Bellaire
Selling Your Home in Bellaire?
Pricing, preparation and marketing for Bellaire homeowners, with the local rules buyers will ask about.
Michael O’NealBroker · REALTOR® | The Michael O’Neal GroupKeller Williams Realty NortheastCall or text: 832-797-3780
Photo: WhisperToMe, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative photo of the area.
The short answer
Selling a home in Bellaire
Bellaire is a zoned city of about 3.6 square miles surrounded by Houston, with its own police, fire, water and permitting, in the Houston ISD area. It is an active rebuild market: the city issued 55 new-home permits in 2025, and HAR’s Bellaire market table for September 2026 showed a $1,242,500 median price and a median of 14.5 days on market across 20 sales. Older homes on good lots are often priced as much on the lot as the house, so buyers ask about the zoning district, trees and flood rules.
Michael O’Neal holds Texas broker license #624124 (TREC record). The Michael O’Neal Group has helped 2,035 families over 13 years across Greater Houston.
Market data
Bellaire home values and market activity
Bellaire (city listings)
- 79Homes for sale
- $1,257,920Average list price
- $363Average list price / sq ft
- 3,493Average size of homes for sale (sq ft)
- 1,197Homes sold, last 5 years
Source: HAR.com · checked Oct. 25, 2026
- HAR single-family sales, Sep 2026
HAR.com's Bellaire market-trends table for September 2026 shows an average price of $1,305,140, a median of $1,242,500, 20 transactions and a median DOM of 14.5.
Source: HAR.com · checked Oct. 21, 2026
- HAR single-family sales, Sep 2025
The same HAR.com table shows September 2025 at a $1,272,580 average, $1,000,000 median and 13 transactions, with a DOM of 16.
Source: HAR.com · checked Oct. 21, 2026
What these numbers do not tell you: what a home like yours would sell for today. That comes from an MLS report on recent sales comparable to your home (Bellaire sales of similar size, age, lot and condition), which is what a pricing review is built on.
Get My Bellaire Pricing ReviewNeighborhood overview
Bellaire at a glance
- Population estimate, July 1, 2025
The Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimate puts Bellaire's population at 17,434 as of July 1, 2025.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts · checked Oct. 21, 2026
- Land area
Census QuickFacts lists Bellaire's 2020 land area as 3.60 square miles.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts · checked Oct. 21, 2026
- Incorporated June 24, 1918
Bellaire received a general-law city charter on June 24, 1918, when it had about 200 residents.
Source: City of Bellaire (Guide to Bellaire) · checked Oct. 21, 2026
- Houston annexation ended growth (1948)
Houston annexed the land around Bellaire on Dec. 31, 1948, which ended the city's geographic growth; Bellaire kept its own government and adopted a home-rule charter with a council-manager government in April 1949.
Source: City of Bellaire (Guide to Bellaire) · checked Oct. 21, 2026
- Bellaire has zoning
The city states plainly that Bellaire is a zoned community. Its FAQ gives R-1 (single-family detached homes only) and UV-D (mixed commercial, office, civic and entertainment) as example districts.
Source: City of Bellaire Development Services FAQ · checked Oct. 21, 2026
- New-home permits: 40 in 2024, 55 in 2025
The city's 2026 State of the City reported 40 new home construction permits (about $41.7 million in value) in 2024 and 55 (about $47.6 million) in 2025.
Source: City of Bellaire (State of the City, Feb. 2, 2026) · checked Oct. 21, 2026
Seller preparation
What Bellaire buyers will ask, and what to have ready
Know your zoning district
What to have ready: Single-family lots fall into residential districts by lot size; setbacks come from the district.
- The city publishes a 2026 zoning map. To find setbacks, look up the lot's zoning district on that map, then check the setback sheet or Chapter 24 of the Code of Ordinances. (City of Bellaire)
- Bellaire's development services director said in 2021 that single-family homes are restricted to one of four residential zoning districts based on lot dimensions. (Community Impact (July 2, 2021))
Permits for past work
What to have ready: The city requires permits for most work, even fences and painting; have your permit history ready.
- The city requires a permit before work begins. Its FAQ says even painting needs a floodplain development permit. Applications and inspection requests go through the SmartGov portal. (City of Bellaire Development Services FAQ)
- Use the SmartGov portal for permit records and applications. Most work, even fences and painting, needs at least a floodplain development permit. (City of Bellaire SmartGov)
Protected trees
What to have ready: Note significant trees and large front-yard trees; removals need a permit, and rebuild buyers will plan around them.
- Removing or damaging a protected tree needs a permit. Protected trees include any significant tree (12 inches or more in diameter) anywhere in the city. They also include large trees (6 inches or more, excluding low-value trees) in front yards, corner street-side yards or rights-of-way, and all large trees on a site with an active development or pre-development permit. (City of Bellaire Development Services FAQ)
Deed restrictions and rental rules
What to have ready: The city does not enforce deed restrictions, and short-term rentals are banned in residential districts; investors will ask.
