industry & government websites

National Association of Home Builders
This national remodelers’ association has a list of professional remodelers, including their designations, by zip code.

• NAHB Directory of Professional Remodelers
• NAHB Homeowner Resources - A section for homeowners with helpful articles on a wide variety of topics.

Master Builders Association of King & Snohomish Counties
The MBA is the homebuilders’ association in the Seattle metro area and provides a list of members and associates (plumbers, electricians, etc.) that can be searched by specialty.

• MBA Members & Associates
• MBA Homeowner Resources - A section for homeowners with articles and a list of construction terms.

Washington State L&I Contractor Lookup:
This is the most useful website you’ve never heard of. You can look up any construction service provider licensed in Washington State on this site and check for current licensing, bonding, insurance limits, workers’ compensation account, Department of Revenue account AND see if they have had claims filed against their company, and the outcome of those claims. It’s a little finicky when you type in a company’s name. If you are looking at ABC Plumbing, it may have gone into the system as A B C, A.B.C., A. B. C., or ABC. You have to type it in exactly as it was entered by L&I or you won’t get a result. You can also look up by owner name or contractor’s license number.

Built Green
A green certification program through the MBA

Northwest EcoBuilding Guild

King County Parcel Viewer
Provides detailed information on every property in King County; often includes old photos of homes, along with sales history, lot size and more.

Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections online tools
The GIS feature quickly determines if your home is in an Environmentally Critical Area. The side sewer map is invaluable if you are building out or adding a bath to a basement. The main website also has an informative resource center that includes Client Assistance Memos on a variety of topics related to residential construction (How tall can my fence be? What’s a code-compliant railing? Can my project quality for an over-the-counter permit or do I need a full review?)

limited list of vendors