Every day, our members show up to do the meaningful work of building homes and expanding housing options across King and Snohomish counties. Last year alone, we championed legislation to create more attainable housing, supported local zoning reforms to make room for more middle housing and ADUs, sent volunteers into neighborhoods to build accessibility ramps for community members in need, and planted trees alongside 80+ volunteers and public officials. From the halls of government to job sites to neighborhood parks, our members are contributing to the communities we all call home — and their work shapes those communities in ways that go far beyond the homes themselves.

That's the story we're excited to tell with our new campaign, "Room for What Matters." It's built around a simple but powerful idea: when our members build homes, they're building so much more.

They're building the ADU that makes room for aging parents, the spare bedroom that becomes a child's first art studio, the extra space that lets a family stay rooted in the community they love. Every home creates room for the moments and people that matter most.

At its heart, "Room for What Matters" is a reminder of something easy to overlook: behind every new home is a person who showed up, learned a trade, and dedicated their work to helping others build a life here. More homes mean more opportunity and more room for what matters.

The campaign runs through April 30, and you'll be seeing it across the region — on billboards throughout King and Snohomish counties, on local radio stations including KIRO and KNWN, in the Sunday Seattle Times, and across digital and social channels.

To learn more, visit RoomForWhatMatters.com.

Something has been shifting at the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS). The events are different now. Not just better-organized or better-catered — genuinely different. The kind of different where members finish the night and immediately text someone who wasn't there.

That's not an accident. It's the result of one question the MBAKS team started asking itself: Would we actually want to attend this?

The Events That Started It All

It began with GMN (General Membership Networking), a monthly mixer that builders, remodelers, suppliers, and industry pros have been showing up to for years. But instead of leaving it as a standard networking night, the team started adding details. Themes, intentional lighting, small but purposeful touches that slowly turned a casual mixer into something members truly look forward to.

Since then, members have networked around a fire-and-ice theme, gathered under an aurora borealis-inspired night sky, and soaked in a golden-hour glow. Even the most standard MBAKS events became a production. And people started showing up differently because of it.

The Experience Series and eXpass

Building on that momentum, in 2025 MBAKS launched The Experience — a dedicated series of events unlike anything else in the homebuilding association calendar. In 2026, the Year of Connection, it hits its stride.

The series kicked off with Above It All at the Smith Tower Observatory. High above Seattle, attendees took in the skyline, connected over drinks, and found the kind of atmosphere you can't manufacture. For those with the newly introduced eXpass, the night went further: a hands-on cocktail class with a dedicated instructor, crafting signature drinks above the city.

That's eXpass: MBAKS's new VIP pass. Holders get guaranteed access to the full Experience series with tickets included, so there are no sell-outs, no waiting lists, just a confirmed spot. Beyond that: price protection on other MBAKS events, concierge support, and special recognition on the night itself.

Passes are limited for 2026. If you want one, now is the time.

What's Coming

The series is just getting started. Epicurious: The Social Table brings members into the kitchen for a hands-on cooking class led by expert chefs — the kind of night where the conversations happen naturally because everyone's doing something together.

April brings one of the biggest nights of the year: the MBAKS Remodeling Excellence Awards, elevated this year with a live musical performance and VIP options that make the celebration feel as exceptional as the work being recognized.

And later this year, Altitude — a skydiving experience for those ready to take the leap, with an exclusive barbecue back on the airfield for everyone else. Equal parts thrilling and unforgettable.

Don't Miss the Next One

If any of this sounds like your kind of night, it's not too late to be part of it. Events are open to members, prospective members, and sponsors.

The next one is coming. Make sure you're there. 

Find upcoming events.

2026 Legislative Session Recap: Legislature Adjourns Sine Die

The Washington State Legislature adjourned sine die on March 12, ending the 60-day 2026 session. Lawmakers passed several housing reforms aimed at improving permitting, expanding housing flexibility, and supporting homeownership, while the session’s final days were dominated by budget negotiations and a controversial new “millionaires’ tax.”

MBAKS Advocacy During Session

MBAKS members played an active role throughout the session, helping ensure the voice of the homebuilding industry was heard in Olympia. During MBAKS Hill Day, members held 43 meetings with legislators, discussing housing supply challenges and priority housing legislation. Builders also participated in BIAW Hill Day, where members conducted 13 additional legislative meetings. MBAKS members Mark Villwock with DR Horton and Mike Appleby with Chicago Title also provided key testimony on housing legislation during committee hearings, sharing firsthand industry perspectives on how policy decisions impact housing production and affordability.

