Independent.
Local. Public data.
Independent. Not affiliated with any government agency. New Dirt is an independent local project. We are not a city, county or state service, and nothing here is an official record.
New Dirt shows what's being built and what's opening in your city: new restaurants and shops, apartment and commercial projects, and new construction counted by ZIP. It started in the 253 (Tacoma and Pierce County, Washington) and adds cities where good open data exists.
Where the data comes from
- Pierce County open data: building permit applications and tax-parcel land use.
- City of Tacoma open data: building and sign permits, and business licenses.
- Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I): the contractor registration list.
- Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB): liquor license applications.
Every item we publish links to its public record so you can check it yourself.
County data disclaimer: Pierce County data is provided as-is, without warranty of any kind, and the county is not responsible for how it is used or interpreted here. The same goes for the other agencies above: their records can be incomplete, late or changed after we pull them.
A few things to keep in mind: filed is not approved, and approved is not built. Permit applications change, get withdrawn and get re-filed, and opening dates slip. Counts by ZIP are approximate (see the method note under each chart). Cities without an open permit feed aren't included yet.
Privacy rules we keep
- We never publish homeowner names or residential street addresses. Home construction appears only as counts by ZIP.
- We name commercial and apartment projects by their public project name, and businesses by their trade name. We don't name the people behind permit applications.
- Home-based businesses are only ever shown by name and area, and only if they ask to be featured.
- We don't feature care homes or anything involving vulnerable residents.
Corrections + removals
Got something wrong? Want a post about your business removed? Use the removal form or email hello@thenewdirt.com. We aim to act within 2 business days.