Tree service in Shoreline, Washington

Tree removal permits in Shoreline

Shoreline’s code (SMC 20.50.290 through 20.50.370) treats any tree 6 inches DBH or larger as significant, and a standalone tree removal permit is the route when the cutting is not part of a building or site permit. That standalone permit covers fewer than 6 trees and only outside critical areas; more than that, or a tree on a slope or stream buffer, moves you into a different review. Trees 24 inches DBH and up carry a per-tree fee on top, though the city page does not publish the amount.

Two exemptions matter to homeowners. A dead or hazardous tree can come out without the permit when it is documented on the city’s TRAQ form, so a risk assessment is the first call for a leaning or dying tree. King County’s 2024 summary also lists a no-permit allowance of 3 trees per 36 months on lots under 7,200 square feet, plus 1 for each additional 7,200 square feet, but that could not be confirmed on the city’s own page, so treat it as a question for Planning and Community Development rather than a given. Street trees need a separate right-of-way permit.

Every city compared: tree removal permits in Washington.

Source: Planning & Community Development, SMC 20.50.290-.370 (20.50.310); SMC 20.80.075(G). Checked 2026-10-02.

Storm records for King County (covers Shoreline)

Four months carry King County’s storm season. NOAA logged 133 reports for the county since 2016, and 84 percent of them fall between November and February, with February the busiest month followed by December and January; the other eight months are close to quiet. Shoreline’s planned work therefore belongs to the dry half of the year, and the emergency calls to the wet half.

What arrives in those four months is mostly frozen: heavy snow accounts for 68 of the 133 reports, winter weather 13, ice storms 11 and winter storms 8, against 23 high-wind and 9 strong-wind reports. FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) scores the county 94.7 for winter weather and 91.1 for ice storm, both Relatively High, and just 4.5 for strong wind. The county ranks 16th of Washington’s 39 by report count.

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 Shoreline

Seattle City Light is the King County utility mapped for Shoreline on this site, and its trimming program covers distribution and transmission lines, poles, transformers and vaults. The clearance targets are specific: 10 feet from slow-growing trees and 14 feet from fast-growing ones along distribution lines, 15 feet of overhang, 10 feet around transformers and 3 feet from poles. On the service line to the house City Light prunes only the first 10 feet from the distribution connection; past that point the trimming is the owner’s to arrange, with 3 to 5 feet of clearance expected.

Outages go to (206) 684-3000; a downed line is a 911 call. The sequence for a tree tangled in the drop is on 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)

King County is on the confirmed list for spongy moth (the moth formerly known as gypsy moth), with no quarantine attached. Nothing changes for an ordinary removal, but wood and outdoor gear that have been in an infested state should be inspected before they move, sightings go to the WA Invasives app, and if the state asks to place a trap in your yard, the answer that helps is yes.

• 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 Shoreline

Shoreline’s ZIP codes map to USDA hardiness zone 9a, the milder end of the Puget Sound range, which widens the replanting list to include some broadleaf evergreens that struggle in colder zones. Milder does not mean snow-free: the county’s 68 heavy-snow reports are the reason to keep new trees to species with sturdy branch attachments and to plant them outside City Light’s 15-foot overhang line.

USDA hardiness zone 9a (2023 map, by ZIP code).

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

Labor index for Shoreline

The wage benchmark for Shoreline is the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue figure: BLS reports a $33.85 mean and $32.75 median hourly wage for tree trimmers and pruners (May 2025), from about 310 workers in the metro. A wage is not a price. Every bid you receive is built on crew-hours that also carry equipment, insurance, fuel and dump fees, which is how the modeled ranges on the service pages are assembled; the labor index just tells you what a skilled climber in this market earns.

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

Three ZIP codes, 98133, 98155 and 98177, hold most of Shoreline’s land. The nearest cities are Mountlake Terrace at 3 miles, Edmonds at 4, Kenmore and Lynnwood at 5, Bothell at 7 and Kirkland at 8, each with a permit rule of its own, so check which city a tree near a boundary stands in before measuring it. The full county view, including the storm record this page draws on, is on the King County page.

ZIP codes with the most land inside Shoreline: 981339815598177

• Mountlake Terrace3 miles
• Edmonds4 miles
• Kenmore5 miles
• Lynnwood5 miles
• Bothell7 miles
• Kirkland8 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 Shoreline

The pages below take Shoreline’s 6-inch rule through each job. Removal is where the permit and the 24-inch fee apply; trimming is governed by City Light’s clearance distances and the right-of-way permit for street trees; stump grinding needs the 811 locate before the machine arrives; and the emergency page explains what the TRAQ exemption lets you do quickly.

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

What to do next

Measure the diameter at breast height. Under 6 inches, hire a crew; 6 inches and up, apply to Planning and Community Development or, if the tree is dead or failing, have it documented on the TRAQ form so it can come out without the permit. Trees at 24 inches and up go into the budget with the per-tree fee in mind. Check the company in the Washington license lookup before any deposit.