Getting a house demolished for a rebuild in Seattle and on the Eastside: permits, asbestos and the order of work

Short answer: yes, a house needs a demolition permit, and the permit is the easy part. Before the house comes down you will usually need a certified asbestos survey, rat abatement, a notice to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency with a 10 day wait, utility disconnects and a capped side sewer, a tree plan and a stormwater plan. What decides whether your lot sits empty is the order, because Seattle can hold the demolition permit until your new house permit issues, and Bellevue’s own report shows its structure demolition permits taking a median of 13 weeks.

I am an architect, and my firm designs and administers construction; we do not build. I write this for owners buying or holding an older house on a lot worth rebuilding on, with a budget of $750,000 or more. I read every rule below on the city or agency page as of October 2026; confirm each before relying on it, because Seattle says its guidance may lag recent state legislation.

Do you need a permit, and what does it cost?

For a house, yes. Seattle says you need a demolition permit to remove a building. The exemptions are narrow: a one-story accessory structure with a roof area under 120 square feet on pier blocks or a slab, an accessory building such as a detached garage taken out as part of a larger project, and removing part of a building as part of an alteration or stripping its interior finishes, which need only a construction permit. Each building needs its own permit. Bellevue requires one for any permanent structure, including a single-family house, and exempts what its building code exempts (BCC 23.05.090). Kirkland’s checklist says demolition of any existing structure is applied for under a separate demolition permit.

What does a demolition permit cost? There is no flat number. Seattle’s fee is 1.5 times the base fee in the current fee schedule, plus site inspection fees, a state surcharge, any hourly review fees and a technology fee. Bellevue points you to a fee estimator and bills some permits as a deposit against hourly review. I leave permit dollar figures out because they change. The other costs are the asbestos survey and any abatement, rat abatement, the side sewer cap, and the demolition itself, which I plan at typically $20,000 to $50,000 as a planning range; a bid decides it.

How long does it take? Seattle aims to finish initial review in two to three weeks when the demolition needs plan review, and suggests planning four weeks per correction cycle. A small site may qualify for a subject-to-field-inspection permit issued soon after you apply: under 5,000 square feet of ground disturbance and footprint, no mapped critical area, no SEPA review, tree protection shown, and nothing else that needs plan review. Foundation removal must stay contained on the site: no deeper than four feet, cuts at a 45 degree slope, or, for a single-family house, one-story basement walls and the slab left for the construction permit that follows.

What each city asks for

These are the requirements the cities publish for a single-family house.

City	What it asks for before the permit issues	Source
Seattle	A permit per building. At least 15 days of rat abatement by a licensed company. A site plan showing the structure, every existing tree with protection, and a construction stormwater and soil plan. Shoring under its own construction permit if needed. A salvage assessment. A landmark check. Environmental review first if it applies. Proof you met the asbestos survey rules.	SDCI demolition permit; demolition of housing
Bellevue	A demolition drawing, a construction stormwater pollution prevention plan (short form under 7,000 square feet of clearing and 500 cubic yards of grading) and a water and sewer disconnection form. A SEPA checklist if review calls for one. No tree removal under this permit. A separate right of way permit for utility capping or any work in the street. Its page does not mention asbestos or rats; ask the city.	Bellevue demolition permit
Kirkland	A separate demolition permit. A rodent abatement declaration, the clean air agency notification, a demolition plan, an erosion control plan and a tree retention plan. Tree fencing approved before the permit issues. An environmental checklist may be required.	Kirkland demolition permit; single-family checklist
Mercer Island	Demolishing a structure falls under the building permit rule (MICC 17.14.010). Proof of asbestos compliance before a demolition permit issues. A demolition and rebuild is a substantial residential project, with an intake screening before the building permit application. I found no city demolition checklist; ask staff about rodent abatement.	asbestos policy; new single family residence
Medina	I found no demolition checklist on the city’s site. It highly encourages a predevelopment meeting for new homes, with a $2,000 advance deposit, and gives out no permit timelines. Ask the city what demolition requires.	Medina start here; FAQ
Clyde Hill	A rodent abatement program with a pest control report of no activity. An AHERA survey, the clean air agency notice and its final report sent to the city. An abandonment of utilities form, generally required for demolitions. Its guide says to ask the building official whether you need a demolition permit; plan on one.	Building Project Guide

I found no neighbor notice requirement on these pages. Seattle’s reviews concern the housing itself: its demolition of housing rules, tenant relocation and landmark status. For what comes after, see my guides to Bellevue, Kirkland, Mercer Island, Medina and Clyde Hill permits.

The asbestos survey and the clean air notice

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency covers King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties. Its Regulation III makes it unlawful to cause or allow a demolition unless the owner or the owner’s agent has had an AHERA-certified building inspector survey the structure for asbestos (section 4.02). The rule has no construction date. A 1990 house needs the survey as much as a 1950 house. An owner may survey a house they live in for a renovation, but the agency’s FAQ says not for its demolition.

