Bellevue building department

The City of Bellevue Permits and Inspections Office issues building, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, demolition, grading, and fire-protection system permits. It covers the City of Bellevue and the City’s two-mile jurisdiction, so some addresses outside city limits in Sarpy County still get their permits here. The office is at 1510 Wall Street, next to City Hall at 1500 Wall Street. It’s open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office has six inspectors and two administrative staff.

When a permit is required

Bellevue’s rule is broad. No regulated building or structure in the city or the two-mile jurisdiction may be built, enlarged, altered, repaired, improved, removed, converted, or demolished without a separate permit for each building or structure.

The City lists these exemptions from a building permit:

Exempt work	Limit
One-story detached shed, playhouse, or similar accessory building	120 sq ft of floor area or less
Retaining wall	4 feet or less from bottom of footing to top of wall, with no surcharge or impounded flammable liquids
Replacement concrete or asphalt driveway or walk	No larger than what existed, and not over a basement or story below
Window or door awning on a single-family home or garage	Projects 54 inches or less
Water tank on grade	5,000 gallons or less, with height-to-width ratio of 2:1 or less
Movable cases, counters, and partitions	5 feet 9 inches high or less

Painting, papering, floor covering, and other cosmetic finish work are also exempt. Even when a building permit isn’t needed, separate plumbing, mechanical, and electrical permits still apply unless they’re exempted too. See also do I need a permit for a shed.

Trade work that doesn’t need a permit

• Plumbing: stopping leaks and clearing stoppages, as long as no pipes, valves, or fixtures are replaced or rearranged. Replacing a defective trap, drain, waste, or vent pipe counts as new work and needs a permit.
• Mechanical: portable heaters, coolers, and ventilation equipment, and replacement parts that don’t change the appliance’s original approval.
• Electrical: cord-and-plug appliances, same-type replacement of fixed motors, transformers, and appliances, repairs to switch and control parts, reinstalling plug receptacles (but not outlets), same-capacity overcurrent devices, temporary decorative lighting, and low-voltage wiring under 25 volts and 50 watts.

Adopted codes

Bellevue’s published list of applicable construction codes:

Code	Edition
International Building Code	2021
International Residential Code	2021
Uniform Plumbing Code (plumbing exams are given on the IPC)	2021
International Mechanical Code and Fuel Gas Code	2021
International Fire Code	2021
Energy code	2018
National Electrical Code	2023
Uniform Administrative Code	1997

The City publishes the adopting ordinance for each code, along with separate fee schedules for building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and grading permits, on its Documents & Forms page.

Applying

Request permits online through the City’s GovWell portal. The building permit application asks for:

• The job address with lot, block, and subdivision
• The owner and general contractor, with the contractor’s license number
• The plumbing, lawn sprinkler, electrical, mechanical, and fireplace contractors
• A description and valuation of the work
• Whether the property is on a septic system

Staff record any special approvals the project needs: planning, a stormwater pollution prevention plan, watershed, or floodplain.

The City posts sample drawings to help with plan submittals. These include basement, main-floor, kitchen, and bathroom plans, a footing detail, a deck diagram with notes, and a garage, shed, or addition wall section. A 2021 plan review form is also available.

Permit life

A permit becomes void if work doesn’t start within 180 days. It is also voided if work is suspended or abandoned for 180 days at any point after it starts. All permits require inspections.

Contractor licensing

Bellevue licenses contractors through an “application for competency” that covers Class A through E contractor licenses. Applicants list their employment history, which the City verifies. They also say whether they’ve passed the relevant ICC exam; if so, they attach the score. Separate applications cover master, journeyman, electrical, apprentice, and arborist licenses. The City also publishes testing information for building, plumbing, and mechanical contractors.

Fire protection and other permits

Fire sprinkler systems, fire alarms, and fire extinguishing systems each need their own permit application. The building permit form also notes whether the project needs fire sprinklers. Demolition and grading have their own application packets.