- Bellaire does not enforce deed restrictions. Copies come from the Harris County Clerk, and the property's legal description is on HCAD. (City of Bellaire Development Services FAQ)
- Ordinance No. 25-108, adopted November 17, 2025 and effective March 17, 2026, prohibits short-term rentals (30 days or less) in residential districts. Permitted STRs are allowed in nonresidential districts. Leasebacks to a prior owner as part of a sale are excluded from the definition. (City of Bellaire)
- Buyers planning to lease the home need a Certificate of Occupancy before a tenant moves in. (City of Bellaire Development Services FAQ)
Disclosures and due diligence
Flood, taxes, restrictions and insurance
- Pull the flood map and any elevation certificate
Search the address on FEMA's Map Service Center. Ask the city for any elevation certificate it holds (Forerunner list or public information request).
Source: City of Bellaire · checked Oct. 21, 2026
- Elevation certificates from the city
On request, the city can provide finished-construction elevation certificates for insurable buildings in the 100- and 500-year flood hazard areas completed since April 2022. Available certificates are listed on Forerunner. Older ones may be requested from the City Clerk through a public information request.
Source: City of Bellaire · checked Oct. 21, 2026
- Floodplain development rules
All development needs city permits. Bellaire's higher standard requires construction at or above the Design Flood Elevation. Improvements over a 365-day period that reach 50% of the structure's market value trigger new-construction requirements.
Source: City of Bellaire · checked Oct. 21, 2026
- Substantial damage rule
Damage is substantial when restoring the building would cost 50% or more of its pre-damage market value, regardless of the repair work actually done.
Source: City of Bellaire · checked Oct. 21, 2026
- Community Rating System class
Bellaire states it holds a Class 7 CRS rating. The city re-entered the CRS program on April 1, 2022.
Source: City of Bellaire · checked Oct. 21, 2026
- Cypress Ditch Regional Flood Mitigation Program
Bellaire voters approved 2024 Bond Proposition A ($40 million for drainage) on November 5, 2024. On June 23, 2025 the state announced $54 million toward the $110 million Cypress Ditch program. The city page gives no construction schedule.
Source: City of Bellaire · checked Oct. 21, 2026
- City of Bellaire 2025 adopted rate
The Harris County Tax Office lists City of Bellaire's adopted tax rate for tax year 2025 as $0.4174 per $100 of taxable value.
Source: Harris County Tax Office, Truth in Taxation Summary · checked Oct. 21, 2026
- Houston ISD 2026 adopted rate
HISD says its Board adopted a tax year 2026 rate of $0.8421 per $100 ($0.6754 M&O, $0.1667 debt) on October 8, 2026.
Source: Houston ISD · checked Oct. 21, 2026
- HISD homestead exemptions
HISD lists a homestead exemption of $140,000 plus 20 percent of appraised value. Owners 65 or older or disabled get an additional $60,000, plus $5,000 local option. The page does not state the tax year.
Source: Houston ISD · checked Oct. 21, 2026
- HISD school locator and boundaries
HISD's Demographics & Zoning page links an address-based School Locator and 2026-2027 elementary, middle and high school attendance boundary maps. Boundaries can change, so confirm the assignment with HISD before buying.
Source: Houston ISD · checked Oct. 21, 2026
Insurance: buyers will price homeowners and flood insurance before they commit. Have your current declarations pages, any elevation certificate and any flood-claim history ready; Texas sellers also answer flooding questions on the seller’s disclosure notice (Texas Property Code §5.008). See our Houston flood map guide.
Seller tools
Plan your sale in Bellaire
Your next step
Get your Bellaire home value review
Tell us about the home. We compare it with recent MLS sales of similar homes, explain the pricing range and the preparation that matters, and lay out a selling plan. Free and no obligation.
- A one-year home warranty, on us, when you list with us.
- The right to end our agreement if you are disappointed with our service; the terms are in writing before you sign.
Clients rate us 4.90 out of 5 on HAR.com from 90 surveys (checked Oct. 20, 2026). Read their reviews.
Seller questions
Selling in Bellaire: common questions
How much is my Bellaire home worth?
HAR's Bellaire market table for September 2026 showed a median price of $1,242,500 and an average of $1,305,140 across 20 sales. Lot size, zoning district and whether the home will be kept or rebuilt move the value of a specific home, so a pricing review compares yours with recent MLS sales of similar homes and lots.
Sources: HAR.com Checked Oct. 21, 2026
How long does it take to sell a house in Bellaire?
HAR's Bellaire market table showed a median of 14.5 days on market for September 2026 (20 sales) and 16 for September 2025. A single month is a small sample; your timeline depends on price position, condition and the competing listings.
Sources: HAR.com Checked Oct. 21, 2026
Can I get an elevation certificate for my Bellaire home from the city?
Often, yes. The city can provide finished-construction elevation certificates for insurable buildings in the 100- and 500-year flood hazard areas completed since April 2022 (listed on Forerunner), and older ones through a public information request to the City Clerk. Buyers and insurers will ask for one.
Sources: City of Bellaire Checked Oct. 21, 2026
Nearby
No one can guarantee a sale, a price or a timeline. If your home is listed with another brokerage, this is not a solicitation of that listing.