Tree service in Mason County, Washington
Mason County logged 49 NOAA storm reports since 2016, 36th of Washington’s 39 counties, so most tree removals here are planned jobs rather than storm clean-up. Mason County PUD 3 maintains more than 700 miles of overhead line on a six-year trimming cycle.
Ranks 36 of 39 Washington counties for wind, ice, snow and storm reports.
80% of reports fall November through February.
FEMA National Risk Index rates winter weather as “Relatively Low” here.
+8.3% since 2020 (Census Vintage 2025).
USDA 2023 zone covering most of the county.
Landscaping-services establishments, Census CBP 2023.
Storm records for Mason County
Storms are rarer in Mason County than almost anywhere in Washington. NOAA logged 49 reports from 2016 through 2026, which ranks 36th of 39 counties, and no single year topped 10. That makes most tree work here a choice rather than an emergency: a fir that has outgrown the lot, a view, a building site.
When storms do come, they cluster tightly. February carries 18 reports, December 13, and 80% of the total falls between November and February; October and November add five each. Heavy snow leads at 23 and winter weather follows at 15, with high wind at 5, strong wind 3, winter storms 2 and one tornado. The 12 reports in 2023 through 2025 are close to the 15 of 2020 through 2022.
Reports by month, 2016 to 2026
| Event type | Reports |
|---|---|
| Heavy Snow | 23 |
| Winter Weather | 15 |
| High Wind | 5 |
| Strong Wind | 3 |
| Winter Storm | 2 |
| Tornado | 1 |
Mid-February 2024 produced the county’s largest episode. Beginning February 15, an upper-level trough crossing western Washington brought widespread precipitation, scattered low-elevation snow and heavier mountain snow, and NOAA filed eight reports from it, seven winter weather and one heavy snow, across the Hood Canal area, the lower Chehalis Valley and the Olympics. The costliest entry is wind: on October 13, 2020, a strong low brought gusts of 45 to 55 mph to the western Washington lowlands, and NOAA attached $1 million in damage.
NWS forecast zones covering the county: Foothills of the Western and Southern Olympic Peninsula; Middle Chehalis River Valley; Olympia and Southern Puget Sound; Olympics; Southern Hood Canal; Willapa and Black Hills.
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).
Hazard ratings
Strong wind: Very LowIce storm: Very LowWinter weather: Relatively LowWildfire: Very Low
FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Mason County Very Low for strong wind, ice storm and wildfire and Relatively Low for winter weather, with an overall rating of Relatively Moderate. The Forest Service puts wildfire risk to homes here above only 18% of Washington counties.
Low county ratings do not mean low exposure for an individual lot. Tall Douglas fir and western redcedar on Hood Canal banks can still fail in a wet winter, and the 2020 wind entry shows what a single strong low can cost. A risk assessment on any large tree within reach of the house is the place to start.
Wildfire risk to homes: higher than 18% of Washington counties (USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities).
What to do about wildfire exposure: defensible space in Washington and Oregon.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release · USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities (April 2026 download). Checked 2026-10-02.
Burning the debris
The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency sets outdoor-burning rules in Mason County. Outside Thurston County, a residential yard-waste fire needs only a free notification rather than a permit, and it may burn dry natural vegetation only. Land-clearing burns need a paid permit from ORCAA or the local fire district. For a large removal, chipping or hauling is usually simpler than the permit route.
Full rules, seasons and alternatives: yard debris burning rules in Washington.
Source: Olympic Region Clean Air Agency. Checked 2026-10-02.
Power lines and utilities
Mason County PUD 3 is the mapped utility here. It maintains more than 700 miles of overhead line on a six-year vegetation cycle, so a tree near a PUD line may be due for trimming soon or may have just been cut. Its published material does not say who handles the service drop to your house, so call before work near that line. Report outages and lines down at (360) 426-8255, and see tree removal near power lines for the safety rules.
| Utility | Outage line | Tree trimming requests |
|---|---|---|
| Mason County PUD 3 | (360) 426-8255 | request page |
| Tacoma Power | 253-502-8602 | request page |
Source: utility vegetation-management pages linked above; WAC 296-24-960 (WA L&I). Checked 2026-10-02.
Cities and towns in Mason County
Mason County has 71,165 people (Census 2025 estimate, up 8.28% since 2020) on 960 square miles, and Shelton, at 10,921, is its only listed city. That leaves roughly 60,000 residents outside city limits, where county rules, not city code, govern tree work.
Shelton’s tree rules have not been researched for this site yet; call the city before removing a tree inside its limits, and read the Washington permit guide for the questions to ask.
| Place | Population | Private-tree permit rule |
|---|---|---|
| Shelton | 10,921 | Ask the city |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Vintage 2025 and 2020 Census. Checked 2026-10-02. Permit rules from each city’s code; see the city pages.
Labor index
BLS reports a mean wage of $32.20 an hour for Washington tree trimmers and pruners (May 2025), the statewide figure, used because no Mason County estimate is published. It describes pay, not price; the modeled crew-hour range on this page adds equipment, insurance and disposal. Census County Business Patterns counted 31 landscaping-services establishments here in 2023, and with storms infrequent, a planned job outside the November to February window is usually easy to schedule.
Washington statewide: $32.20 per hour mean wage for tree trimmers and pruners (BLS, May 2025); no metro estimate is published, so the statewide figure is shown. This is a labor index, not a price; the modeled crew-hour cost used on this site is $210 (method).
31 landscaping-services establishments were counted in Mason 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.
Climate and growing conditions
The 2023 USDA map places most of Mason County in hardiness zone 8b, with some 8a, so mild winters let you plant broadly. Choose for site and size: on narrow shoreline lots, a smaller-maturing tree avoids the next removal. Vine maple and Pacific dogwood fit small yards, while Douglas fir needs more room than it usually gets near a house.
USDA hardiness zones 8a, 8b (2023 map, by ZIP code).
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data). Checked 2026-10-02.
Nearby counties
- Kitsap County79 storm reports since 2016
- Thurston County21 storm reports since 2016
- Grays Harbor County53 storm reports since 2016
- Jefferson County106 storm reports since 2016
- Pierce County99 storm reports since 2016
What to do next
Since most work here is planned, use the time: get a risk assessment, check whether the tree sits near a PUD 3 line, and confirm with Shelton or the county whether a permit applies. Late summer and early fall stay clear of the February peak.
Before you sign, look the company up in the Washington license lookup and compare the bid with the modeled range on the cost page.
Services: tree removal · trimming · stump grinding · emergency. Check any company: Washington license lookup.
Major storms that reached Mason County
These regional storms produced NOAA Storm Events reports in Mason County since 2016. Each storm page lists the dates, report counts and the other counties hit.
Sources
- 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.
- USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities (April 2026 download), checked 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Vintage 2025 and 2020 Census, checked 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, NAICS 561730, checked 2026-10-02.
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data), checked 2026-10-02.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 37-3013, checked 2026-10-02.
- Olympic Region Clean Air Agency, checked 2026-10-02.
- Mason County PUD 3 vegetation management, checked 2026-10-02.
- Tacoma Power vegetation management, 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.