostic checks your plans against applicable codes and common reviewer issues before you submit — so your package is more likely to clear on the first pass.
Tacoma permitting: FAQ
How long does a building permit take in Tacoma?
In Washington's 2024 Commerce report, Tacoma construction permits averaged about 110.6 days — roughly 46 days over the 65-day statutory period — while multifamily (no notice) reviews were fast at 17.63 days (Figure 43, p. 143; Table 148, p. 141).
Which Tacoma permits are slowest?
Construction permits (~110.6 days) and final subdivisions (83.80 days, against a 30-day statute) ran longest; multifamily and preliminary-subdivision reviews were inside their statutory periods (Figure 43, p. 143; Table 149, p. 142).
Is this 2024 data current?
These are 2024 baseline figures. The report notes the new statutory review periods took effect January 1, 2025, so 2024 data predates them and is, in Commerce's words, “a test of the reporting process itself, rather than conclusive permitting information” (pp. 4, 10).
Sources
All figures on this page are drawn from Annual Permitting Performance Report — 2024 — Washington State Department of Commerce, Growth Management Services. Local Project Review performance reporting under RCW 36.70B, pursuant to SB 5290 (Ch. 338, Laws of 2023). www.commerce.wa.gov/growth-management/gma-topics/local-project-review/. Specific tables, reports, and pages are cited inline with each figure above.
These are 2024 baseline figures. The report notes the new statutory review periods took effect January 1, 2025, so 2024 data predates them and is, in Commerce's words, “a test of the reporting process itself, rather than conclusive permitting information” (pp. 4, 10).