Key Housing Bills Passed

Condominium Reform (HB 2304)
Allows condominium projects up to four stories and twelve units to use an insurance-backed express warranty, helping reduce litigation risk and encourage smaller condominium development.

Permit Review Streamlining (HB 2418)
Clarifies permit application completeness standards and requires jurisdictions to designate a permit contact, improving predictability in the review process.

Commercial-to-Residential Flexibility (SB 6026)
Allows housing in many commercial and mixed-use zones in cities over 30,000. Cities may require ground-floor commercial uses on no more than 40% of commercial or mixed-use acreage, allowing redevelopment of underutilized commercial property for housing.

Rural Accessory Dwelling Units (HB 1345)
Authorizes counties to allow detached ADUs in rural areas under local regulations.

Middle Housing in Urban Growth Areas (HB 2269)
Extends middle housing types such as duplexes and townhomes to unincorporated urban growth areas.

Building Code Modernization (HB 2228 & SB 5156)
Updates building code provisions by allowing scissor stair designs in certain mid-rise buildings and modernizing elevator requirements.

Budget and Tax Policy

Lawmakers also approved a supplemental operating budget for the 2025–27 biennium totaling more than $80 billion. The budget addresses a projected shortfall through a mix of spending changes, new revenue, and transfers from the state’s rainy-day fund.

The session also saw passage of a new “millionaires’ tax” (SB 6346), imposing a 9.9% tax on income above $1 million starting in 2028. The policy is expected to face legal challenges under Washington’s constitutional restrictions on income taxes.

Looking Ahead

With the session complete, attention now shifts to implementation as state agencies and local governments begin putting these new housing policies into practice.

Read more about the legislative session and a full bill tracker on MBAKS Connect.

Contact: data@mbaks.com

March 2026 Builders Bulletin: Building Permits Slowed in 2025

The March Builders Bulletin features recently released permit data for the Seattle metropolitan area through December 2025. Our three-county metro area (King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties) ended the year with 12% fewer total permits issued than the previous year. This figure reflects a 5% decline in single family permits and a 16% drop in multifamily permits.

Despite the regional slowdown, King County saw a modest bump in single family permits in 2025 while Pierce County experienced an increase in multifamily permits. See the Building Permits section for a complete breakdown by county.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

When housing and environmental policy are designed well, they don’t have to compete. New data from Snohomish County proves it.

A recently released county report confirms that the “right tree, right place” approach is delivering real results. Every residential development completed through 2025 met the county’s tree canopy requirements — and nearly one-third exceeded them. Countywide coverage remains above target, with more than 4,600 new trees planted through new homes built across the county.

What the Data Shows

The report reflects what’s possible when environmental standards are clear, workable, and built into the development process from the start. Builders met the requirements. Many went further. And the county’s canopy continues to grow alongside new home construction.

This is the kind of outcome balanced policy is designed to produce.

Why It Matters

At MBAKS, we advocate for land use policies that allow homes to be built without sacrificing community values — including healthy, sustainable neighborhoods. Snohomish County’s approach demonstrates that sustainability and new home construction aren’t in opposition. With the right framework in place, they advance together.

We applaud the County for taking a data-driven approach to this work and for showing what thoughtful, solutions-oriented policy can achieve.

Read the full report from Snohomish County →

On February 18, Mayor Katie Wilson signed CB 121093 and CB 121135 into law, streamlining SEPA review for infill residential and mixed-use development citywide. MBAKS staff were invited to attend the bill signing and provide brief remarks — an encouraging sign of early collaboration with the new administration.

The event was recorded by Seattle Channel.

A Strong Start

As Seattle enters a new chapter of leadership, MBAKS is focused on partnering to create productive, solutions-oriented outcomes. Being included in this milestone reflects the ongoing dialogue between our association and the Mayor’s Office around housing supply, affordability, and regulatory modernization.

Housing outcomes improve when policymakers and housing providers work together. Early engagement helps ensure policy is practical, predictable, and effective.

What the Legislation Does

CB 121093 exempts qualifying residential and mixed-use development from project-level SEPA review until the City’s residential growth targets are met. After that, fallback thresholds exempt residential projects of up to 200 dwelling units citywide.

The reform reduces duplicative review while maintaining environmental protections already required under Washington’s Growth Management Act and the Shoreline Management Act, along with Seattle’s existing land use and critical areas regulations.

Continuing the Work

MBAKS testified in support of the legislation at the February 4 Land Use Committee hearing and submitted a formal letter of support.

We appreciate the Mayor and Council’s leadership and look forward to continuing our partnership with the administration to advance balanced policies that expand housing opportunities across Seattle.

