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City of Bellevue, WA Development Services
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Commercial Building Permits

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    Permits

    • Getting Started
    • Virtual Permit Center
    • FAQs
      • Contractor Registration Requirements
      • Landscape Assurance Devices
      • Oil Filled Transformer Vault Requirements
      • Online Permitting Services
      • Pedestrian Protection Requirements
      • Permit Cancellations and Expirations
      • Permit Requirements
      • Permit and Energy Code Requirements for Roofing Projects
      • Plan Review Resources
      • Work Requiring Commercial and Residential Permits
    • Plan Submittal Resources
    • Forms and Publications
    • Permit Fees
    • Commercial Building Permits
      • Detention Vault for Stormwater
      • Major Commercial Project
      • Medium Commercial Project
      • Minor Commercial Project
      • Portable Building Foundation
      • Shoring Permit
      • Tenant Improvement
    • Residential Building Permits
      • Addition less than 3000 square feet
      • Adult Family Home Requirements
      • Earthquake Home Retrofit Program
      • New House Construction or Large Addition
      • Remodel with Structural Work
      • Remodel without Structural Work
    • Demolition Permits
    • Clearing and Grading Permits
      • Clearing and Grading in Critical Areas
      • Commercial Clearing and Grading
      • Minor Clearing and Grading
      • Nonresidential Landscape and Vegetation Clearing and Grading
      • Plat Infrastructure Permit
      • Tree Removal Only Clearing and Grading Permit
    • Electrical, Mechanical and Plumbing Permits
      • Electrical Permits
      • Mechanical Permits
      • Plumbing Permits
      • Solar Panel Permits
    • Fire Permits
      • Building Radio System
      • Contract Cities
      • Fire Alarm
      • Fire Sprinkler - Commercial
      • Fire Sprinkler - Residential
      • Fixed Fire Suppression
      • Miscellaneous Fire Permits
      • Smoke Control
      • Underground Sprinkler Main
    • Land Use Permits
      • Boundary Line Adjustment
      • Child Care Registration
      • Comprehensive Plan Amendment
      • Conditional Use/Administrative Conditional Use
      • Critical Areas Land Use Permit
      • Current Zoning Status of Property
      • Design Review
      • Environmental Impact Statement
      • Final Plat
      • Final Short Plat or Binding Site Plan
      • Home Occupation Permit
      • Land Use Approval Amendment
      • Land Use Code Exemption
      • Land Use Code Interpretation
      • Land Use Code Variance
      • Master Development Plan
      • Noise Permit
      • Noise Variance
      • Planned Unit Development Permit
      • Plat Amendment
      • Preapplication Conference for Critical Areas
      • Preapplication Conference for Master Development Plan or Design Review
      • Preapplication Conferences
      • Predevelopment Services
      • Preliminary Plat
      • Preliminary SEPA
      • Preliminary Short Plat
      • Request for Reasonable Accommodation
      • Rezone
      • Shoreline Exemption
      • Shoreline Management Conditional Use
      • Shoreline Substantial Development Permit
      • Shoreline Variance
      • Temporary Encampment
      • Temporary Public Facility Permit
      • Temporary Use Permit
      • Vendor Cart Permit
    • Right of Way Permits
      • Commercial
      • Franchise
      • Government
      • Residential
      • Small Wireless Facility
      • Street Use
    • Sign Permits
    • Utilities Permits
      • Side Sewer
      • Storm Drainage Connection
      • Utility Extension Agreement
      • Water Service
    • Wireless Communication Facilities Permits
      • Wireless Communication Facilities and Satellite Dishes in Right of Way
      • Wireless Communications Facilities on Private or Public Property
    • Permit Process Overview
    Header Image
    Aerial image of downtown building under construction

    Commercial building permits cover projects involving site development, construction and renovation of commercial buildings, tenant space construction or remodel for businesses, and construction work for multifamily-residential buildings that contain more than two residential units. 

    We issue the following types of commercial building permits:

    • Demolition: Demolition of the whole or part of any permanent structure, including a multifamily or commercial structure, garage or storage unit. (BE)
    • Detention Vault for Stormwater: Permit for the construction of a stormwater detention structure. (BH)
    • Major Commercial Project: Construction of a new commercial or multifamily building or addition, 4,000 square feet or more, which does not require SEPA review or SEPA review has been done under a prior land use approval. (BB)
    • Medium Commercial Project: New commercial or multifamily building, addition, pool or spa over 1,000 and less than 4,000 gross square feet. (BM)
    • Minor Commercial Project: Additions or structures up to and including 1,000 gross square feet, such as a pool or spa, canopies, porticos, retaining walls, bulkheads, mechanical equipment screening, fences over eight feet, kiosks, ramps, trams, flagpoles, etc. (BW)
    • Portable Building Foundation: Commercial construction of a foundation support for a pre-manufactured building. (BW)
    • Shoring Permit: Excavation and shoring of property adjacent to the City of Bellevue right of way. (BV)
    • Tenant Improvement: Changes to the tenant interior space of a new or existing building. (BZ)
    • Tenant Improvement (New use): The initial build out of a new tenant space or change of use of an existing tenant space. (BY)

    You will need separate permits for any work that alters or adds to the fire, plumbing, mechanical or electrical systems. Work that adds or replaces fixtures or appliances may also require a separate permit.

    Roof maintenance is an important element in the health and longevity of a building. Whether or not your project requires a building permit, building and energy code requirements must be met. This policy outlines the permitting and energy code requirements for roofing projects based on the type of roofing work being done. Learn more about permit and energy code requirements for roofing projects.

    King County updated its Construction and Demolition (C&D) ordinance and best practices for C&D. Information on current waste management requirements are available on the county's Construction and Demolition Materials Management webpage. The county's information provides requirements for handling C&D materials, area maps of C&D material recovery processers, transfer stations and more. 

    Contact

    Building Review
    Telephone
    425-452-4121
    Email
    buildingreview@bellevuewa.gov

    Development Services

    Permit Center
    Telephone
    425-452-4898
    Email
    permits@bellevuewa.gov
    Hours
    In-person Permit Center services are available Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

    The Permit Center is open Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., with customers visiting City Hall served remotely.
    Business Hours
    Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

    Reasonable Accommodation

    For alternate formats, interpreters, or reasonable modification requests please phone at least 48 hours in advance 425-452-6800 (voice) or email servicefirst@bellevuewa.gov. For complaints regarding modifications, contact the City of Bellevue ADA, Title VI, and Equal Opportunity Officer at ADATitleVI@bellevuewa.gov.

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    • 450 110th Avenue NE
    • Bellevue, WA 98004
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