Bellevue home additions and deck permits: the practical checklist

Confirm the permit family

Additions under 3,000 square feet and covered accessory projects generally use the BR permit. More than 3,000 gross square feet of new or replaced floor area moves to the BS new-house or large-addition process.

Know when a deck needs review

Bellevue says a deck with its highest walking surface more than 30 inches above grade needs plan review. Repairs to structural framing, guards, handrails, or stairs can also require a permit even when the footprint does not change.

Screen the site before design

• Setbacks, lot coverage, height, and easements.
• Critical areas, shoreline rules, significant trees, and drainage.
• Septic or utility constraints, meter capacity, and service changes.
• Construction access and effects on the occupied house.

Build a coordinated minimum set

Bellevue lists architectural plans, boundary and topographic survey, erosion-control documents, and energy documentation among the core addition materials, with structural, civil, arborist, geotechnical, and other documents added by scope.

Decide how the house stays usable

Before bidding, define weather protection, temporary egress, utility shutdowns, dust control, security, storage, and owner move-out periods. Permit approval does not solve construction phasing in an occupied home.