Tree service in Kent, Washington

Tree removal permits in Kent

Kent’s private-tree rule sits in KCC 15.08.240, the tree preservation section of its clearing and grading code. A 2024 King County summary describes a significant tree as 6 inches DBH and says removal on single-family lots is otherwise unlimited except in critical areas such as steep slopes, wetlands and stream buffers. The code text itself could not be read for this page, so treat that summary as partly verified, and no fee is published.

The street tree rule is clear and strict. Under KCC 6.10.060(B), nobody may plant, remove, trim or cut a tree between the property line and the curb without a written permit from the Parks Director, and doing so is a misdemeanor. If your tree is on a slope, near a stream, or in the planting strip, call the city before you call a crew. The Washington permit guide compares cities.

Every city compared: tree removal permits in Washington.

Source: Economic & Community Development, KCC 15.08.240 (tree preservation); KCC 6.10 (street trees). Checked 2026-10-02.

Storm records for King County (covers Kent)

In King County, storms are a winter business. Eighty-four percent of the 133 NOAA reports since 2016 fall between November and February, with February, December and January the peak months. Heavy snow accounts for 68 of them, high wind 23, winter weather 13 and ice storms 11; the county ranks 16th of Washington’s 39.

The count has fallen sharply, from 54 reports in the prior three years to 32 in the latest three, a drop of about 40 percent. FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) still scores winter weather at 94.7 and ice at 91.1, both Relatively High, so Kent’s planned work belongs in spring and summer, ahead of the season.

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 Kent

Puget Sound Energy is the electric utility for Kent. PSE trims near overhead primary lines in its right-of-way, but it does not trim service lines, the span from the pole to your house; that part is the owner’s. What PSE will do is a safety disconnection, so you or a private arborist can trim near the drop with the line de-energized. PSE does not publish a yard-tree clearance distance; the only figure it cites is 10 feet, as the distance where electrocution risk begins, so treat anything closer as work for a qualified line-clearance crew. Its outage line is 1-888-225-5773, and a downed line is a 911 call.

If a different provider bills your Kent address, call the number on that bill and look it up in the utility directory before trimming near any wire, and see tree removal near power lines.

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, the insect formerly known as gypsy moth, is confirmed in King County, with no quarantine. Report sightings through the WA Invasives app, inspect wood, outdoor furniture and RVs before moving them out of infested areas, and host a trap if the state asks. More is in the pest guide.

• 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 Kent

Kent is in USDA hardiness zone 8b. No NOAA climate normals station is matched to Kent in this data, so the county storm record is the better guide: heavy snow and ice are the recurring loads. For replanting, especially in the planting strip where the Parks Director’s permit applies, pick trees with strong branch unions that handle snow and stay clear of overhead lines.

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 Kent

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. It is a wage, not a price. The modeled ranges on the service pages convert crew hours into job totals, including equipment and disposal.

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

Kent covers ZIP codes 98030, 98031, 98032 and 98042, and reaches into 98038, 98051, 98055 and 98092. Des Moines, Covington and SeaTac are each 5 miles away, Auburn and Renton 6, and Tukwila 7, each with its own code. County-wide data is on the King County page.

ZIP codes with the most land inside Kent: 9803298031980309804298051980929803898055

• Des Moines5 miles
• Covington5 miles
• SeaTac5 miles
• Auburn6 miles
• Renton6 miles
• Tukwila7 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 Kent

The service pages apply Kent’s rules to each job. Removal covers the 6-inch threshold and critical areas; trimming covers the Parks Director’s permit for planting-strip trees, which applies to trimming as well as removal; stump grinding starts with 811; and the emergency page is built for winter snow and ice.

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

What to do next

Before work, check whether the tree is in the planting strip, where even trimming needs the Parks Director’s written permit, or near a slope or stream, where critical-area rules apply. Get a risk assessment for snow- or ice-damaged trees, and check the contractor in the Washington license lookup.