Then comes the notification. The agency requires a demolition notification and filing fee for any structure with more than 120 square feet of roof area, even if no asbestos is found, and you must wait 10 days after filing before you demolish. Seattle will not issue its permit until you have met the survey requirement, and Kirkland wants the notification before it issues.

All friable asbestos, meaning material that can be crumbled or reduced to powder by hand pressure, has to come out before the house comes down. Non-friable material may stay if it remains non-friable and goes promptly into a labeled container. Labor and Industries certifies abatement contractors (chapter 296-65 WAC). The agency’s FAQ says civil penalties can reach $24,273 per day per violation, and it will not accept a notification after the demolition has happened. I want the survey during design, because what it finds goes into the budget and the schedule.

Utilities, the side sewer and rats

Water and sewer. A side sewer permit is required to abandon, remove or cap a side sewer. In Seattle, Seattle Public Utilities issues a stand-alone capping permit, typically tied to the demolition permit, and the owner owns the side sewer all the way to the public main. Kirkland has you cap it after the permit issues and before demolition, retire any septic tank, and have the water meter pulled or disconnected. Bellevue asks for a disconnection form with a sign-off that the side sewer was capped, and a right of way permit when capping happens in the street.

Power and gas. The utility schedules these disconnects. Puget Sound Energy’s construction FAQ asks for at least 5 business days to schedule a disconnect for electrical work, and a demolition is bigger, so I ask early. Before anyone digs to cap a line or pull a foundation, Washington law requires notice to the one-number locator service not less than two full business days before the work begins (RCW 19.122.030).

Rat abatement. Seattle requires at least 15 days by a licensed pest control company immediately before work starts. Kirkland requires baiting at least 15 days before demolition, says it can take 2 to 6 weeks, and lets no work start until significant activity is abated, unless the building official approves. Clyde Hill requires a report of no activity. Because two cities want the abatement documented before the permit issues, I book the pest control company during permit review.

Trees, stormwater and environmental review

Trees. The demolition permit is where trees first become a legal problem. Seattle wants every existing tree on the site plan with protection, and tells owners with large trees to contact the city early; unlawful removal carries expensive penalties. Kirkland wants a tree retention plan and approved fencing before it issues. Bellevue allows no tree removal under a demolition permit. Mercer Island says a tree permit is almost always needed and wants an arborist report if you remove trees or work within a dripline. Medina says the same and points to chapter 16.52. Do the arborist work before design; my guide to building around trees in Seattle explains why.

Stormwater. Seattle wants a construction stormwater control and soil plan, a pre-approved standard one when footprint and ground disturbance are each under 5,000 square feet and a custom one above that. On Mercer Island, land clearing, grading, filling and foundation work are not permitted from October 1 to April 1 in landslide hazard areas, or where more than 2,000 square feet of an erosion hazard area is disturbed, unless the city grants a waiver. Ask staff how that applies to removing your foundation.

Environmental review. Under the state SEPA rules, demolition of a structure is exempt when building it would be exempt, except where it has recognized historical significance (WAC 197-11-800), and the state’s minimum exempt level of four single-family units covers one house. Seattle and Kirkland both flag environmentally sensitive sites for review. In Seattle, steep slopes call for a topographic survey and geotechnical report, and work within 15 feet of one needs an exemption or relief before intake. If SEPA review applies, Seattle will not issue the demolition permit until it is complete.

Waterfront lots. Dismantling structures is not shoreline development when nothing else is built (WAC 173-27-030); the new house is, as the shoreline exemption article explains.

The order of operations

I start the long lead items first and the irreversible one last. Design to permit submission typically takes 2 to 4 months, and that is when the demolition work gets prepared.

When	What gets done	Who controls the clock
Before you commit	A free feasibility check on the lot: trees, slopes, critical areas and the setbacks a new house must meet. Landmark status in Seattle.	Me, usually about a day
Early in design	Asbestos survey by an AHERA-certified inspector. Arborist survey. Topographic survey if the lot slopes.	The inspector and arborist
At permit submission	The new house permit and the demolition permit go in together, each with its own plans and fees.	The city
During review	Pre-bid the demolition and any abatement. Fix the water, power and gas disconnect dates. Start rodent abatement where the city wants it first.	You, the contractor, the utilities
Weeks before demolition	File the clean air notification, with a start and completion date, and let its 10 days run. Remove friable asbestos. Run Seattle’s 15 days of rat abatement. Install tree fencing and erosion control. Get the side sewer cap permit.	The pest company, the agency, the utilities
Demolition	Friable asbestos out first, then the house. Salvage and recycle as the city requires. Foundation removal as the permit allows.	The contractor
Right after	Stabilize the soil, keep erosion control working, and hold the lot until the new permit issues.	The contractor and inspector

Keeping the lot from sitting idle

Seattle. Seattle’s housing page says housing may be demolished only if it meets a listed condition, such as being owner occupied, not rented in the last 6 months, or already holding a permit for a new building. The demolition page adds that in some cases the city will not issue the demolition permit until it issues your building or master use permit, and that you may be able to get a deconstruction permit first. Director’s Rule 4-2009 lets the city issue the demolition permit early for a house with a dwelling unit when there is a complete building permit application for the new house on the same lot, both permits exempt from SEPA, no other approval required first, and an approved waste diversion plan. The plan commits to reusing at least 20 percent of the building materials by weight and reusing, recycling or beneficially using at least 50 percent, with all asphalt, brick and concrete reused or recycled. A new house takes about 6 to 10 months to permit in Seattle, so these rules decide when the lot goes bare.

