Stormwater permits in City of Bellevue: fees, timeline & requirements (2026)
Everything you need to know about pulling a stormwater / drainage permit in City of Bellevue, Washington — when one is required, what it costs, how long review takes, what documents are required, and which inspections you can expect. Cited to Bellevue Development Services.
When does a stormwater / drainage need a permit in City of Bellevue?
KC Surface Water Design Manual 2021 (KCC 9.04 + adopted by reference in most KC cities) sets the 2,000 sqft new+replaced impervious threshold for "small project" drainage review; ≥5,000 sqft triggers full drainage review. Different thresholds in critical-area drainage basins.
Required submittals
- drainage report (full or simplified)
- site plan with impervious calc
- BMP / facility detail
- geotech if infiltration claimed
Inspection sequence
- pre-construction (BMPs in place)
- facility installation
- final stabilization
Contractor specialties needed
general
Notes & caveats
Issuing body is city public works / county DPER, often parallel to the building permit. On-site infiltration / detention required where infeasible to discharge to municipal storm. Critical-area parcels (steep slope, salmon-bearing watercourse) get more conservative review.
How to apply
- 1. Confirm your parcel's zoning & overlays. Run an address lookup on the main permits page — we'll pull your specific lot polygon, zoning, setbacks, and any shoreline/ECA/historic overlays.
- 2. Assemble submittals (4).
- 3. Submit through the city portal: Bellevue Development Services ↗
- 4. Track review (typical: —). Respond to reviewer comments promptly.
- 5. Pay issuance fees (Drainage review fee commonly tiered by project size; small project ~$300-$800, full drainage review $1,500+. Apply via https://mybuildingpermit.com.) and pick up the permit. Inspection card travels with the job.