Tree removal in Mukilteo, Washington
Mukilteo’s tree code (MMC 17.59) treats evergreens over 8 inches DBH and deciduous trees over 12 inches as regulated, and removing one needs city approval first.
Crew-hours × crew cost; not a quote.
Evergreens over 8 in DBH; deciduous trees over 12 in DBH (MMC 17.59.020(A))
Peak Feb · Dec; rank 15 of 39 in Washington.
Permit rules for removing a tree in Mukilteo
Under MMC 17.59.050, the Planning & Community Development director must approve removal of any regulated tree, and a lot can receive only one tree permit every 2 years unless the tree is a safety hazard. That limit matters if you are planning several removals: bundle them into one application rather than spacing them out.
Each removed tree needs replacing at a ratio set by size: 8 to 17.9 in DBH means one tree, 18 to 29.9 means two, and 30 in or more means three (17.59.060(B)). An imminent hazard can come down first with an after-the-fact permit. Topping is banned, and fines run $1,000 to $25,000 per tree. The Washington permit guide covers how this compares with other cities.
Permit required
Threshold: Evergreens over 8 in DBH; deciduous trees over 12 in DBH (MMC 17.59.020(A))
Allowances and tiers: City approval (tree permit) required to remove any regulated tree (17.59.050(A)); max one tree permit per lot every 2 years unless safety hazard (17.59.050(E))
Fee: Set by the city fee schedule; in-lieu fee = tree cost + installation + 2-yr maintenance + admin (17.59.060(A)(4))
Replacement: yes
Street trees: Public-agency street/utility tree work exempt (17.59.030(A)); private removal of ROW trees not addressed
Issued by: Planning & Community Development (director)
MMC 17.59.020, 17.59.030, 17.59.040, 17.59.050, 17.59.060, 17.59.070; MMC 17.52 (critical areas) · Official page · Checked 2026-10-02
What tree removal costs in Mukilteo
Size, access and replanting are what move a Mukilteo job across the modeled range below. A 30 in fir triggers three replacement trees, and if you pay in lieu instead, the code bills the tree cost, installation, two years of maintenance and an admin charge.
Wages set the floor. BLS puts the mean tree-worker wage for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area at $33.85 an hour, across roughly 310 jobs; that is pay, not a price. Steep or bluff lots that fall under the critical-areas chapter (MMC 17.52) usually take longer. More in the cost guide.
| Tree height | Crew-hours | Washington modeled range |
|---|---|---|
| Under 25 ft | 2–4 | $400–$850 |
| 25 to 50 ft | 4–8 | $850–$1,700 |
| 50 to 80 ft | 8–16 | $1,700–$3,350 |
| Over 80 ft | 14–30 | $2,950–$6,300 |
Modeled estimate, not quotes (method): crew-hours × $210 per crew-hour; ×1.25 within 10 ft of a structure, ×1.3 with no truck access; a crane day adds $1,500–$3,500; stump grinding is separate.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 37-3013. Checked 2026-10-02.
Storm records for Snohomish County
That February 2025 snow fits the county’s pattern closely. February, December and January are the peak months, and 82% of Snohomish County’s 139 NOAA reports since 2016 fall between November and February. The county ranks 15th of 39 in Washington.
Reports dropped to 33 in the most recent three years from 54 in the prior three, but snow-loaded limbs remain the main reason Mukilteo homeowners call in winter. A tree posing an imminent hazard can be removed before the permit, so use the emergency steps and photograph everything for the after-the-fact application.
Reports by month, 2016 to 2026
| Event type | Reports |
|---|---|
| Heavy Snow | 68 |
| High Wind | 26 |
| Winter Weather | 18 |
| Ice Storm | 11 |
| Winter Storm | 8 |
| Strong Wind | 7 |
| Wildfire | 1 |
NOAA’s top recent episode for the county began on 2025-02-03. Cold air flowing out of interior British Columbia met Pacific moisture coming inland, and lowland snow piled up across Western Washington. NOAA filed six winter-weather reports for the Everett, Bellevue and East Puget Sound lowland zones.
NWS forecast zones covering the county: Cascades of Snohomish and Northern King Counties; Downtown Everett / Marysville Area; Foothills and Valleys of Snohomish and Northern King Counties; Foothills and Valleys of the North Cascades; Lowlands of Western Skagit and Northwestern Snohomish Counties; Shoreline / Lynnwood / South Everett Area.
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).
How removals are done here
Snow, not wind, is the main load on Mukilteo trees. NOAA logged 68 heavy-snow reports among Snohomish County’s 139, and FEMA scores the county very high for ice (98.0) but very low for wind (7.8). Conifers that hold wet snow are the usual failures, and sectional removal with rigging is the normal method on lots where a tree can’t be dropped whole.
If the tree is near a line, Snohomish County PUD maintains primary lines only and does not maintain vegetation around service lines. Work within 10 ft of a primary conductor has to be done by a qualified electrical worker. See removal near power lines before you book.
What to do next
Measure the trunk, check whether it is evergreen or deciduous, and list every tree you want out on a single permit given the two-year limit. Contact Planning & Community Development, and verify a contractor’s registration through the Washington license lookup. Nearby Everett and Edmonds set different thresholds; the Mukilteo hub has the rest.
Back to tree service in Mukilteo · Tree removal across WA and OR · Tree removal in Washington · cost guide.
Sources
- Mukilteo tree code (MMC 17.59.020, 17.59.030, 17.59.040, 17.59.050, 17.59.060, 17.59.070; MMC 17.52 (critical areas)), checked 2026-10-02.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 37-3013, 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.
- Snohomish County PUD 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.