Service Area · Seattle, WA
Seattle has some of the most detailed and actively enforced tree regulations in Washington state, and the trees here have had decades to grow into some genuinely complicated situations. Douglas fir pushing 80 feet in back lots that did not seem small when the houses were built. Bigleaf maple over garages and sidewalks. A city code that now classifies trees by diameter, species, and grove status, and that requires a permit before most significant trees come down. About half the work we do in Seattle involves some level of permit consideration before the first cut.
The work itself covers everything — technical removal in tight side yards, view pruning on the ridgeline neighborhoods, crown cleaning on the ornamentals that define Capitol Hill and Wallingford, and emergency response when the wind comes through in winter. We know the code, we know the permit process, and we know the neighborhoods.
Dense urban lots, strict permit requirements, and trees that have had a long time to get complicated.
01
Significant-tree assessments and arborist reports prepared for Seattle SDCI permit applications.
02
Technical removal in tight urban lots — side yards, utility corridors, and properties where every cut has to land exactly right.
03
View pruning on Queen Anne, Capitol Hill, Beacon Hill, and the ridgeline neighborhoods with careful attention to neighbor sightlines.
04
Crown cleaning and deadwood removal on the mature ornamentals in Wallingford, Madrona, and Madison Park.
05
Emergency storm response across the city for fallen trees and hanging limbs.
Significant tree threshold
trees 6" DBH or larger require a permit before removal on private property.
Exceptional trees
trees 24"+ DBH, or those meeting other criteria, are subject to stricter review and higher replacement requirements.
Grove protection
recognized groves of trees on private property are regulated as a unit, not as individual stems.
Permit process
applications go through Seattle's Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI); review timelines vary by project.
THE CODE
Seattle's code is specific, actively enforced, and updated regularly. Permit applications require accurate measurements and correct tree classification — errors delay or derail submissions. We prepare documentation carefully.
ON THE GROUND
Big conifers in tight spaces, bigleaf maple over everything, and hedges that have long since outgrown their original job.
Douglas fir
dominant in back lots and larger yards; exceptional-sized specimens are common in the older neighborhoods.
Bigleaf maple
everywhere; over sidewalks, driveways, garages, and rooflines throughout the city.
Western red cedar
widespread; heat-dome top dieback from 2021 is still visible across many Seattle neighborhoods.
Pacific madrone
present in Madrona, Leschi, and on the south-facing bluff exposures around the lake.
English laurel / cherry laurel
the most common problem hedge plant in Seattle; frequently removed as an invasive species.
I-405 north to I-5 north or SR-520 west gets us into most Seattle neighborhoods in 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic and the part of the city.
