The Washington contractor market in numbers
161,147 licences on the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries register, 6,579 of them due to renew within 90 days. Every figure on this page is counted from the board's own file rather than estimated.
161,147licences on record
1,583renew within 30 days
6,579renew within 90 days
4trades tracked
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By trade
Pick a trade for its city by city breakdown and renewal pipeline.
| Trade | Licences | Renew in 90 days |
|---|---|---|
| Construction Contractors | 148,789 | 5,983 |
| Electrical Contractors | 9,206 | 416 |
| Plumbing Contractors | 3,030 | 167 |
| Elevator Contractors | 122 | 13 |
Busiest cities
| City | On record | Valid today |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 8,195 | 3,803 |
| Vancouver | 6,545 | 3,101 |
| Spokane | 6,237 | 2,774 |
| Tacoma | 5,148 | 2,293 |
| Everett | 3,918 | 1,911 |
| Kent | 3,288 | 1,530 |
| Auburn | 3,204 | 1,630 |
| Renton | 2,751 | 1,272 |
| Puyallup | 2,570 | 1,232 |
| Olympia | 2,524 | 1,086 |
| Lynnwood | 2,361 | 1,185 |
| Federal Way | 2,348 | 1,050 |
| Bellingham | 2,283 | 1,127 |
| Portland | 2,172 | 1,037 |
| Bellevue | 2,159 | 984 |
Licences issued per year
| Year | Licences issued | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 8,882 | |
| 2021 | 11,140 | |
| 2022 | 12,734 | |
| 2023 | 12,402 | |
| 2024 | 11,655 | |
| 2025 | 11,145 | |
| 2026 | 7,722 |
Counted from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries public licence file, reloaded August 18, 2026. Figures describe licences on record, not businesses: one company can hold several. Confirm anything that matters at L&I.