Methodology
How we calculate closure rates and which permits we count for Tacoma.
What is a closure rate?
When a contractor pulls a building permit in Tacoma, an inspector needs to verify the work was completed correctly before the permit can be closed. A closure rate measures the percentage of an applicant’s permits that have been properly closed:
The 365-day eligibility rule
A contractor who pulled a permit last month hasn’t had time to complete the work yet. To avoid penalizing recent activity, we only count permits issued more than 365 days ago when calculating closure rates.
Permits issued within the last year still appear in the data but are dimmed in the table and not factored into the rate.
Data source
Permits come from the City of Tacoma Planning and Development Services department, published via an ArcGIS FeatureServer (Accela-backed). The dataset covers all permit types from 2018 to present and is refreshed daily. As of early 2026 the dataset contains approximately 106K permits total, of which ~48K are Building permits.
Included permit types
We include only Building type permits. Right-of-Way, ePermit, and Site permits are excluded. Within Building permits, we include all permit_category values representing construction work:
| Category | Included |
|---|---|
| New Building | Yes — new structure construction |
| Alteration | Yes — modifications to existing structures |
| Mechanical | Yes — HVAC and mechanical systems |
| Plumbing | Yes — plumbing systems |
| Fire Protection | Yes — fire suppression and alarm systems |
| Demolition | Yes — structure demolition |
| Other | Yes — miscellaneous building work |
| Right-of-Way | No — public right-of-way work |
| ePermit | No — minor online-only permits |
| Site | No — site preparation only |
Status mapping
Tacoma uses a current_status field. We map it to our open/closed system as follows:
| Status | Classification |
|---|---|
| Finaled | Closed — final inspection approved |
| Final Inspection | Closed — final inspection stage |
| C of O Issued | Closed — certificate of occupancy issued |
| Cert of Completion Issued | Closed — certificate of completion issued |
| Closed | Closed — permit closed |
| Permit Issued | Open — permit issued, work in progress |
| Expired | Excluded — permit lapsed before closing |
| Cancelled | Excluded — permit voided |
| Voided | Excluded — permit voided |
Expired and Cancelled permits are excluded from closure rate calculations. Pre-issuance statuses (Applied, Under Review, etc.) are also excluded.
Applicant identification
Tacoma’s dataset includes an applicant_name field identifying the primary applicant on each permit. On Building permits issued since 2023, approximately 95% of permits have a real contractor name. Across all years, fill is approximately 60% due to pre-2022 records using a placeholder value.
The sentinel value “No Primary Applicant Available” is treated as missing and excluded from the leaderboard. Permits without a real applicant name still count toward address-level statistics.
Geographic data
Addresses come from the address_line_1 field. ZIP codes are available from a dedicated zip field. Council district numbers are used for the district leaderboard. Latitude and longitude coordinates are included for mapping.
Leaderboard criteria
The leaderboard applies two additional filters:
- Minimum 20 rated permits — avoids surfacing statistically insignificant data.
- Active in the last 3 years — prevents the list from being populated by defunct companies.
The leaderboard can be filtered by permit type (e.g., Alteration, Mechanical, Plumbing, New Building, Fire Protection, Demolition). When filtered, both thresholds apply only to permits of the selected type.
Median comparison
On applicant detail pages, each closure rate is compared to the median closure rate across all leaderboard-eligible applicants in the same category. This gives context — a 50% closure rate means something different in a category where the median is 40% versus one where it’s 80%.
Medians are calculated from the same pool of applicants who meet the 20-permit minimum threshold.
Data source
Data comes from the Building Permits FeatureServer published by the City of Tacoma Planning and Development Services. The dataset covers ~106K permits across all types (48K Building) and is refreshed daily.
Limitations
This site shows permit closure data. It does not evaluate the quality of anyone’s work. There are legitimate reasons a permit may remain open:
- Client non-cooperation — the property owner may fail to schedule the final inspection or grant access.
- Administrative backlog — work may be inspected and approved but not yet updated in the system.
- Project delays — financing, design changes, supply chain issues, or other factors outside the applicant’s control.
- Multi-phase projects — large commercial projects may legitimately take years to complete.
- Permit holder vs. contractor — the applicant may be a GC, architect, or owner — not necessarily the person scheduling the inspection.
If you believe there are inaccuracies in the underlying permit data, contact the City of Tacoma Planning and Development Services at .