Unexpected permit costs
Bellevue tree and landscape deposits: the cost homeowners miss
A permit may be ready before required landscaping is installed. Bellevue can require money to be held as assurance that the work will be completed and survive. Homeowners sometimes discover this late in the process.
On this page5 sections
There are two common assurances
- Installation assurance applies when plans are issued before required plants or landscaping are installed.
- Maintenance assurance applies after installation and covers the required survivability period.
The amount can be material
Bellevue says an installation assurance is generally 150% of the approved plant-and-labor estimate, while a maintenance assurance is generally 20%. Confirm the amount and acceptable form with the assigned land-use planner.
Read Bellevue’s current landscape assurance guidance before budgeting.
Release is not automatic
After the work is complete and the applicable period has passed, contact the land-use planner and request inspection and release. Keep the estimate, assurance paperwork, inspection records, and planner correspondence together.
Practical homeowner guide
Plan the assurance before it becomes an issuance surprise
A landscape assurance device is financial security for required work that cannot be completed when the permit is otherwise ready. Owners should understand the covered work, amount, release conditions, and inspection path before signing or funding it.
Treat the assurance as a real closeout obligation
Before accepting an assurance, compare the approved plan with what is actually unfinished. The list should identify plants, irrigation, soil preparation, restoration, tree replacement, and any other secured work precisely enough that the owner and city can later agree on completion. Ask for the city's calculation, accepted security form, expiration or renewal rules, inspection process, and release procedure in writing before arranging funds or a bond.
Put the release into the construction schedule rather than leaving it for an unspecified future season. Assign responsibility for installation, maintenance, inspection requests, correction work, and release paperwork. Keep photographs, invoices, approved substitutions, and inspection results together. The important financial date is not when the landscaping is installed; it is when Bellevue confirms the obligation is satisfied and releases the security.
Part 1 · Define
Exactly what remains
Use the approved landscape or site plan to list each unfinished item, quantity, location, and specification. Vague scopes create disputes about whether the work is complete enough for release.
Part 2 · Budget
Cash and timing impact
Confirm the required form of security, city calculation, administrative steps, and how long the funds or credit may remain tied up. Keep the security separate from the contractor's installation budget.
Part 3 · Close out
Inspection and release
Schedule required inspections, correct deficient work, and submit the release request with the city-required evidence. The assurance does not disappear merely because the landscaping was installed.
Common questions
What homeowners usually ask
Why would Bellevue allow an assurance instead of completed landscaping?
Weather, planting seasons, construction sequencing, or unavailable materials can make immediate installation impractical. The assurance protects the city's ability to require the approved work later without treating the unfinished item as permanently waived.
Is the assurance amount the same as the contractor bid?
Not necessarily. The city applies its current calculation and may include contingencies or administrative factors. Ask for the written amount and release requirements before arranging a bond, assignment of funds, or other security.
Who should own the closeout task?
Assign one person, often the owner, landscape contractor, or permit coordinator, to track installation, inspection, corrections, and release. Put the expected release milestone in the construction closeout schedule.
Action plan
Avoid having landscape funds held longer than necessary
- 1
Ask the land-use planner which conditions must be completed before permit issuance and which may be covered by an assurance device.
- 2
Obtain a detailed plant-and-labor estimate acceptable to the city; budget for 150% installation assurance when applicable.
- 3
Install the approved landscape plan exactly, document substitutions, and photograph the completed work.
- 4
Request inspection and conversion or release in writing rather than assuming it occurs automatically.
- 5
Calendar the maintenance period and final inspection; Bellevue generally uses a 20% maintenance assurance during survivability.
Official resources