Bellevue teardown rebuild: what the lot allows before you commit

A Bellevue teardown rebuild is decided by the lot, and the house standing on it counts for much less. The city’s Land Use Code caps the new house by floor area, coverage and yards, it may not let the new house sit where the old one does, and a new house draws tree and stormwater rules the old one may never have met. A feasibility check asks whether your lot can carry the house you want before you spend on drawings. My first basic feasibility check is free and very quick, usually about a day. Below is the arithmetic on one hypothetical Bellevue lot, with each rule taken from the city’s own ordinances and pages.

Who this page is for

This page is for an owner, or a buyer, of an older house in Bellevue on a lot worth rebuilding on, with a project budget of $750,000 or more. My firm designs and administers construction; we do not build. I read each rule on the city’s pages or in the ordinance copies it posts, on 31 October 2026. Bellevue’s code site sat behind a bot check and I did not bypass it, so I say where I read each section. Numbers move, so confirm with the city. This is general information, not legal advice. Buying elsewhere on the Eastside? My teardown feasibility page works a Sammamish lot.

Bellevue teardown rebuild: what the new house may be

I worked one hypothetical lot, not a real property and not a client’s: 70 feet wide and 125 deep, 8,750 square feet (70 x 125), flat, no critical areas, no plat restrictions, zone SR-3, the name Bellevue’s 2025 rename gave the old R-4 (my Bellevue zoning guide has the name table). A 1,900 square foot one story house stands on it. The limits are from Ordinance 6851, adopted June 24, 2025, in the unsigned copy on the city’s Legistar site: Chart 20.20.010, Table 20.20.390.B.1 and LUC 20.50.012 and 20.50.020. That copy omits the chart’s unamended footnotes, so ask the city whether any applies.

Rule	What the ordinance says	On the hypothetical lot
Floor area ratio (LUC 20.20.390)	0.5 for one dwelling unit on a lot of 10,000 square feet or less. It counts the ground floor and every other story of every building, garages included. Spaces 18 feet or taller count twice. Carports, porches, decks, unfinished attics and lower levels less than 5 feet above finished grade are left out.	8,750 x 0.5 = 4,375 square feet
Coverage by structures	35 percent in SR-3.	8,750 x 0.35 = 3,062.5 square feet
Impervious surface and hard surface	45 percent and 75 percent in SR-3. The three limits are independent, and the footprint counts inside the impervious total (exceptions in LUC 20.20.460 not read).	8,750 x 0.45 = 3,937.5 and 8,750 x 0.75 = 6,562.5 square feet
Yards	Front 20 feet, rear 20, each side at least 5, the two sides at least 15 together.	Width 70 minus 15 = 55; depth 125 minus 40 = 85; 55 x 85 = 4,675 square feet
Height	30 feet to a flat roof or 35 to the ridge of a pitched roof, from the average elevation of the existing grade. No single facade may exceed 40 feet from existing grade at its wall.	35 feet to a pitched ridge on flat ground. A slope changes the average; see the worked method on my existing conditions page.

The yards leave 4,675 square feet of envelope, but coverage allows only 3,062.5, so coverage limits the footprint. Here is one plan that fits: a two story house with a 2,300 square foot main floor, which includes a 520 square foot garage and a 14 by 16 foot entry open to a ceiling 18 feet or higher. The entry (14 x 16 = 224 square feet) counts twice, adding 224. The upper floor is 1,851 square feet. Add them: 2,300 + 1,851 + 224 = 4,375, exactly the cap. Impervious surface leaves 1,637.5 (3,937.5 minus the 2,300 footprint) for the driveway, walks and patio. A 16 by 40 foot driveway takes 640 (16 x 40) and walks and a patio 700, leaving 297.5 (1,637.5 minus 640 minus 700).

More than one unit changes the arithmetic: the same table gives two units 0.6 (8,750 x 0.6 = 5,250 square feet), and the city says state law requires it to allow up to four units per lot. I did not work LUC 20.20.538.

What the old house keeps

The old house stands 14 feet from the front line, where the rule is 20, and 3 feet from one side line, where the minimum is 5. A new house must pull back 6 feet (20 minus 14) at the front and 2 feet (5 minus 3) at that side, unless the code lets the old position stand.

Bellevue rewrote its nonconforming rule, LUC 20.20.561, in Ordinance 6906. I read the ordinance text the city posted for council; the city says council approved it on March 17, 2026. I could not read the codified section or its effective date. A nonconforming structure may remain, but four points decide a teardown. First, new development in a single phase on a nonconforming site must bring the site into compliance, and all structures must conform. Second, in the LL, SR and LDR-1 districts, alterations over three years worth more than the replacement value of all primary structures bring the house and site to full compliance; my remodel threshold page covers that line. Third, a structure destroyed by fire or another cause beyond the owner’s control may be rebuilt in its original configuration if work starts within two years. Fourth, you must show the structure was permitted when built and maintained over time, with permits, utility bills or dated aerial photos. I found no sentence that keeps the old position after a teardown you choose, so I plan as if it is gone.

