Tree service in Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue counts any tree 6 inches DBH or larger as significant, and a Tree Removal Only permit is the default; each lot gets a small yearly allowance of removals without replacement, set by lot size.
Significant = 6"+ DBH at 4 ft; landmark = 24"+ DBH
Since 2016; peak Feb · Dec. Rank 16 of 39 in Washington.
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, BLS May 2025 mean wage. Not a price.
Census Vintage 2025 estimate.
39.3 in a year at Seattle Tacoma Intl Ap, Wa Us.
Tree removal permits in Bellevue
Bellevue rewrote its tree rules in 2024 (Ordinances 6795 and 6796), and the Tree Removal Only permit under BCC 23.76.035 now covers most private removals. A significant tree is 6 inches DBH or more measured at 4 feet; a landmark is 24 inches. Each year a lot may remove trees without replacement up to an allowance: one landmark or two significant trees on lots to 10,000 square feet, one or three on 10,001 to 20,000, and one or four on anything larger. Beyond that, replacement is required. Bellevue also requires the tree service provider to be registered, and the fee comes only from the city’s estimator.
A dead or poor-condition tree is exempt when a qualified tree professional rates it that way, so a written arborist report is worth having before you count it against your allowance. Note that LUC 20.50.046 still cites 8 inches, so confirm the threshold with Land Use Review at 425-452-4188. Trees entirely in the public right-of-way fall under BCC 14.06 instead. The Washington permit guide compares cities.
Permit required for trees 6 in DBH and up
Threshold: Significant = 6"+ DBH at 4 ft; landmark = 24"+ DBH
Allowances and tiers: No-replacement allowance per yr by lot: up to 10,000 sf = 1 landmark or 2 significant; 10,001-20,000 = 1 or 3; 20,001-40,000 = 1 or 4; 40,001+ = 1 or 4
Fee: Not published (fee estimator only)
Replacement: yes
Street trees: Trees entirely within public ROW regulated under BCC 14.06 (exempt from clearing permit)
Issued by: Development Services (Land Use Review 425-452-4188)
Provider: registered or licensed provider required for paid tree work
BCC 23.76.035; LUC 20.20.900; Ord. 6795 and 6796 (2024 tree canopy amendments) · Official page · Checked 2026-10-02
Every city compared: tree removal permits in Washington.
Source: Development Services (Land Use Review 425-452-4188), BCC 23.76.035; LUC 20.20.900; Ord. 6795 and 6796 (2024 tree canopy amendments). Checked 2026-10-02.
Storm records for King County (covers Bellevue)
Bellevue was named in NOAA’s account of King County’s largest recent storm. The November 19, 2024 east wind tops the county’s episode list, and one of the three forecast zones it struck was Bellevue and Vicinity. Across the county NOAA logged 133 storm reports since 2016, ranking 16th of Washington’s 39 counties, with 68 of them heavy snow and 23 high wind.
That event runs against FEMA’s long-run picture. The National Risk Index (December 2025) scores King County’s strong-wind risk Very Low at 4.5, while winter weather (94.7) and ice storms (91.1) rate Relatively High. Read together, the lesson is that wind events are infrequent but, from the east, severe; snow and ice are the steady load, with 84 percent of reports between November and February.
Reports by month, 2016 to 2026
| Event type | Reports |
|---|---|
| Heavy Snow | 68 |
| High Wind | 23 |
| Winter Weather | 13 |
| Ice Storm | 11 |
| Strong Wind | 9 |
| Winter Storm | 8 |
| Wildfire | 1 |
On November 19, 2024, a low that deepened fast over the offshore waters drove strong easterly winds across western Washington. Trees here are rooted and shaped for wind from the south and west, so the unusual direction, combined with the strength, brought down trees across the Puget Sound region: homes and vehicles were damaged, outages ran long, and 2 people were killed by falling trees. NOAA recorded 7 high-wind reports, in the Bellevue, East Puget Sound Lowlands and Seattle zones.
NWS forecast zones covering the county: Cascades of Snohomish and Northern King Counties; Cascades of Southern King County; City of Seattle; Eastside; Foothills and Valleys of Central King County; Foothills and Valleys of Pierce and Southern King Counties.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2016 to June 2026 · NWS zone-county correlation files (2019 to 2026 versions). Checked 2026-10-02. NOAA Storm Events 2016-2026; zone-based events assigned to every county the NWS zone covers using the zone-county correlation file in force on the event date (2019-04-02 file used for 2016-2018).
Power lines and utilities in Bellevue
Puget Sound Energy serves Bellevue. It trims near overhead primary lines in the right-of-way, but it states that it does not trim service lines from the pole to the house; instead it performs a safety disconnection so you or a private arborist can do that work. PSE publishes no clearance standard and cites 10 feet only as an electrocution-risk distance. Its outage line is 1-888-225-5773, and downed lines go to 911.
