Bellevue Fence Contractor
Bellevue gives homeowners more room than most cities — fences up to 8 feet are allowed outside the front setback without a permit — but it also has more streams, wetlands and wooded slopes than most, and a lot of neighborhoods with their own architectural rules. Getting a Bellevue fence right is mostly about where it goes.
We install privacy and boundary fences, driveway gates and pool barriers from West Bellevue and Enatai to Somerset, Newport Hills, Lake Hills and Bridle Trails, and repair or replace fences that have given out.
Schedule your no-obligation on-site consultation today.
Bellevue Neighborhoods and Lots
Lot sizes and terrain change a lot from one side of Bellevue to the other.
Mid-century ramblers
Lake Hills and much of east Bellevue were built out after the war with single-story houses on generous, fairly level lots. Their original fences are long gone or failing, and long property lines make material choice a real budget question.
View slopes
Somerset, Newport Hills and Cougar Mountain lots slope hard, so fences step or rack down the grade and often sit near rockeries. Height is measured from finished grade on the outside of the fence at every point.
Streams, wetlands and horses
Kelsey, Coal and Richards creeks and their tributaries run behind many yards, and parts of Bridle Trails keep horses. A fence inside a critical-area buffer needs a permit, so the buffer line comes first.
Bellevue Fence Rules in Brief
Front setback: 4 feet 6 inches
With specific exceptions — along arterials, perpendicular to the street for screening, or on one side of a corner lot — when the taller fence creates no hazard and shows its finished side outward.
Elsewhere: up to 8 feet
Behind the front setback, fences up to 8 feet are allowed. Over 8 feet needs a building permit and may not stand in any required setback.
When a permit is needed
In a critical-area buffer, for concrete-block fences, and over 8 feet. Walls that do not retain soil count as fences.
Corners and berms
Sight-obstruction rules apply near intersections, and a fence on a berm is measured with the berm. The full detail is in the Bellevue fence rules guide.
Fences Bellevue Homeowners Ask For
Tall privacy screens
Because Bellevue allows more than 6 feet behind the front setback, a 7- or 8-foot cedar or composite screen is possible where a two-story neighbor overlooks the yard — within HOA rules.
Pool and spa barriers
Black aluminum barriers with self-closing gates around pools and hot tubs, built to the pool barrier requirements.
Driveway gates
Wide swing or sliding gates in cedar on steel frames or ornamental metal, planned for an opener where one might be added later.
Before You Build in Bellevue
Check the HOA
Many Bellevue subdivisions have covenants that set fence style, height and stain color. Approval takes time, so start it early — see HOA fence approval.
Find the buffer and the corners
The city’s maps show critical areas; a survey shows the property corners. Both decide where posts can go.
Price the long lines
On a large lot the footage adds up. Compare cedar, vinyl and chain link for back lines in the cost calculator.
Bellevue Fence Questions
Can I build an 8-foot fence in Bellevue?
Behind the required front setback, yes, without a building permit — as long as it is not in a critical-area buffer and not concrete block. Over 8 feet needs a permit and must stay out of required setbacks. Check your HOA too.
How tall can a front-yard fence be in Bellevue?
4 feet 6 inches in the required front setback, unless one of the city’s exceptions applies.
My yard backs onto a creek. Can I fence it?
Possibly, but a fence in a critical-area buffer needs a permit and may be limited or not allowed. We plan the line outside the buffer where we can.
Do you build pool fences in Bellevue?
Yes. See pool fences and barriers for the dimensions the code requires.
Sources
- Fences — zoning requirements (LUC 20.20.400) City of Bellevue Development Services
Links and figures last checked against these sources: . Codes change — confirm the current rule with the city before you build.