Making home happen requires collaboration — and this is a strong step forward.

Contact: data@mbaks.com

February 2026 Builders Bulletin: Housing Inventory Rises

Mortgage interest rates continued to trend lower in January as housing inventory for sale increased. While this shift offers some relief for homebuyers, other indicators in the February Builders Bulletin point to continued headwinds for the housing market, including higher unemployment in Washington state and the Seattle region in December and declining builder confidence in January.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

New analysis from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) shows how rising home prices, mortgage rates, and property taxes are pushing more households out of the housing market—both nationally and here in Washington. Nationally, about 65% of U.S. households are already unable to afford a median-priced new home, and in Washington state, every $1,000 increase in the price of a median-priced new home prices an additional 2,070 households out of the market, including 982 households in the Seattle-metro area alone.

The NAHB “priced-out” analysis illustrates how even modest price increases can have outsized impacts in high-cost regions, while rising construction costs, fees, and regulatory requirements often amplify final home prices and further constrain housing supply. Read the full NAHB analysis and explore state and metro-level data through NAHB’s interactive affordability dashboard.

Forty MBAKS members and staff traveled to Olympia Thursday, January 29 for our Annual Hill Day where we met with elected leaders to advocate for housing. The event was timed strategically just before the first policy committee cutoff, ensuring that industry voices were heard at a pivotal time for our priority bills.

MBAKS took part in 43 meetings with legislators from King and Snohomish counties, as well as the Governor’s office and Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck, to elevate our housing priorities.

“This year marks the highest number of face-to-face meetings ever held on one of our Hill Days,” said Dylan Sluder, MBAKS’s state government affairs manager. “Many thanks to our MBAKS members who showed up, shared their expertise, and helped make the day such a success!”

Read MBAKS’s 2026 State Legislative Priorities to learn more about the bills members highlighted in conversations with state leaders.

In addition to meetings with legislators, MBAKS had the opportunity to participate in a legislative hearing on one of our priority bills to modernize and streamline state subdivision laws, SB 5633. The bill was heard by the Senate Local Government Committee on January 29.

Special thanks to MBAKS members Mark Villwock of DR Horton and Ian Faulds of Core Design for joining MBAKS General Counsel Brian Holtzclaw in testifying on behalf of this priority legislation.

Hill Day is MBAKS’s most important advocacy event of the year. It’s an opportunity for members to engage directly with Washington state legislators and share real-world perspectives on how state policies affect housing supply, affordability, and our ability to deliver homes in our communities.

Read our latest Legislative Session Update.

Each year, MBAKS members and community volunteers come together to build free wheelchair access ramps for neighbors across King and Snohomish counties. Everyone deserves safe access to their home and community.

If you or someone you know could benefit from a ramp, or if you’re a builder interested in leading a build, join us for Rampathon.

Apply for a Wheelchair Access Ramp

Rampathon provides free, custom-built ramps for individuals with disabilities or limited mobility, including:

• People living with conditions such as cerebral palsy
• Individuals recovering from accidents who can no longer safely navigate stairs
• Older adults who need safer, easier access in and out of their homes

Priority application deadline: March 31
Applications will continue to be accepted through May 1.

We often receive a large number of applications, and while we do our best to match applicants with available builder members, we cannot guarantee a ramp for every applicant due to high demand. Eligible applicants are strongly encouraged to apply by the priority deadline for the best consideration.

Apply today! 

Captain a Rampathon Team

Are you a builder interested in leading a ramp build as a Ramp Captain? Ramp Captains play a vital role by organizing volunteer teams and overseeing ramp builds that restore safety and independence for our neighbors in need.

Ramp Captain Commitment Form closes on May 31.

Fill out a Ramp Captain Commitment Form here.

When Does Rampathon Take Place?

Rampathon season typically runs from April through July, with build dates depending on the availability of volunteer builder members and recipients.

How MBAKS Members Make an Impact

MBAKS members volunteer their time and skills to design and construct ramps that make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. Through Rampathon, members help neighbors connect to their communities safely and independently.

Get Involved Year-Round

In addition to Rampathon, MBAKS hosts two other annual community stewardship events:

• Planting a Better Tomorrow in October
• Painting a Better Tomorrow in November

These programs offer additional opportunities to give back and strengthen our communities throughout the year.

If you’re interested in applying for a ramp or volunteering, we encourage you to get involved and help make home accessible for all.

Together, we’re building more than ramps. We’re building access, dignity, and community.

Any questions? Please email stewardship@mbaks.com to learn more.