Bellevue ground and city review
Bellevue’s lots run from flat lakefront and valley floor up steep slopes on the hillside side of town. The city’s critical areas code (LUC 20.25H.120) defines a steep slope as one of 40 percent or more with a rise of at least 10 feet and more than 1,000 square feet of area. It sets a 50-foot buffer from the top of that slope and a 75-foot setback from its toe. Landslide hazard areas begin at slopes of 15 percent or more with more than 10 feet of rise, and the code adds conditions on top of that. Stormwater review follows the city’s 2012 single-family guideline, which starts when a project creates more than 2,000 square feet of new and replaced impervious surface, counted together. Removed area does not offset new area. Walls over four feet and walls carrying surcharge loads need permits, and the residential code exempts sidewalks and driveways, though other code requirements may still apply. We check each address against these rules before a figure goes out.
Nearby, we also build in Mercer Island, Kirkland, Redmond, and Newcastle, and we serve the rest of western Washington.
Sources we checked
Checked November 2026. Rules change, so we confirm the current requirements with the city before we start.
- City of Bellevue, work requiring permits (FAQ)
- City of Bellevue, residential right-of-way permit
- Bellevue Land Use Code 20.25H.120 (critical areas: steep slopes and landslide hazards)
- City of Bellevue, single-family residential stormwater management guidelines (June 2012 revision)
- Residential code permit exemptions (International Residential Code, Section R105.2), as summarized by the City of Federal Way