If your bill names a different provider, confirm its rules in the utility directory before you plan work near a line.
| Utility | Outage line | Tree trimming requests |
|---|---|---|
| Puget Sound Energy | 1-888-225-5773 (https://www.pse.com/en/contactpse) | request page |
Source: utility vegetation-management pages linked above; WAC 296-24-960 (WA L&I). Checked 2026-10-02.
Pests and quarantines
Spongy moth (formerly gypsy moth)
Spongy moth, formerly called gypsy moth, has been confirmed in King County, though without a quarantine. Report sightings through the WA Invasives app, inspect wood, outdoor furniture and RVs before moving them out of infested areas, and agree to host a trap if the state asks. The pest guide lists other threats.
- Spongy moth (formerly gypsy moth): Report sightings (OR Invasive Species Hotline / WA Invasives app); inspect wood, outdoor furniture, RVs before moving from infested states; host a trap if asked
Source: Spongy moth (formerly gypsy moth). Checked 2026-10-02.
Rain, snow and the growing season in Bellevue
Bellevue is in USDA hardiness zone 8b. The nearest NOAA normals, at Sea-Tac airport, show 39.34 inches of precipitation and 6.3 inches of snow a year, wettest in November. When a removal requires replacement, pick species with deep, wide root plates that hold against an east wind, and keep larger ones out of the 10- to 14-foot line clearance.
Seattle Tacoma Intl Ap, Wa Us: 39.3 in of precipitation a year, wettest in November, 6.3 in of snow. USDA hardiness zone 8b.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991 to 2020 · USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data). Checked 2026-10-02.
Labor index for Bellevue
BLS puts tree trimmers and pruners in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro at a $33.85 mean and $32.75 median hourly wage, among about 310 workers. That is a wage, not a price. Bellevue jobs also carry permit paperwork, a provider registration and often an arborist report, which add hours that the modeled ranges on the service pages account for only in part.
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: $33.85 per hour mean wage for tree trimmers and pruners (BLS, May 2025). This is a labor index, not a price; the modeled crew-hour cost used on this site is $210 (method).
843 landscaping-services establishments were counted in King County in 2023 (Census County Business Patterns, NAICS 561730).
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 37-3013 · U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, NAICS 561730. Checked 2026-10-02.
ZIP codes and nearby cities
Bellevue’s ZIP codes include 98004, 98005, 98006, 98007 and 98008, and its edges reach into 98027, 98033 and 98059. Mercer Island is 4 miles away; Sammamish, Issaquah and Redmond are 6; Kirkland is 7 and Renton 8. Each sets its own tree rules. County-wide data is on the King County page.
ZIP codes with the most land inside Bellevue: 9800698005980089800498007980599802798033
County page: King County.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA to place and county relationship files. Checked 2026-10-02.
Tree services in Bellevue
The service pages apply Bellevue’s 2024 code to each job. Removal covers the allowance, replacement and registered-provider rule; trimming covers right-of-way trees and line clearances; stump grinding starts with 811; and the emergency page is built around storms like the November 2024 east wind.
What to do next
Measure the trunk at 4 feet, count what you have already removed this year, and check your lot size against the allowance. If the tree is dead or failing, get a qualified professional’s rating in writing. Hire a registered provider, call Land Use Review at 425-452-4188 with questions, and check the contractor’s license in the Washington license lookup.
Sources
- Bellevue tree code (BCC 23.76.035; LUC 20.20.900; Ord. 6795 and 6796 (2024 tree canopy amendments)), checked 2026-10-02.
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2016 to June 2026, checked 2026-10-02.
- NWS zone-county correlation files (2019 to 2026 versions), checked 2026-10-02.
- FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release, checked 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Vintage 2025 and 2020 Census, checked 2026-10-02.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 37-3013, checked 2026-10-02.
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data), checked 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA to place and county relationship files, checked 2026-10-02.
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991 to 2020, checked 2026-10-02.
- Puget Sound Energy vegetation management, checked 2026-10-02.
- Spongy moth (formerly gypsy moth), checked 2026-10-02.
Comparing quotes? Check these eight things first.
Two quotes for the same tree can differ by thousands. The gap is usually in what's included, not the cutting.
We don't vet or license anyone. These are the official lookups; each takes about a minute.
| What | Where | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon CCB license | CCB license search | Active status, bond, insurance on file, complaints |
| Oregon LCB license | LCB verify a license | Landscape contracting license, which covers tree work |
| Washington contractor registration | L&I Verify | Registration, bond, workers' comp, lawsuits, violations |
| ISA Certified Arborist | ISA directory | Current certification and credential number |
How to read them: Oregon guide · Washington guide
Westcoast-Tree.org is an independent information site. If you call a number on this site, the call goes to a tree service that covers your area and we may be paid a referral fee by that company. We don't perform tree work and we don't vet, license or insure anyone. Cost figures are modeled estimates, not quotes (method). Not affiliated with the former Westcoast Tree Care Inc of Tumwater, WA.