The fourth point matters before you buy: ask the seller for the permit history and the Permit Center for its records. Lake lots follow another chapter; the ordinance sends shoreline nonconformities to LUC 20.25E.040 and 20.25E.065.I, which I could not read. If a remodel might beat a rebuild, see gut renovation or rebuild.

Taking the old house down

The city’s demolition page requires a permit to remove any permanent structure, a house included, and says it covers clearing and grading if the foundation comes out. It permits demolition only: no new construction and no tree removal. The minimum documents are a demolition drawing, a construction stormwater pollution prevention plan (a short form under 7,000 square feet of clearing and 500 cubic yards of grading) and a Disconnection of Water/Sewer Service form. Capping or fencing in the street needs a separate right of way permit.

The new house page says that permit covers clearing and grading and demolition work if required, and lists oil tank decommissioning papers among documents a project may need. The two pages leave open whether your demolition is its own permit, so I ask the Permit Center (425-452-4898) in writing. The asbestos survey and clean air agency notice, which the city’s demolition page does not mention, are in my demolition permit guide.

The storm drain has its own step. The city’s January 2026 standards (D7-08.1) say an owner demolishing a structure connected to the public storm system must notify the Utility and file an abandonment form first, and the stub is capped at the property line or the main, before the foundation comes out, with city staff present. For new water or sewer connections the city asks you to call Utility Review (425-452-4187) first.

Permit	City first review target	Completed 26 Oct 2025 to 26 Oct 2026	Median	Average
Structure demolition (BE)	14 days, 10 per revision	48	81 days	128 days
New single family house (BS)	21 days, 14 per revision	250	175 days	284 days

The report does not say how it counts days, and the window rolls forward, so my other Bellevue pages quote slightly different medians. The two rows are separate permits; I do not add them. My Bellevue permit guide has the application steps.

Trees, stormwater, critical areas and the lake

Trees. Bellevue’s 2024 Tree Removal User Guide says tree rules apply whenever a lot goes through development that needs a clearing and grading permit, and the lot must keep a minimum tree density in credits. Take the site area (less critical areas, buffers and rights of way), divide by 1,000 and multiply by the district rate. Ordinance 6851’s Table 20.20.900.E.1 gives SR-3 a rate of 2 for one dwelling unit, Ordinance 6932 (on the July 28, 2026 council agenda) keeps it at 2, and the code rounds a fraction of 0.5 or more up to the next whole number. A significant tree is 6 inches across or more at 4.5 feet, and a permit is needed to remove any.

Step	Arithmetic	Result
Credits required	8,750 / 1,000 = 8.75; 8.75 x 2 = 17.5, rounded up	18 credits
Existing trees: 20 inch, 14 inch, 9 inch	7 + 4 + 2 (guide credits by trunk size)	13 credits
Shortfall	18 minus 13	5 credits

A planted tree of 2 inch caliper, or a conifer of 6 feet, is worth one credit, so I would plan five. The guide adds that a site short of the minimum may remove existing significant and landmark trees only under limited conditions (LUC 20.20.900.E.3), which I did not read. Confirm the rates and the rounding with the city.

Stormwater. The city’s January 2026 standards (D1-04.1(b)) say all redevelopment meets Minimum Requirement 2, construction stormwater pollution prevention. Redevelopment that makes 2,000 square feet or more of new plus replaced hard surface, or disturbs 7,000 square feet or more of land, also meets Minimum Requirements 1 through 5. Requirements 1 through 9 come at 5,000 square feet of new hard surface, or of new plus replaced surface when the work exceeds 50 percent of the assessed value of the existing site improvements. The standards’ own example treats a house demolished and replaced as redevelopment. On my plan the house, driveway and walks, all new or replaced, come to 2,300 + 640 + 700 = 3,640 square feet, over 2,000 and under 5,000, so Requirements 1 through 5 apply. The standards count permeable paving as hard surface, so a larger terrace could take the lot past 5,000.

Critical areas. The city’s residential site plan page lists steep slopes greater than 40 percent among the critical areas to show with their buffers, and says lot coverage is figured on the lot area less critical areas and stream buffers. If 1,000 square feet of the lot were steep slope and buffer, the footprint cap would be (8,750 minus 1,000) x 0.35 = 2,712.5 square feet, about 350 less.

The lake. Bellevue’s Shoreline Overlay District, LUC 20.25E, adds separate requirements near Lake Washington, Lake Sammamish, Lower Kelsey Creek and Phantom Lake, and the city’s tree page requires a permit for trees within 50 feet of a shoreline. I could not read the chapter, so for shoreline numbers see my Bellevue new home page, my lakefront lot feasibility page and my shoreline exemption guide.

What to settle before you commit

Read the dates in your purchase contract with your own agent or attorney, then settle this list.

