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ZONE_SPEC / BELLEVUE · R-1

Bellevue R-1

Single Family R-1

Bellevue zone R-1 (Single Family R-1) permits ADU construction. Detached ADUs up to 1,000 sqft are allowed, with a 25ft maximum height.

Last updated 2026-05-15Refreshing this quarter

DADU permittedYes
AADU permittedYes
Two ADUs per lotNo
Max DADU size1,000 sqft
Max AADU size1,200 sqft
Max height25 ft
Rear setback25 ft
Side setback10 ft
Lot coverage35%
FIELD_NOTE

Largest residential lots. DADU requires Special Use Permit (SUP).

FAQ / BELLEVUE R-1

Bellevue R-1 ADU questions

CITY_DOSSIER / BELLEVUE· 47.6101°N 122.2015°W

Built in Bellevue — what we know that the spec sheet won't tell you.

A live dossier from our field PMs: the permit counter, the soils, the bylaw that just changed, and the streets where ADUs are already cash-flowing.

Map · King CountyOpen ↗
Bellevue
Drive-time from yard · ≈ 18 min via I-90© OpenStreetMap contributors
Population151,854
Median lot8,400 sq ft
ADU permits / yr112 (2024)
Build cost band$330–380 / sq ft
Right now in Bellevue
Air quality · US AQI
Source · Google Maps PlatformAffects pour windows + finish schedule
LIVE_INTEL / BELLEVUE · 6 SIGNALS
Pour-feasibility · todayLoading
/ 100 · Awaiting feed
  • Weather feed loading
Derived live · Bellevue weather + AQI
Sun rhythm · BellevueDaylight
5:25 AM
9:05 PM
15h 40m daylight
Golden hour · 8:18 PM
98% of June peak
NOAA solar formulas · computed
Moon · cure-week planner
Loading

We track lunar weeks for slab pours — clear nights drop ambient temperature faster, which slows surface curing. Schedule wet slabs midweek under waxing light.

Conway approx · computed
Seismic · 24h within 60 miLoading
USGS earthquake.usgs.gov
On-site clock · Bellevue
—:—
· Pacific

Loading. Our standard crew window is 7:00–17:00 weekdays — noise ordinances in most Puget Sound cities allow exterior power tools only inside that band.

America/Los_Angeles · live
Build-rules pulseWithin window
7:00–17:00
Power-tool window · Mon–Fri
ADU permits YTD pace

Sunday exterior work is restricted in most Puget Sound jurisdictions. We sequence interior trades around it.

Bellevue municipal code · annualized
SPEC_02 / CITY_INTEL

Environmental & locational intelligence

03 / SOLAR_POTENTIAL

Rooftop solar at this address

04 / POLLEN_FORECAST

Tree · Grass · Weed (3-day)

05 / WALK_SCORE

0.5-mile amenity density

06 / NWS_ALERTS

Active NWS weather alerts

LOCATIONAL_INTEL / BELLEVUE
Drive times from BellevueLoading

Calculating live drive times to four metro anchors…

Real commute time matters for ADU rent comps — and for our crews. We keep installs within a 60-minute radius of our Puget Sound yard.

Data provenance

Drive times pulled live from the Google Routes API (traffic-aware matrix). Each request is timestamped so you can see exactly when the numbers were last refreshed — no stale brochure data.

Google Routes API · traffic-aware
Street view · BellevueLive imagery
Recent Google Street View imagery centered near Bellevue

Lot context matters as much as zoning. We pre-screen access, slope, and tree canopy from imagery before scheduling the site visit.

Google Street View · proxied
Tidal window · BellevueLoading

Waterfront lots: shoreline excavation and barge access windows depend on these. We schedule pours away from extreme low tides when the soils dry unevenly.

NOAA · — mi away
Recent permits · BellevueLoading

Open-data signal of nearby construction velocity — useful for ADU comps and for anticipating examiner workload.

data.seattle.gov · ~3 mi radius
Permit counter · Bellevue
Bellevue Development Services Center
450 110th Ave NE, Bellevue 98004
Mon–Fri 8a–4p · MyBuildingPermit submittals 24/7
Local zoning quirk

R-1 through R-7.5 all allow one DADU up to 1,200 sq ft — but lot coverage caps trigger first on small Bridle Trails parcels.

Sourced from Golden State ADU field PMs · WA Lic. GOLDESA747LZ
Best build window
May → October

Bar shows pour-friendly months · dot marks the current month.

  • Seismic
    Seismic Design Category D · Seattle Fault Zone overlay south of I-90
  • Soil
    Till + outwash mix — geotech often required east of 148th
  • Climate
    39″ rain · slightly more sun than Seattle east of the lake
  • Topography
    Rolling — Somerset & Cougar Mountain frequently >15% grade
  • HOA prevalence
    ≈ 24% of lots — Somerset, Bridle Trails, Newport Hills
Transit signal
2 Line East Link opens Bellevue Downtown & Spring District stations

Station-area lots earn the largest rent premium in this market.

School signal
Bellevue School District (one of WA's top-ranked)

Rental yield estimate: $2,900–3,800 / mo for an 800–1,000 sq ft DADU

Local incentive

Pre-approved DADU plan track waives initial design review fees

Hidden gem

Bridle Trails DADUs near the state park rent ~22% above city median.

Build cost · Bellevue vs Puget Sound
+$30 vs regional median
$250 / sqftBellevue$355$425 / sqft
Their PM walked our slope with the geotech on day one — no surprise piles later.
Owner · 980 sq ft DADU, Somerset
Other cities we hold a permit history in
ZONE_BELLEVUE / R-1

Bellevue R-1: what your lot can actually do — read in plain English.

R-1 has 6 sub-rules most homeowners miss. Send your address and we'll send back what's allowed, what's not, and what's borderline.

  • R-1-specific setback + height diagram
  • Overlay flags (ECA, design review, tree code)
  • Free 1-pager within 24h on most lots
Replies within 1 business day
WA Lic. GOLDESA747LZBuilding since 2012
Direct line · Golden State ADU(425) 642-4142

We reply within 1 business day. No spam, ever.

◇ No sales script · No spam · Your details stay with our team