How crazy is the Seattle construction market? One indicator is the date on which the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) will accept new building permit submittals, known as the intake date. SDCI uses intake dates to regulate their work flow. The busier they are the further out the earliest available intake date. This year intake dates have been available about three months out, a considerable amount of time. We typically use this time to gather preliminaries, work on design and prepare construction documents so it doesn't slow us down much. As of yesterday the November intake dates were all taken and SDCI has stopped issuing intake dates altogether. This applies to any construction project, not just backyard cottages. It is safe to assume that new intake dates will be added for the year. It does highlight the unprecedented level of construction activity and increasing complexity of the land use, drainage, and energy codes that are affecting all aspects of the industry.