Need to remove or prune a tree in Tacoma? The city has strict guidelines on how to do it

Jared Gendron
·4 min read

The Evergreen State is well-known for its abundance of lush forests and trees, with environmentalists working every day to tend to the health of the state’s natural habitat.

The state also features sprawling mountain and lakeside environments with waterfront views, not to mention the epic scenery of the south Puget Sound. For that reason, property owners may want to prune or cut trees along their property to make way for a clearer view.

The city of Tacoma enforces stringent laws that dictate when a resident can prune or remove a tree, where they are allowed to do so and how they do it. Here’s what the laws say.

Tacoma pruning laws

Tacoma makes clear on its website and via its city code that there are specific guidelines on tree pruning and removal.

Pruning regulations differ based on whether they’re being done on private property or street property:

  • Street trees: Residents must acquire a permit to prune a tree that stands on a public-right-of-way, usually between a curb and sidewalk. The city’s permit center provides authorization to prune a street tree. An owner with property abutting the street is the only person who can apply for such a permit, though.

  • Private property trees: Tacoma doesn’t have an ordinance that prohibits residents from pruning trees on their property. Exceptions might be made for people who own land in critical areas defined under the municipal code. Examples include fish and habitat conservation areas, flood hazard areas and wetlands.

Tacoma doesn’t prune its public trees for view enhancement. Residents who wish to apply for a permit to cut trees on city-owned parcels will have to cover all associated costs. Permit applications for view-enhancement pruning cost a minimum of $1,300.

Mother Earth Farm manager Anika Moran prunes fruit trees at the Puyallup plot of land that supplies area food banks with fresh food.
Mother Earth Farm manager Anika Moran prunes fruit trees at the Puyallup plot of land that supplies area food banks with fresh food.

The city outlines tree pruning standards in an online guide. Here are the key rules:

  • When seeking approval to prune a street tree, a resident must state a specific objective for doing so. Reasons include crown cleaning, crown raising, crown restoration and young tree pruning.

  • The city doesn’t permit certain types of tree cutting. These include internodal pruning and leaving tree branches. Lions tailing, which is the practice of removing most secondary branches from the interior portion of the crown, is prohibited. Topping, or the practice of reducing a tree’s size using heading cuts to shorten limbs, is also prohibited.

  • A tree’s crown cannot be cut by more than 25% within an annual growing season.

  • Elm trees cannot be pruned between April 15 and October 15. Equipment used to prune Elm trees must be disinfected, and any cut wood waste must be disposed of at a commercial disposal site within 24 hours of cutting. These rules are in place to limit the spread of the invasive Dutch Elm disease.

  • Tree cutters cannot use equipment that would damage a tree’s bark or cambium layer. Spikes and climbing layers also can’t be utilized when climbing a tree to prune it.

Tree removal in Tacoma

Removing a tree entirely rather than just pruning follows entirely different regulations. The city of Tacoma states on its website that street trees may need to be removed if the plant to curb disease spread, if its decayed or damaged in a way that threatens public safety.

Utilizing a 100-foot boom crane a crew from Ron’s Stump Removal and & Tree Service carefully cuts and removes an over 100 year-old, 150-foot fir which was nearly touching the historic Sherwood Press cabin which overlooks Capital Lake on May 11.
Utilizing a 100-foot boom crane a crew from Ron’s Stump Removal and & Tree Service carefully cuts and removes an over 100 year-old, 150-foot fir which was nearly touching the historic Sherwood Press cabin which overlooks Capital Lake on May 11.

Like tree pruning, residents must acquire a permit to remove a tree. The city says that in most circumstances, if a person receives approval to remove a tree on public property, they must also replace it. In that case, they must attain separate permits for both the removal and replacement.

Here are other rules the city outlines:

  • Tacoma residents must remove a tree’s stump to at least 8 inches below the surface.

  • Tree and stump removal must be completed within 30 days of when the permit was issued.

  • If a street tree becomes a hazard, call 311 and request an emergency inspection. The city defines a hazardous tree as one with at least one risky characteristic. A certified tree risk assessor determines if a tree is unsafe and work must be done.

Consequences of not removing a tree

The city may request a land owner to perform work on an abutting street tree or one on their property if it deems the plant a public nuisance in the form of a letter, according to the Title 9 code. The notice will determine how long the resident has to execute the necessary tree removal.

If the resident doesn’t comply with the city’s request, they could be charged with a misdemeanor, a fine of nor more than $300 and imprisonment in the county jail for no longer than 90 days.