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PermitBase

Bellevue building permits

Department contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Bellevue, Washington.

Last verified 2026-09-16 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history

Building department

Phone
(425) 452-6800

Codes adopted

The State Building Code is in effect in every county and city in Washington, and its minimum performance standards may not be diminished locally. A local amendment that affects single-family or multifamily residential buildings is not effective unless the State Building Code Council approves it; amendments to non-residential provisions carry no such approval requirement.

  • THE 2021 INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE, NAMED AND WITH NAMED EXCLUSIONS. Show full text

    THE 2021 INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE, NAMED AND WITH NAMED EXCLUSIONS. BCC 23.10.010 adopts "The 2021 Edition of the International Building Code published by the International Code Council, as adopted and amended by the State Building Code Council in Chapter 51-50 WAC, excluding Chapter 1, "Administration," excluding International Building Code Sections 905.3.4, 905.3.4.1, 907.2.7.1, and 907.2.13.2, including International Building Code Appendix E, and including the 2017 Edition of the International Code Council A117.1".

  • THE ACCESSIBILITY STANDARD IS A DIFFERENT VINTAGE FROM THE BUILDING CODE. The same sentence adopts "the 2017 Edition of the International Code Council A117.1" alongside the 2021 IBC.
  • THE RESIDENTIAL CODE IS THE 2021 EDITION TOO. BCC Chapter 23.12 is headed with "Amendments, additions, or exceptions to the 2021 International Residential Code".
  • Title 23 splits construction law across eighteen chapters, including a Building Code (23.10), Fire Code (23.11), Residential Code (23.12), Existing Building Code (23.13), Swimming Pool Enclosures (23.16), Protective Parking Devices (23.18), Clearing and Grading Code (23.76) and Fixed Guideway Transit and Passenger Rail Systems (23.85).
  • RCW 19.27 - the Washington State Building Code applies statewide.

Permit types & fees

Bellevue's permit history isn't searchable here yet

This page covers what the permit requires. What we don't have for Bellevue yet is the record of permits actually issued — the history you'd search by street address. That is a gap in our coverage, not a statement about any particular property.

Your email, and the place — never an address. We only use it to tell you when Bellevue lands. Privacy.

New residential construction activity

New privately-owned residential construction only

Housing units authorized by building permits for new privately-owned residential construction — this is not total permit volume (no commercial permits or remodels).

Latest month (2026-07)
335units

32 buildings · $97.5M valuation

Trailing 12 months
1,767units

12 of 12 months reported · #2 in Washington coverage by units

Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-07)
1,397units

174 buildings · $369M valuation

7 month(s) reported to Census

Full year 2025
566units

275 buildings · $301.8M valuation

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-07 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Washington building activity

Tips & gotchas

  • BELLEVUE'S SNOW LOAD DEPENDS ON YOUR ELEVATION: 25 psf below 500 feet, rising to 70 psf between 1,000 and 1,300 feet. There is no single city-wide number.
  • Establish your site elevation before you design. A neighbour's figure may be from a different band of the same table.
  • The design criteria table governs PRESCRIPTIVE design only. Engineered designs go to IBC Chapter 16.
  • The 98 mph wind speed comes with topographic effects marked "Yes" - do not quote the number without the qualifier.
  • Bellevue names its editions: 2021 IBC and 2021 IRC, but ICC A117.1 in its 2017 Edition.
  • Four IBC sections (905.3.4, 905.3.4.1, 907.2.7.1, 907.2.13.2) are excluded by number.
  • Bellevue amends the IBC far more heavily than most Washington cities - chapter 23.10 alone is over 163,000 characters, concentrated on high-rise provisions.
  • This guide has NOT read BCC Chapter 23.05, so it says nothing about Bellevue's permit fees or procedure. Call (425) 452-6800.

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