What needs a plumbing permit in Bellevue
From the City's Plumbing Permits page and work requiring permits FAQ, read 23 October 2026:
| Permit required | No permit |
|---|---|
| Replacing an electric water heater | Repairing or replacing sinks, toilets or faucets not concealed in a wall |
| Water service from meter to house, including irrigation backflow preventer | A similar fixture in the same place (sinks, toilets, faucets, wash basins, bidets, laundry tubs) |
| Altering piping in a wall, ceiling or under a floor, including replacing a shower or tub | Countertops, shower heads, rain gutters, downspouts |
| New plumbing where none existed | A water feature or outdoor hot tub filled by a hose |
| Installing or moving a hose bib or drinking fountain | Garden fountains or decorative pools under 24 inches deep (outside Critical Areas) |
| Moving a fixture or appliance if it changes water lines, drains or vents | Replacing an appliance like for like in the same place |
Two Bellevue lines catch people. Showers and tubs: "Showers and bathtubs require permits," even as replacements. Water heaters split by fuel: an electric water heater is a plumbing permit, but "replacing a gas water heater requires a mechanical permit" (see Bellevue water heater permit). Residential sump pumps "need prior approval, but not plan review." A broken pipe can be fixed first: Bellevue does not require a permit before an emergency repair, but it must be obtained on the first City work day after the work started.
Who can do the work
A licensed plumbing contractor with certified plumbers. Washington's RCW 18.106.020 says no one may do plumbing as a trade without a journey level, specialty, residential service, temporary or trainee certificate, and no contractor may employ anyone to do it unless "the contractor is a licensed plumbing contractor." Bellevue cannot issue a permit "without verifying that the contractor is currently registered" (Contractor Registration Requirements). 86.6% of Bellevue plumbing firms in our file held an active L&I record; 42 (11.7%) held one that had expired or been suspended, a higher share than for electricians (8.5%).
You, at your own house. RCW 18.106.150: "Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to require that a person obtain a license in order to do plumbing work at his or her residence." The same section says it does not override a city's plumbing code, so the permit still applies. Bellevue's Getting Started page has you sign the Property Owner Certification Statement in the application.
How to apply
- Apply on MyBuildingPermit.com, which Bellevue's plumbing page names for applications and plans.
- Plan review is for big jobs. The City's examples: new non-residential or mixed-use buildings, new multifamily of three or more units, roof drains, medical gas, commercial kitchens, interceptors. A house repipe is not on the list. Plumbing permits without plan review "can be issued the same day. These permits will still require inspections."
- Inspections and status. Check results by address on Check Status (choose Bellevue, then the Location tab).
- Fees. The plumbing page links to Permit Fees and Payment, the Permit Fee Estimator and Permit Processing Timelines rather than printing a fee. We could not verify a current residential amount, so use the estimator or ask the Permit Center (425-452-4898, permits@bellevuewa.gov). Plumbing review questions go to 425-452-6873 or MEPreview@bellevuewa.gov.
What 1,727 Bellevue plumbing permits show
| Measure | Bellevue plumbing |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 1,727 |
| Firms | 358 |
| Firms with a permit in the last 12 months of the window | 202 |
| Closed (permits a year or more old) | 84.3% |
| Usual days from issue to close | 190 |
| 10th / 90th-percentile firm's closed share (10+ permits) | 75.9% / 94.9% |
| Firms under 70% closed | 3 of 41 |
| Firms with 10 or more permits | 48 |
| Busiest / quietest month (100 = average) | July (139) / December (67) |
Bellevue plumbers close their permits: the 10th-percentile busy firm still closed 75.9%, and only 3 of 41 firms with 10 or more permits closed under 70%. They are slow to close, though: a usual 190 days, against 32 for a water heater permit, so a plumbing permit tied to a remodel can stay open for months after the plumber has left. Ask who books the final. The weak spot is licensing, not finals: run L&I Verify on the firm before you sign. Filing peaks in July and is lowest in December.
See every Bellevue plumber by permits closed →
Before you hire
Search the firm on L&I Verify and check that its plumbing contractor license and bond are active (Bellevue contractor license lookup). Compare plumbers on the Bellevue plumber list; sewer line work has its own permit and list (Bellevue side sewer permit). Past permits on your address: Bellevue building permit search. Other cities: do I need a permit for plumbing repairs. National prices: plumbing labor cost. Counts by year: Bellevue permit statistics.
What this does not tell you
Bellevue loads finals with a lag, so the newest permits look less closed than they are. Our plumbing count leaves out water heaters and side sewers, which have their own lists. Bellevue's plumbing permits carry no job value. Our L&I status is the latest record at our build; run Verify the week you sign. We could not verify Bellevue's plumbing fee amounts, so they are left out.
How we know this
Permit rules, plan review triggers, same-day issue and the emergency rule are quoted from the City of Bellevue's Plumbing Permits page, work-requiring-permits FAQ and contractor registration page, read 23 October 2026; the licensing and homeowner rules from RCW 18.106.020 and 18.106.150 and Bellevue's Getting Started page. Counts are City of Bellevue plumbing permits on single-family homes and condo units, October 2023 to September 2026; closed share uses permits a year or more old, and days to close is the median from issue to final.
Numbers come from City of Bellevue permits on single-family homes and condo units, data through October 18, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to replace a toilet or faucet in Bellevue?
No, if it is a similar fixture in the same place. Bellevue's plumbing page says replacing sinks, toilets or faucets not concealed in a wall needs no permit. Moving a fixture, or any work that changes water lines, drains or vents, does.
- Do I need a permit to replace a shower or bathtub in Bellevue?
Yes. Bellevue's FAQ says 'Showers and bathtubs require permits', and its plumbing page lists removing and replacing a shower or bathtub under altering piping inside a wall, ceiling or floor.
- Can a homeowner do their own plumbing in Bellevue?
Yes. Washington's RCW 18.106.150 says no license is needed to do plumbing work at your own residence. Bellevue says the work still needs a permit and inspection, and you sign the Property Owner Certification Statement in the application.
- How long does a plumbing permit take in Bellevue?
Bellevue says plumbing permits that don't need plan review 'can be issued the same day'. Closing takes much longer: the usual Bellevue plumbing permit in our data closed 190 days after issue, against 32 for a water heater permit.
- How much is a plumbing permit in Bellevue?
Bellevue's plumbing page links to its Permit Fees and Payment page and Permit Fee Estimator instead of printing a fee. Run the estimator or call the Permit Center on 425-452-4898 before you apply.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Do I need a permit to replace a water heater? The rule in 12 cities, and how many get filed
- Do I need a permit for plumbing repairs or a repipe? The rule in 13 cities
- What can a homeowner do without a permit? Exempt work in 7 cities, and when you can pull your own
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Arlington, VA? The like-for-like rule, gas, and timing
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Cambridge, MA? Licensed plumbers only, the fixture-count fee and the final
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Cape Coral? Repairs, repipes and gas lines, fees and who can pull them
For one city
- Plumbing Permits — City of Bellevue Development Services (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Work requiring permits — City of Bellevue, WA (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Contractor Registration Requirements — City of Bellevue (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Getting Started (hiring a contractor) — City of Bellevue Development Services (2026-10-23)
- RCW 18.106.020 — Certificate or permit required (plumbing) (accessed 2026-10-23)
- RCW 18.106.150 — Exemptions (plumbing) (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business — Washington L&I (2026-10-23)
- Permit Status — MyBuildingPermit (2026-10-23)