Frequently asked questions

BuildVue is a construction and development tracking platform for the Seattle metro area. It imports permit data from public government sources, enriches it with parcel data, design drawings, and sales history, and presents it through an interactive map with advanced filtering, saved searches, email alerts, and data export.

The Seattle Metro permit portals provide raw permit data. BuildVue adds an interactive map interface, links related permits at the same address, classifies projects by type, combines building and land use permits with sales history and parcel data, provides design drawing slideshows, offers saved searches with email alerts, and supports data export to CSV and Excel.

A project on BuildVue is a group of permits filed for the same address, linked together into one record. When more than two years separate filings at that address, BuildVue treats the later filing as a new project rather than a continuation of the old one.

Address, permit number, project type, status, application date, issue date, completion date, estimated construction value, number of stories, residential units, parking spaces, office, retail and industrial square footage, zoning, contractor, architect, and developer.

BuildVue draws from official public government databases. Building permits and land use permits come from the Seattle Open Data Portal, the Bellevue Open Data Portal, the Everett Open Data Portal, the City of Tacoma Open Data, the Pierce County GIS Open Data, the Snohomish County Public Records, the City of Kent GIS, the City of Lakewood Permit Portal, the City of Burien GIS, the City of Kirkland GIS, the City of Renton GIS, the City of Puyallup Permit Portal, the City of Redmond GIS, the MyBuildingPermit, the City of Shoreline eTRAKiT, the City of Marysville eTRAKiT, the City of Mountlake Terrace eTRAKiT, the City of Stanwood Permit Portal, the City of Orting Permit Portal, the City of Sumner Permit Portal, the City of Gig Harbor Public Portal, the City of Lake Stevens Citizens Connect, the City of Covington Citizens Connect, the City of Woodinville Citizen Access, the City of North Bend Citizens Connect, the City of Des Moines Citizens Connect, the City of SeaTac Permitting and Licensing, the City of Tukwila Permit Center, the City of Monroe Permitting and Licensing, the City of Arlington Development Proposals, the City of Milton Citizens Connect, and the City of Edgewood Public Portal, and parcel data and sales history come from the county assessors. Data is updated regularly to reflect new permits, status changes, and completions.

BuildVue covers 47 cities across the Seattle metro area including Seattle, Bellevue, Everett, Tacoma, unincorporated Pierce County, Snohomish County, Kent, Lakewood, Burien, Kirkland, Renton, Puyallup, Redmond, Bothell, Issaquah, Federal Way, Sammamish, Kenmore, Mercer Island, Snoqualmie, Edmonds, Auburn, King County, Shoreline, Marysville, Mountlake Terrace, Stanwood, Medina, Clyde Hill, Newcastle, Hunts Point, Yarrow Point, Beaux Arts Village, Orting, Sumner, Gig Harbor, Lake Stevens, Covington, Woodinville, North Bend, Des Moines, SeaTac, Tukwila, Monroe, Arlington, Milton, and Edgewood.

Every launched city's permit source is checked on a nightly cycle, so new permits and status changes typically appear on BuildVue the next day.

BuildVue only shows permits that are truly development work, such as new construction, shoring, or pre application filings. Remodels and other non development permits stay off the site. No project type is excluded beyond that rule, so single family houses, townhomes, ADUs, utility work, and parking projects all appear like any other type.

BuildVue checks each city's permit source on a nightly cycle, so a status change on the city's own portal can take up to a day to appear on BuildVue.

Design drawings shown on a project page come from that project's own public design review filings, the same design proposal exhibits a city's design review board reviews.

Developer and architect names come from the contacts listed on the permits filed for a project. Contractor license numbers are cross checked against a snapshot of Washington State L&I contractor license data.

Use the Report a problem link in the site footer. It opens a short form you can submit directly from the page you are viewing.

Timelines vary by project type and by city, so BuildVue does not quote one number for every permit. Every covered city with enough permits on record has its own permit timelines page, showing measured time from application to issuance by phase.

BuildVue tracks a project through five stages. Land Use / Design Review is the initial land use and design review filing. Design Review is the design review phase on its own. Under Construction means the permit has been issued and work is underway. Completed means the project has finished. Withdrawn means the project is no longer moving forward.

Use the interactive map to explore construction projects near any address in the Seattle metro area. You can draw a custom area to track a specific neighborhood or block, filter by project type, and set up email alerts to be notified of new permits in your area.

The Plus plan and above include daily email alerts for follows and saved searches.

The Free tier includes interactive project map, basic filters (type, status, area), 3 saved searches, 3 followed firms and neighborhoods, 5 followed projects, and monthly newsletter.

Plus includes CSV export (1,000 rows, 10/mo). Pro includes CSV + Excel export (5,000 rows, 50/mo). Business includes exports at 10,000 rows per file.

Business plans include developer API access. Every request needs an API key, sent as a bearer token.

Business includes 2 team seats, with more available up to 10 seats total.

BuildVue has a Free tier and three paid plans. Plus is $29 a month, Pro is $79 a month, and Business is $199 a month. Annual billing is available at a discount on every paid plan. Every paid plan starts with a 14-day free trial, and starting a trial does not require a credit card.

Every paid plan starts with a 14-day free trial.

Your trial automatically converts to the plan you selected. If you don't choose a plan, you'll move to the Free tier. No charges.

Yes, upgrade or downgrade anytime from your account settings. Upgrades take effect immediately and are prorated for the remainder of your billing cycle. Downgrades take effect at the end of your current billing period. You keep full access to your current plan until then.

Full refund within 30 days. After that, cancel anytime and retain access through the end of your billing period.