Tree rules in Seattle: permits, protected trees and fees
What the City of Seattle's own pages say about protected trees on private land, the four tree tiers, hazard and emergency removal, replacement and payment in lieu, the public notice and who may do the work.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 8, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It describes the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) pages on tree removal, the city's Tip 242B on private property and Tip 242D on public notice, as read on October 8, 2026. The wider list of cities is on the guide to tree permits in the largest US cities.
What the city protects
SDCI's page says Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) 25.11, Tree Protection, limits the number, size and type of trees that may be removed from private property. It says the requirements vary with the size (tree tier), the species, whether construction is happening or proposed on the lot, and the zoning. Tip 242B says it applies to developed and undeveloped lots and to certain environmentally critical areas, and that other critical areas fall under SMC 25.09.
Size is stated as DSH, diameter at standard height, taken at 4.5 feet above the ground. Tip 242B says that where a tree splits into several trunks at ground level, DSH is the square root of the sum of each trunk's DSH squared.
| Tier | Size as Tip 242B writes it | On developing property in the listed zones |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | A heritage tree, as defined in SMC Title 15 | Not removed unless hazardous or an emergency action; replacement required |
| Tier 2 | 24 inches DSH or greater, tree groves, and specific species below 24 inches named in a Director's Rule | Not removed unless hazardous, an emergency action, or permitted to reach allowed development capacity under SMC 25.11.070 and 25.11.080; replacement required |
| Tier 3 | 12 inches DSH or greater but under 24 inches | May be removed as part of a development permit; replacement required |
| Tier 4 | 6 inches DSH or greater but under 12 inches | May be removed as part of a development permit; no replacement |
The Tip adds that in all other zones all trees may be removed on developing property, and that Tier 1, 2 and 3 trees removed with development must be replaced by one or more new trees. For Tier 2 trees it describes a basic tree protection area: a circle around the tree with a radius of 1 foot for every 1 inch of trunk diameter.
Removal when no building project is proposed
Tip 242B says removal of Tier 1 to Tier 4 trees is "generally prohibited in all zones" when no development is proposed, with exemptions and allowances. One allowance, without SDCI review, is removal of no more than two Tier 4 trees in any 3-year period in the residential, lowrise, midrise, commercial and mixed-use zones it lists. In all other zones the allowance is no more than three Tier 3 and Tier 4 trees combined in any 1-year period.
Outside development, the Tip lists eight request types that go through the Tree Removal and Vegetation Restoration application in the Seattle Services Portal:
- hazardous trees, Tiers 1 to 4, replacement required for Tiers 1 to 3;
- after the fact documentation of an emergency removal, replacement required for Tiers 1 to 3;
- insect, pest or pathogen infestation, Tiers 1 to 4, replacement required for Tiers 1 to 3;
- ADA or elderly access, Tiers 1 to 4, no replacement;
- invasive or nuisance trees, Tiers 1 to 4, replacement required for Tiers 1 to 3;
- thinning of overplanted Tier 3 and 4 trees, no replacement;
- trees causing obvious damage to property, Tiers 3 and 4, replacement required for Tier 3;
- dead trees, Tiers 1 to 4, no replacement.
Hazard and emergency trees
For a protected tree, the Tip says SDCI approves hazard removal only if the tree poses a high risk to people or property and meets the criteria in SMC 25.11, and that an ISA Basic Tree Risk Assessment is required to document the high-risk rating. It says the assessment must be done by a certified arborist with a current ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) and submitted by a registered Tree Service Provider. If the tree is clearly dead, the assessment form is not required.
An emergency action applies only to a Tier 1, 2 or 3 tree with an extreme risk of imminent failure. The Tip says an emergency action can start without advance approval, SDCI must be notified before it begins, and a Tree Removal and Vegetation Restoration application must follow within ten calendar days.
Fees, replacement and payment in lieu
SDCI's page gives fees as multiples of the Land Use hourly rate, charged when the application is made, with extra review time billed hourly. It lists no fee for ADA or elderly access, dead trees, and invasive or nuisance trees. It lists 0.5 times the hourly rate for emergency, hazard, insect or pathogen, obvious damage to foundations or utilities, response to a violation, and thinning of overplanted Tier 3 and 4 trees. Vegetation restoration is 1 times the rate. The page gives no dollar amount for the rate and points to the fee subtitle.
Replacement trees must give, at maturity, canopy cover at least roughly proportional to the canopy before removal, and may be placed on or off the site under SMC 25.11.090 and 25.11.115. Tip 242B says a voluntary payment in lieu of on-site planting is calculated under Director's Rule 8-2023, and must be paid to SDCI before the removal approval is issued. SDCI says it aims to finish the initial review within two weeks.
Who may do the work, and the public notice
Tip 242B says commercial tree work must be done by a registered tree service provider listed in SDCI's Tree Service Provider Directory. Tip 242D says the provider creates the public notice in the Seattle Services Portal. The notice must be on SDCI's public notice page at least 3 business days before reportable work and 6 business days before removal of any Tier 1 to Tier 4 tree, meaning 6 inches DSH or greater. SDCI's page says the notice is posted on site during the work and for five days after it.
Tip 242D defines reportable work as removing live branches 4 inches in diameter or greater, pruning or removing live roots 2 inches or greater, or removing live branches making up 25 percent or more of the foliage-bearing area. It says there is no fee for the notice, no public comment period, and that the notice does not authorize a removal. Emergency work and a property owner's own work are listed as not needing one. The complaint line the Tip names is (206) 615-0808.
Where to ask
SDCI's page names a staff phone line, (206) 233-5185, and a Trees email contact through its request form. Its street address is 700 5th Ave, Suite 2000. For the rules in other cities see the parent guide.