Tree service in Bothell, Washington

Tree removal permits in Bothell

The retention standards in BMC 12.18.030 are where Bothell’s tree rules live, and they skip the typical homeowner. They do not apply to an existing single-family dwelling on a lot of 20,000 square feet or less unless the property is going through major development. Above that size, or with development in play, the 8-inch DBH significant-tree definition starts to count, and alder and cottonwood never count toward it. The Community Development Director administers the chapter.

Two exceptions sit outside the city code. A King County summary from 2024 lists a permit for work in critical areas and for forest practices over 1 acre, so a tree on a steep slope, in a stream buffer or in a large wooded parcel is a different case. Separately, a city handout on cutting a tree, dated May 31, 2023, could not be retrieved for this page, and the right-of-way rule in BMC 12.18.050 was not verified, so call Community Development before touching a street tree. The Washington permit guide covers the statewide baseline.

Every city compared: tree removal permits in Washington.

Source: Community Development Director, BMC 12.18.030. Checked 2026-10-02.

Storm records for King County (covers Bothell)

King County’s storm count is falling. NOAA logged 54 reports in 2020 through 2022 and 32 in 2023 through 2025, a drop of about 40 percent, inside a total of 133 since 2016 that ranks 16 of 39 Washington counties. One quieter stretch does not change the shape of the record, though: Heavy Snow leads with 68 reports, followed by High Wind at 23, Winter Weather at 13 and Ice Storm at 11.

For Bothell yards, that shape points to crown breakage from wet snow and ice as the usual winter call. February, December and January are the peak months, and 84 percent of reports land from November through February. FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the county’s winter weather and ice storm risk Relatively High, strong wind Very Low at a score of 4.5, and the overall risk Very High.

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 Bothell

Bothell is split by the county line: the King County side is served by Puget Sound Energy and the Snohomish County side by Snohomish County PUD; which covers more of the city has not been verified. PSE trims near its overhead primary lines in the right-of-way, but in its own words, PSE does not trim service lines, the wire from the pole to your house. Instead it will do a safety disconnection so you or a private arborist can trim that stretch. PSE cites 10 feet only as the distance at which a tree becomes an electrocution risk and does not publish clearance targets, so call the number on your bill before planning work near a line. PSE outages: 1-888-225-5773.

Snohomish County PUD maintains its primary lines but does not maintain vegetation around service lines or stand-alone communication lines, and work within 10 feet of a primary conductor must be done by a qualified electrical worker. PUD outages: 425-783-1001. A downed line is a 911 call on either side of the county line.

Split by county line: King Co. portion PSE, Snohomish Co. portion Snohomish PUD; majority NOT verified

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, is confirmed in King County, with no quarantine in place, so cut wood from a Bothell removal can move freely. The ask is vigilance: report sightings through the WA Invasives app, check outdoor furniture, RVs and wood brought in from infested states, and host a monitoring trap if the state asks.

• 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.

Growing conditions in Bothell

Bothell sits in USDA hardiness zone 8b. No NOAA station normals are mapped for the city, so this page carries no rainfall chart; the county storm season is the better planning guide. Replant in fall or early spring, when the ground is workable and the snow-load months are either behind you or far enough off for roots to settle, and choose species that fit under any overhead line at maturity.

USDA hardiness zone 8b (2023 map, by ZIP code).

Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data). Checked 2026-10-02.

Labor index for Bothell

BLS puts the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue mean for tree trimmers and pruners at $33.85 an hour, the median at $32.75, and the metro’s occupation count at 310. That is the labor index for Bothell, and it is a wage rather than a quote. The modeled ranges on the service pages turn crew-hours into totals that also carry equipment, insurance and disposal, as the methodology sets out.

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

Five ZIP codes cover most of Bothell: 98011, 98021, 98034, 98012 and 98072. The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate is 52,199 people, up from 48,161 in 2020. Kenmore is 3 miles away, Mountlake Terrace and Kirkland 5, Lynnwood and Mill Creek 6, and Shoreline 7, each with its own page; rules change at each city line, so confirm which city the tree is in before a company bids.

ZIP codes with the most land inside Bothell: 9801198021980349801298072

• Kenmore3 miles
• Mountlake Terrace5 miles
• Kirkland5 miles
• Lynnwood6 miles
• Mill Creek6 miles
• Shoreline7 miles

County page: King County.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA to place and county relationship files. Checked 2026-10-02.

Tree services in Bothell

Bothell has a page for each of the four services. Removal is where the lot-size exemption and the 8-inch definition matter, and the cost guide explains the modeled range; trimming covers what PSE and Snohomish County PUD will and will not trim; stump grinding finishes a removal; and the emergency page is built around the snow and ice calls that lead the county record. The arborist page is for a tree you want assessed rather than cut.

• Tree removal (statewide guide)
• Tree trimming in Bothell
• Stump grinding (statewide guide)
• Emergency tree service (statewide guide)
• Arborists and tree health
• Check a license in Washington

What to do next

Measure your lot before anything else. At 20,000 square feet or less with an existing house and no development planned, Bothell’s retention standards do not reach you; above that, or near a slope or stream, call Community Development first. A tree cracked or leaning after snow is a risk assessment before it is a removal.

Check the company through the Washington license lookup and ask what happens to the debris, since burning falls under the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. The King County page has the full storm table and hazard ratings.