• Ask the city in writing (Land Use, 425-452-4188): the zone, how it counts floor area on your lot, whether the old position survives a teardown, and whether the demolition is its own permit.
• Ask the seller for the permit history, any survey, the year built, and papers on a buried oil tank, septic system or well.
• Ask a surveyor to locate the house, the lot lines and the trees; the city’s site plan page asks for 2 foot contours.
• Ask an arborist to count tree credits, and the city whether the lot is short.
• Ask your title company for the recorded plat; the city says plat conditions can add setbacks.
• Ask Utility Review about the water, sewer and storm connections.
• Send me the address and what you learn, and I will reply to you personally.

How it works with me

First comes the free basic feasibility check, very quick, usually about a day. If you want more, an in depth analysis is $1,500, takes 2 to 3 weeks and goes further. Then I quote a fixed fee for design and permit, set by project budget and location. Design to permit submission typically takes 2 to 4 months. After the permit I administer construction for you. I do not build.

What it costs

My fixed fee for design and permit is about $10,000 to $200,000, depending on scope. I give no city fee figure because I did not read the new house fee schedule today; my Bellevue fee guide explains how the city sets them. For the house I use planning ranges: new custom home construction at $400 to $900 per square foot, so 4,375 square feet is $1,750,000 to $3,937,500 (4,375 x $400 and 4,375 x $900), plus demolition, typically $20,000 to $50,000. These are planning ranges, not quotes. Construction has a planning range of 12 to 18 months, and the city’s review adds time.

I have been an architect since 1996, and I am a member of the AIA (since 1992) and NCARB (since 1996).

Questions

Can I tear down my house in Bellevue and rebuild?

Yes, with permits. The city requires a demolition permit to remove a house, and then a permit for the new house, which has to meet the Land Use Code. What the code lets the new house be, and what you may keep from the old one, decides whether a Bellevue teardown rebuild pencils out. My first basic feasibility check is free and usually takes about a day.

How big a house can I build after a Bellevue teardown?

For one house, floor area is capped at 0.5 of the lot up to 10,000 square feet, and 0.5 of the first 10,000 plus 0.3 of the rest above that. On an 8,750 square foot lot that is 4,375 square feet (8,750 x 0.5). Every story and the garage count, and rooms 18 feet or taller count twice. Coverage is 35 percent in SR-3, or 3,062.5 square feet on that lot. Source: Ordinance 6851; confirm with the city.

Can I rebuild on the old footprint in Bellevue?

Generally only if the old footprint meets today’s rules. In the Ordinance 6906 text the city posted (the city says council approved it on March 17, 2026), a nonconforming structure destroyed by fire or another cause beyond the owner’s control can be rebuilt in its original configuration if work starts within two years. Single phase new development must make all structures conform. I found no clause that keeps the old position after a teardown you choose, so ask the city in writing.

Do I need a demolition permit for a Bellevue teardown, and how long does it take?

Yes, for a house. The city’s demolition page requires a permit for any permanent structure, allows no tree removal under it, and asks for a demolition drawing, a stormwater plan and a water and sewer disconnection form. For permits completed 26 October 2025 to 26 October 2026 the city’s report shows a median of 81 days and an average of 128 for 48 structure demolitions. The report does not say how it counts days.

What trees can I remove on a Bellevue teardown lot?

A permit is needed to remove any significant tree (6 inches across or more) or landmark tree (generally 24 inches or more), and the demolition permit allows no tree removal. Lots in development must keep a minimum tree density in credits; Ordinance 6851 gives SR-3 2 credits per 1,000 square feet for one dwelling unit and rounds a fraction of 0.5 or more up, so 18 credits on an 8,750 square foot lot. Trees within 50 feet of a shoreline need a permit. Ask the city which rates apply today.

How much does a Bellevue teardown rebuild cost?

I use planning ranges: new custom home construction at $400 to $900 per square foot, and demolition typically $20,000 to $50,000. A 4,375 square foot house is $1,750,000 to $3,937,500 before demolition (4,375 x $400 and 4,375 x $900). My fixed fee for design and permit is about $10,000 to $200,000, depending on scope. These are planning ranges, not quotes; a builder’s bid on finished drawings is the real number.

How long does a Bellevue teardown rebuild take?

Design to permit submission typically takes me 2 to 4 months. The city’s report shows a median of 175 days for a new single family house permit and 81 days for a structure demolition, for permits completed 26 October 2025 to 26 October 2026. For construction I use a planning range of 12 to 18 months. Critical areas, big trees or a slow review can add time.

Do I need an architect for a Bellevue teardown, and do you build the house?

Washington’s architect licensing law does not require an architect for design work on a residential building of up to four dwelling units (RCW 18.08.410). I design the house and administer construction for you; I do not build.

How much does the feasibility check cost?

The first basic feasibility check is free and very quick, usually about a day. An in depth analysis is $1,500, takes 2 to 3 weeks and goes further. If you go ahead, I quote a fixed fee for design and permit, about $10,000 to $200,000 depending on scope.