Bellevue Driveway Permit Guide: Right-of-Way and Grading Rules
Last Updated: 10/12/2026Building or replacing a driveway in Bellevue usually involves two city reviews, not one. The approach where your driveway meets the street sits in public right-of-way and needs a right-of-way permit. Separately, Bellevue's clearing and grading rules can apply to the private slab once excavation, earth disturbance, or hard surface crosses set thresholds, or when the lot has steep slopes. This guide walks through each trigger, the application on MyBuildingPermit, and the inspections so you can plan your concrete driveway before anyone orders concrete.
The right-of-way permit for your driveway approach
Bellevue's Residential Right-of-Way permit (Type TG) covers right-of-way work for existing single-family homes, including driveway installation, reconstruction, and relocation. Per the city, repairing, replacing, or establishing a driveway apron is the homeowner's responsibility and needs a right-of-way use permit; the Streets Department does not maintain driveway approaches.
Two exceptions matter. A new house or an addition over 3,000 square feet gets a BS building permit, and right-of-way review happens under it, so no separate TG is needed. Smaller additions (Type BR) work the other way: driveway changes are not reviewed under a BR permit, so a new garage does not authorize a new or relocated driveway.
The right-of-way does not end at the edge of the pavement. The city notes the water meter usually sits just inside it, and major projects need a surveyor.
Grading, hard surface, and stormwater triggers
Bellevue says a clearing and grading permit with plan review may be required for a new or replaced driveway, depending on the excavation or earth disturbance. The Clearing and Grading Development Standards (August 2024) set the triggers:
- Grading over 50 cubic yards, counting fill and excavation separately and adding them together.
- Clearing over 1,000 square feet within one year.
- 2,000 square feet or more of new plus replaced hard surface within one year (driveways and permeable pavement both count).
- Any clearing or grading in a critical area or its buffer.
At that same 2,000-square-foot line, the city's Storm and Surface Water Engineering Standards (January 2026) require Minimum Requirements #1 through #5, including a Stormwater Site Plan and a construction stormwater pollution prevention plan.
Which permits a Bellevue driveway project is likely to need
| Project type | Permit(s) likely needed |
|---|---|
| Repair or replace the apron | TG permit |
| New or relocated driveway | TG permit, plus clearing and grading if a threshold is crossed |
| Slab replaced entirely on private property | Clearing and grading only if a threshold or critical area applies |
| Driveway with a new home or 3,000+ sq ft addition | Reviewed under the BS building permit |
| New garage under a BR addition permit | Separate TG permit |
| Driveway on an arterial | TG permit with a traffic control plan |
| Steep slopes or other critical areas | Clearing and grading; buffer changes need a Critical Areas Land Use Permit |
How to apply and what gets inspected
Bellevue's permitting is paperless: applications, plans, fees, and inspection requests all go through MyBuildingPermit.com.
- Locate the right-of-way line before designing anything.
- Prepare the site plan: north arrow, scale (1 inch = 20 to 50 feet), driveway entrances, and the proposed right-of-way work. Show driveway width, slope, and edge radius at the street, plus material: 6 inches of concrete or asphalt over 4 inches of crushed base within the right-of-way.
- Apply on MyBuildingPermit with the Bill-To Form. The city's Permit Fee Estimator gives current fees.
- Respond to review. The target is 14 calendar days; revision requests come with resubmittal deadlines.
- Hold the preconstruction meeting with right-of-way inspection at least 24 hours before work starts.
- Request a Job Start inspection each day work occurs.
- Request the Final inspection when right-of-way work is complete.
A TG permit is valid for 6 months without roadway cutting, or 12 months with pavement restoration. In the right-of-way, the standard finish is brushed perpendicular to the walking direction, a 3/8-inch expansion joint runs along the right-of-way line, and decorative finishes are not allowed where sidewalks exist. If the public walk is involved, see our sidewalk services.
Bellevue terrain and rain
Hillside lots are where Bellevue driveway plans slow down. Steep slopes are a regulated critical area; city staff reports apply a 50-foot top-of-slope buffer, and modifying it takes a Critical Areas Land Use Permit. The rainy season runs October 1 through April 30, when permitted clearing and grading needs the Director's approval, so plan fall replacements around that and standard wet-weather pouring precautions. More local detail is on our Bellevue concrete contractor page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to replace my driveway in Bellevue?
Often, yes. The City of Bellevue states that a new driveway or a change in the location of an existing driveway requires a right-of-way permit, and that repairing, replacing, or establishing a driveway apron also requires a right-of-way use permit. A clearing and grading permit may also apply, depending on excavation and earth disturbance.
Which Bellevue permit covers a residential driveway approach?
The Residential Right-of-Way permit (Type TG), reviewed by the city's right-of-way staff. If your project already requires a New House or Large Addition building permit (Type BS), right-of-way review happens under that permit, and no separate TG permit is needed.
Does a garage addition permit cover a new driveway?
No. Bellevue's Right-of-Way Procedures Manual says driveway modifications are not reviewed as part of a residential addition (BR) permit, so approval of a new or additional garage does not authorize a new or relocated driveway. That work needs its own TG permit.
How long does Bellevue take to review a driveway right-of-way permit?
The city's target review time for a Residential Right-of-Way permit is 14 calendar days from application. Applicants get two weeks to resubmit a revised site plan, and an application not approved after three revision cycles can be denied.
Can a driveway be built in Bellevue during the rainy season?
Bellevue's rainy season runs October 1 through April 30. During that window, work under a clearing and grading permit may start or continue only with specific approval from the Director, and the city's erosion-control standards limit exposed, unworked soil to two days. Smaller projects still have to keep sediment from leaving the site.
Plan the permits before the pour
In Bellevue, the permit path depends on where the right-of-way line falls, how much soil moves, and the slope. A free on-site estimate sorts that out up front, with permit time built into the schedule. Call (206) 552-9998 or visit our Seattle Concrete home page. Budgeting? See the concrete driveway cost guide. Seattle's rules differ; see the Seattle driveway approach permit guide.
