Service Area · Renton, WA
Renton Highlands, the East Plateau, the older streets off Maple Valley Highway — these are the yards we drive past on the way to every other job, so we know the canopy on these blocks by sight. Big bigleaf maples that define the front yards. Doug fir hedgerows planted when the subdivisions went in. Cherry trees that get hit too hard by leaf curl every spring if nobody catches it in time.
Most of the work here is straightforward: a maple that needs restoration pruning, a hedge that needs a real shaping pass, a stump that needs to come out. Our shop is six minutes from the East Plateau, and RMC 4-4-130 sets clear rules — permit review kicks in once you're past two significant trees removed in a calendar year.
Restoration work, formal hedges, and removals that stay inside the annual limit.
01
Restoration pruning on mature bigleaf maple, Douglas fir, and Western red cedar.
02
Stump grinding and grind-and-restore to put the lawn back in.
03
Formal hedge maintenance along property lines — boxwood, laurel, photinia, holly.
04
Storm cleanup and hazard tree work along the East Plateau and the Cedar River corridor.
05
Permit-handled removal under RMC 4-4-130 once a project goes past the annual allowance.
6" DBH
the significant-tree threshold (8" for alder and cottonwood).
24" DBH / 30" DBH
landmark threshold; 30" for bigleaf maple, black cottonwood, and red alder.
2 significant trees per year
the point at which permit review kicks in for private lots.
Replanting required
for most permitted removals.
THE CODE
Renton's code is built around a simple trigger: two significant trees a year, no permit needed. Past that, or for any landmark tree, we handle the review and the replanting plan.
ON THE GROUND
Front-yard maples and windrow conifers that have defined these blocks since the subdivisions went in.
Bigleaf maple
front-yard canopy on most older streets; summer branch drop applies.
Douglas fir
windrow conifers along property lines; watch for laminated root rot.
Western red cedar
many showing post-2021 heat-dome top dieback.
Flowering cherry, pear, plum
the suburban ornamentals; leaf curl and brown rot are manageable with timing.
English laurel, photinia
formal hedges, hand-finished.
Renton is home turf — most of it is under 15 minutes from our shop.
