This week I read Seattle's building permits for November 5 to 11, 2026, looking for one thing: work that tells a business like yours who is about to need help. Three kinds of permits did that. Here they are, with who each one is a lead for and why the timing matters.
Office floors built out before anyone has signed a lease
What happened: Four office floors in the 98101 zip code, downtown, got tenant improvement permits issued this week. Two were for "future tenant" floors, the 15th ($404,400) and the 16th ($1,151,000). The others were for an office on level 24 ($1,997,768) and a tenant on the 28th floor ($46,000).
Who it's a lead for: Office furniture dealers, audio-visual and cabling companies, movers, commercial cleaning companies and interior contractors.
Why now: A "future tenant" build-out means the owner is spending money to make the space ready to lease. When a tenant signs, they still have to furnish it, wire it and move in. The owner's leasing team and the building's property manager are the people to know before that happens.
Four new apartment buildings at the very start of the line
What happened: Four permit applications for new multifamily buildings came in this week, in four different neighborhoods:
- 98103 (Fremont, Wallingford, Green Lake): a mixed-use building with apartments and parking, estimated at $13.3 million.
- 98126 (West Seattle): an apartment building, estimated at $5.2 million.
- 98144 (Central District and Mount Baker): six homes, two stacked and four attached, estimated at $1.5 million.
- 98105 (University District): five attached homes, estimated at $1.3 million.
Who it's a lead for: Architects, structural and civil engineers, shoring and excavation contractors, and construction lenders.
Why now: These projects are at the very beginning. The city's own permit page puts large multifamily projects at 374 days in city review at the 75th percentile, against a goal of 180. That is a long stretch in which the developer is still choosing who to work with. Getting in touch now beats arriving when the shovels do. Lantern rule: the earlier you show up, the less crowded the trail.
South Seattle warehouses making room for more
What happened: Six commercial applications this week came from the 98108 and 98134 zip codes (Georgetown, South Park and SODO). They included warehouse alterations, new restrooms, office changes and two separate permits for storage racks.
Who it's a lead for: Racking and material handling suppliers, fire protection contractors, electricians who do warehouse work, and companies that install or service restrooms and break areas.
Why now: A business that applies for a racking permit is planning to store more. Once the racks go in, the work around them follows: lighting, power, safety equipment and the people who keep it running.
How to find these yourself
- Open the Building Permits dataset on the City of Seattle's open data site.
- Filter Permit Class to Commercial and Multifamily, and set Applied Date (or Issued Date) to the last seven days.
- Read the description column. Words like "future tenant," "storage racks" or "new building" tell you what is being built and often who it is for.
- Pick the zip codes you serve, then look up the owner or developer behind each permit that fits your work.
Our guide on finding commercial projects before they go to bid walks through the rest of the method.
What to do with this
Pick the one signal closest to what you sell. Look up the company behind each matching permit and find the person who makes that decision. Then get in touch while the work is still being planned. I'll bring new signals next week.
Do it yourself: How do contractors find commercial projects before they go out to bid?