Tree service in University Place, Washington

Tree removal permits in University Place

University Place counts trees over time. UPMC 19.65.060 defines a tree as anything 6 inches DBH or larger, and 19.65.050(A) requires a permit once you remove six or more in any 36-month period; up to five in that window are exempt under 19.65.070(A) unless they stand in a critical area, and trees within 10 feet of a building are exempt. Significant trees, those on the city’s inventory, are treated separately. Permitted removals are replaced at 3:1 or paid into the city’s tree account under 19.65.310, and the fee is set by resolution rather than printed in the code.

Keep your own log of what you have cut and when, since the 36-month clock is what triggers the permit. Getting it wrong is expensive: 19.65.040 sets $1,000 per tree, 3:1 replanting and a possible six-year development moratorium for illegal removal. Trees on public land or in the right of way need a Public Works and Parks Director permit, issued only for dead, diseased or hazardous trees (UPMC 13.30.040). Compare other cities in the Washington permit guide.

Every city compared: tree removal permits in Washington.

Source: Planning & Development Services (code says "the Department"), UPMC 19.65.040, 19.65.050, 19.65.060, 19.65.070, 19.65.310; UPMC 13.30.040 (public trees). Checked 2026-10-02.

Storm records for Pierce County (covers University Place)

Pierce County’s storms are almost entirely a winter affair. NOAA’s record holds 99 reports, and 81 percent of them land between November and February, peaking in February, January and December. Heavy snow dominates with 56 reports, followed by high wind at 12, winter weather at 9, strong wind at 8 and ice storm at 7.

The county ranks 24th of Washington’s 39, and the latest three years logged 20 reports against 37 before. FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates ice storm Relatively High at 84.4 and overall risk Relatively High, so plan pruning and any permitted removals for the dry months, before the window when most damage happens.

NWS forecast zones covering the county: Cascades of Pierce and Lewis Counties; Foothills and Valleys of Pierce and Southern King Counties; Lowlands 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 University Place

Tacoma Power serves University Place. Its outage line is 253-502-8602, and its crews maintain clearance on all the transmission and distribution circuits it operates on a 4-year cycle. It does not publish a clearance distance or say who handles the service drop, so call the number on your bill before work near that wire.

Check the utility on your bill in the utility directory, and read tree removal near power lines before work near any wire.

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, formerly called gypsy moth, has been confirmed in the area, though no quarantine applies here. Report sightings through the WA Invasives app, inspect firewood, outdoor furniture and RVs before moving them from infested states, and host a monitoring trap if the state asks. See the pest guides for identification.

• 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 University Place

University Place sits in USDA hardiness zone 8b. Replanting carries extra weight here because a permitted removal comes with 3:1 replacement, so three new trees need room, light and distance from lines. With 56 heavy-snow and 7 ice-storm reports in the county, choose species that shed snow and avoid brittle wood near the house.

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 University Place

BLS’s Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue estimate covers University Place: a $33.85 mean and $32.75 median hourly wage for tree trimmers and pruners, from about 310 workers in the metro. It is a wage, not a quote. Replacement planting and permit paperwork add to a removal’s cost, which the modeled ranges on the service pages build in.

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).

297 landscaping-services establishments were counted in Pierce 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

University Place uses ZIP codes 98467, 98466 and 98388. Lakewood is 4 miles away and Tacoma 5; Federal Way and Puyallup are 12, Des Moines and Lacey 16. Each sets its own tree count and threshold, so a property near a city line should be checked against the right code. The Pierce County page has the county data.

ZIP codes with the most land inside University Place: 984679846698388

• Lakewood4 miles
• Tacoma5 miles
• Federal Way12 miles
• Puyallup12 miles
• Des Moines16 miles
• Lacey16 miles

County page: Pierce County.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA to place and county relationship files. Checked 2026-10-02.

Tree services in University Place

The service pages below apply University Place’s 36-month count and 3:1 replacement to each job. Tree removal covers the permit trigger; tree trimming covers right-of-way trees and Tacoma Power’s line-clearance cycle; stump grinding covers 811 and burn rules; and emergency tree service covers the winter storms that make up most of the record.

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

What to do next

Count the 6-inch-plus trees you have removed in the last 36 months. Under six and outside a critical area, no permit is needed; at six or more, apply and plan 3:1 replacement. For a hazardous tree, an arborist’s risk assessment supports the application. Outdoor burning is governed by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. Look up any contractor in the Washington license lookup.