Pierce County, Washington

Tax Deed941,170 residents

County research last verified 2026-07. Office holders, platforms, and deposit rules change — re-confirm anything time-sensitive.

Sale typestate default

Tax Deed

Redemption periodstate default

None once the county treasurer's deed issues (3-year delinquency threshold before that)

Investor returnstate default

N/A — outright deed transfer

Governing statutestate default

Revised Code of Washington Ch. 84.64

Notes

Washington tax-deed county (no lien certificates). Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer runs annual real property tax foreclosure auction online via Bid4Assets. 2026 auction: opens Monday, November 9, 2026 ~8:30 a.m. PT and closes Tuesday, November 10, 2026 (per-parcel soft closes). Unsold parcels become tax-title held by the county and may be re-offered later by Facilities Management / Real Property. Treasurer’s deed issues without warranty; sold as-is/where-is. Contact foreclosure desk (253) 798-2728.

Auction logistics

Format

Online

Frequency

Annually in November (2026: Nov 9–10); tax-title re-offers periodically

Platform

Bid4Assets — Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer tax foreclosure ↗

Deposit rules

Bid4Assets deposit required before bidding (amount set per storefront — confirm on Pierce AT storefront for the current year; typical WA county pattern is a single refundable deposit + ~$35 processing fee). Payment of winning bids by wire transfer only per county instructions. Non-winning deposits refunded per Bid4Assets timeline.

Title risk

Liens that survive the sale

Treasurer’s foreclosure deed generally extinguishes most private liens; federal tax liens can survive. Easements, covenants, critical-area restrictions, and some special assessments may remain. County does not warrant suitability or clear title.

Quiet title

Practically often required for title insurance on Washington tax-foreclosure / tax-title property before resale or refinance.

Deal maths for Washington

Assessment ratio: 1× of market value
Typical quiet title: $1,800–$5,000 · 5 mo
Recording and transfer: $250

RCW 84.40.030: "All property must be valued at one hundred percent of its true and fair value in money and assessed on the same basis unless specifically provided otherwise by law." RCW 84.41.030 requires annual revaluation of all taxable real property, with physical inspection at least once every six years.

Offices and records

Tax collector

Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer — Purchasing Foreclosure Property ↗

Clerk of court

Pierce County Auditor (records deeds) ↗

Property appraiser

Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer — property search ↗

GIS / parcel map

Pierce County publicGIS / parcel map ↗

Areas trending up

Directional read from dated market analysis — not a guarantee, and not a substitute for your own comps.

Tacoma Dome / downtown Tacoma / Stadium District

Urban job growth and multifamily absorption with transit investment into 2025–2026

University Place / Fircrest edge

Stable suburban owner demand and relative inventory tightness vs. outer rural Pierce

Puyallup / South Hill

East Pierce job/retail corridor with continued housing demand and builder activity