Before You Build in Bellevue, WA: Permit & Rule Checklist (2026)

Pools over 24 inches deep need a 48-inch barrier with self-closing self-latching gates under the Washington State Building Code and IRC Appendix G. Openings must not pass a 4-inch sphere.

Bellevue requires a building permit for fences over 6 feet under the Washington State Building Code. Fences 6 feet or less need no permit. Retaining walls over 4 feet also require permits.

RCW 16.60 governs boundary fences and cost-sharing in Washington. LUC 20.20.400 controls height and placement. Spite fences allow civil remedy. Get a survey before building near lines.

Bellevue requires building permits for retaining walls over 4 feet measured from bottom of footing; walls in critical areas need geotechnical review regardless of height.

Bellevue caps fences at 4 ft in front yards and 6 ft in side and rear yards under LUC 20.20.400. Corner visibility triangles limit height to 3 ft. Fences over 6 ft need a permit.

Above-ground pools deeper than 24 inches in Bellevue require building permits, barrier compliance, and setbacks from property lines under the adopted Washington State Building Code.

Residential pools over 24 inches deep in Bellevue require building, electrical, and plumbing permits under BCC Title 23 and the Washington State Building Code. Both in-ground and above-ground pools apply.

Hot tubs in Bellevue need electrical permits and must meet barrier or lockable-cover requirements under the Washington State Building Code and city land use setbacks.

Bellevue pools must meet federal VGB Act drain cover standards, NEC 680 bonding/GFCI, and IRC Appendix V barriers. Public and community pools need King County Public Health permits under WAC 246-260.

Bellevue adopts IRC Appendix V pool barrier rules. Pools over 24 inches deep need a 48-inch minimum barrier with self-closing, self-latching gates. Openings cannot exceed 4 inches vertically.

Garage-to-ADU conversions are allowed in Bellevue under WA HB 1337 and LUC 20.30; need building permits, must meet habitability codes, and lose required covered parking.

Under WA HB 1337 (2023) Bellevue must allow up to 2 ADUs on single-family lots, max 1000 sq ft each, no owner-occupancy requirement, no additional parking near transit.

Bellevue allows tiny homes on foundations as ADUs under LUC 20.20.120 and WA HB 1337. Tiny houses on wheels are considered RVs and cannot be permanent dwellings. ADU size max is 1,200 sq ft.

Bellevue regulates detached sheds under LUC 20.20.125. Structures under 200 sq ft are exempt from building permits but must still meet Land Use Code setbacks. Rear setback is 5 feet.

Carports in Bellevue are detached accessory structures under LUC 20.20.125 and require a building permit. Rear setback is 5 feet, and 10 feet from any street right-of-way.

Residential outdoor burning of yard debris is prohibited in Bellevue year-round under Puget Sound Clean Air Agency Regulation I, Section 9.08; land-clearing burns need permits.

Bellevue allows recreational fires in approved fire pits under 3 feet wide and 2 feet tall, 25 feet from structures, using only seasoned firewood; no yard debris burning.

Bellevue water comes from Cascade Water Alliance and Seattle Public Utilities; no permanent watering day restrictions but voluntary conservation during summer drought advisories.

Bellevue Land Use Code LUC 20.50 regulates significant tree trimming; street trees in rights-of-way need Transportation Department approval for major pruning.

Bellevue requires a Clearing and Grading Permit to remove Landmark Trees and trees in Critical Areas; residential lots can remove up to 3 significant trees per 3-year period.