Tree service in San Juan County, Washington
Storms are rare in the islands: San Juan County ranks 37th of Washington’s 39 counties with 48 NOAA reports since 2016, and only one of them came in 2023 through 2025.
Ranks 37 of 39 Washington counties for wind, ice, snow and storm reports.
73% of reports fall November through February.
FEMA National Risk Index rates winter weather as “Relatively Low” here.
+4.5% since 2020 (Census Vintage 2025).
USDA 2023 zone covering most of the county.
Landscaping-services establishments, Census CBP 2023.
Storm records for San Juan County
Because the record is so thin, most tree work in San Juan County is planned, not storm cleanup. NOAA logged 48 reports in a decade, and 39 of them were high wind; winter storm, winter weather, heavy snow and strong wind make up the rest. February, January and November are the peak months, and 73% of reports fall between November and February.
The record has also gone quiet. There were 34 reports in 2016 through 2018, then nine in 2020 through 2022 and a single report in 2023 through 2025. No deaths or injuries appear in the county’s entries.
What that means on an island lot: exposed firs and madrones on a bluff still take the wind, but you can usually schedule the work for a dry stretch, and getting a crew and equipment over on the ferry is a bigger cost factor than storm demand.
Reports by month, 2016 to 2026
| Event type | Reports |
|---|---|
| High Wind | 39 |
| Winter Storm | 3 |
| Winter Weather | 3 |
| Heavy Snow | 2 |
| Strong Wind | 1 |
The largest single episode was January 12, 2020. Cold air poured south through the Fraser River Valley from British Columbia, and a system dropping in from the Gulf of Alaska met it, setting up lowland snow. NOAA filed two winter-storm reports for the San Juan zone, with no damage figure attached.
NWS forecast zones covering the county: San Juan County.
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 San Juan County Very Low for strong wind, ice storms and wildfire, Relatively Low for winter weather, and Very Low overall. USDA’s Forest Service places its wildfire risk to homes at the 13th percentile among Washington counties.
Low ratings do not mean no risk on a given lot: a single tall tree with root decay on a windward slope can still fail. A risk assessment is the right first step before paying to remove a tree that may only need thinning.
Wildfire risk to homes: higher than 13% 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 Northwest Clean Air Agency sets the rules here. Outdoor burning is permanently banned in all cities, towns and urban growth areas, which includes Friday Harbor. Outside those limits, county fire officials issue the permits: a verbal OK for small fires, a written permit for piles over 4 feet across (NWCAA Section 502). See the Washington burning guide for the rest.
Full rules, seasons and alternatives: yard debris burning rules in Washington.
Source: Northwest Clean Air Agency. Checked 2026-10-02.
Power lines and utilities
OPALCO keeps a right-of-way of at least 10 feet on each side of its lines and asks owners to call it about trees near energized lines; its outage line is 360-376-3599. The policy does not say who handles the service drop to a house, so ask before a crew works near it. The utilities page explains the line-clearance rules.
| Utility | Outage line | Tree trimming requests |
|---|---|---|
| OPALCO | 360-376-3599 | request page |
Source: utility vegetation-management pages linked above; WAC 296-24-960 (WA L&I). Checked 2026-10-02.
Cities and towns in San Juan County
Friday Harbor, with 2,613 people, is the only incorporated town in the county, and its tree rules have not been researched yet. The county has 18,577 residents (Census Vintage 2025), up 4.45% since 2020, so most work happens on unincorporated island parcels under county rules.
| Place | Population | Private-tree permit rule |
|---|---|---|
| Friday Harbor | 2,613 | 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
No metro wage estimate covers San Juan County, so this page uses the Washington statewide mean of $32.20 an hour for tree trimmers and pruners from BLS. That is a labor index, not a price; the modeled crew-hour range below adds payroll, equipment and overhead. Census County Business Patterns counted 34 landscaping-services establishments here in 2023, a short list for island work.
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).
34 landscaping-services establishments were counted in San Juan 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 county sits in USDA hardiness zones 8b and 9a on the 2023 map, among the mildest in the state. Cold rarely limits replanting; dry summers and thin soils do. Native Douglas fir, Garry oak and shore pine handle both, and fall planting lets winter rain do the watering.
USDA hardiness zones 8b, 9a (2023 map, by ZIP code).
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data). Checked 2026-10-02.
Nearby counties
- Island County45 storm reports since 2016
- Clallam County72 storm reports since 2016
- Jefferson County106 storm reports since 2016
- Skagit County102 storm reports since 2016
- Whatcom County155 storm reports since 2016
What to do next
Start with an assessment of the trees you are worried about, then confirm burn and permit rules with the county or Friday Harbor before work begins. If a tree comes down, the fallen tree guide covers the first steps. Check any contractor in the Washington license lookup before you hire.
Services: tree removal · trimming · stump grinding · emergency. Check any company: Washington license lookup.
Major storms that reached San Juan County
These regional storms produced NOAA Storm Events reports in San Juan 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.
- Northwest Clean Air Agency, checked 2026-10-02.
- OPALCO 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.