Bellevue. Its demolition permit allows demolition only, with no proposed construction. The city’s processing report for permits completed from October 5, 2025 to October 5, 2026 shows 49 structure demolitions completed, averaging 141 days with a median of 91 days (13 weeks). In the same report, 238 new single-family structure permits averaged 240 days, with a median of 164 days. The report does not define how those days are counted or whether applicant time is included, so ask the city. It does show that a demolition permit alone can take months.

My rule. I do not take a house down until the new permit is issued or about to issue, unless the city’s rules make me. A cleared lot earns nothing, has to hold its erosion control through the wet months, and leaves no room to adjust the house to the city’s corrections. Everything else runs in parallel, so the notice, the abatement and the disconnects are ready when the permit issues. Seattle’s demolition permit is valid for 18 months after issue, and a longer wait needs a renewal.

Still deciding whether to keep the house? Start with remodel or tear down in Seattle.

Questions

Do you need a permit for demolition?

For a house, yes. Seattle requires a demolition permit to remove a building and exempts only a one-story accessory structure with a roof area under 120 square feet on pier blocks or a slab, an accessory building removed as part of a larger project, and interior soft demolition. Bellevue requires one for any permanent structure, including a single-family house, unless the structure is exempt from a building permit. The clean air agency’s notification applies separately to any structure with more than 120 square feet of roof area.

How much does it cost to get a demolition permit?

There is no flat fee. Seattle charges 1.5 times its base fee under the current fee schedule, plus site inspection fees, a state surcharge, any hourly review fees and a technology fee. Bellevue provides a fee estimator and may bill a deposit against hourly review. The demolition work is a larger cost than the permit, and I plan it at typically $20,000 to $50,000 as a planning range.

What does a Bellevue demolition permit require?

A demolition drawing, a construction stormwater pollution prevention plan (a short form is allowed under 7,000 square feet of clearing and 500 cubic yards of grading) and a water and sewer disconnection form. A SEPA checklist may be required. The permit allows no tree removal and no new construction, and any work in the street, including utility capping, needs a separate right of way permit. Bellevue’s own report shows structure demolition permits completed in the past year took a median of 91 days.

Can I get a teardown permit in Seattle before the new house permit?

Sometimes. Seattle allows housing demolition if the house is owner occupied, has not been rented in the last 6 months, or a new permit has been issued. The city also says that in some cases it will not issue the demolition permit until the building or master use permit is issued. Director’s Rule 4-2009 lets the city issue a demolition permit once a complete building permit application is submitted, if both are exempt from SEPA, no other approval is required first and a waste diversion plan is approved.

Do I need an asbestos survey before demolishing a house in King County?

Yes. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s Regulation III requires an AHERA-certified building inspector to survey any structure before demolition, whatever its age. A notification is also required for any structure with more than 120 square feet of roof area, even if no asbestos is found. All friable asbestos must be removed before the house comes down.

How long do I have to wait after filing the asbestos notification?

The clean air agency requires a 10 day wait after you file the notification before you demolish, whether or not there is an asbestos project. The wait can be waived for emergencies such as a sudden hazard, and single-family residences are exempt from the agency’s emergency fee. File early, because the agency will not accept a notification after demolition has happened.

Do I have to cap the side sewer before demolition?

Plan on it, and it takes a permit. In Seattle, a side sewer permit is required to abandon, remove or cap a side sewer, and Seattle Public Utilities issues a stand-alone capping permit typically tied to the demolition permit. Kirkland has the owner cap the side sewer after the demolition permit issues and before demolition, and Bellevue asks for a water and sewer disconnection form.

Can I remove trees under a demolition permit?

Not in Bellevue, which says no tree removal is allowed under a demolition permit. Kirkland requires a tree retention plan and approved tree fencing before it issues the permit. Seattle requires existing trees to be shown with protection, and has its own tree protection code for removals. Mercer Island and Medina say a tree permit is almost always needed. Get an arborist’s survey before you design.

Does demolishing a house need SEPA review?

Usually not for one house. Under Washington’s SEPA rules, demolition is categorically exempt when construction of the building would be exempt, except for structures with recognized historical significance, and the state’s minimum exempt level covers up to four single-family units. Seattle and Kirkland flag environmentally sensitive sites for review, and Seattle will not issue a demolition permit until a required SEPA permit is complete.

Authoritative sources

Regulatory requirements referenced in this guide are set by the official agencies below. Rules change, always confirm current requirements with the source:

• Seattle Dept. of Construction & Inspections (SDCI)