Bellevue tree rules
Bellevue tree removal permits: what homeowners should check first
Tree work can affect the building envelope before design begins. Bellevue’s rules changed in 2024, and significant trees generally start at six inches in diameter, while landmark trees are generally much larger or covered by species-specific thresholds.
Reviewed against official sources · August 2026Identify the tree and the land around it
- Measure trunk diameter using Bellevue’s method and identify the species.
- Confirm whether it is private, city right-of-way, or shared/boundary property.
- Map critical areas, shoreline areas, buffers, NGPA or retained-vegetation tracts.
- Check whether removal is part of development or a stand-alone tree project.
Use the correct permit path
A stand-alone removal on a qualifying single-family property may use the Tree Removal Only permit. Removal connected to grading, construction, critical areas, or public right-of-way work follows a different path. Do not choose the permit solely from the tree size.
Check annual limits and replacement
Bellevue’s allowance without replacement depends on lot size and on enough trees remaining. A permit is still required. Removal beyond the allowance can require replacement planting, and development projects must also meet tree-density and protection requirements.
Document hazards before emergency work
Use a qualified tree professional and keep photographs, measurements, and the written hazard assessment. Bellevue’s emergency process still expects an after-the-fact permit and documentation; urgency does not erase the recordkeeping requirement.
Protect retained trees during construction
Put tree protection zones, fencing, access routes, excavation limits, and monitoring requirements into the civil and architectural sets. A permit approval does not help if a retained tree is later damaged by staging or trenching.
Action plan
Check before anyone cuts
- 1
Identify species, measure diameter, and map each affected tree on a survey or site plan.
- 2
Confirm ownership and whether the tree is in ROW, shoreline, critical-area, buffer, NGPA, or RVA land.
- 3
Have a qualified tree professional document hazards and construction impacts where needed.
- 4
Confirm the permit type, annual removal allowance, remaining-tree requirement, and replacement planting.
- 5
Protect retained trees before equipment, trenching, or material storage reaches the site.
Official resources