Puyallup tree removal rules: when you need a permit
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What the City of Puyallup regulates (significant trees, critical areas, Heritage Trees and street trees), when removal is exempt, and how to apply. Every rule below links to the city's own pages or the Puyallup Municipal Code. Checked October 19, 2026.
We're a referral service, not a tree company or the city. We can pass your request to one independent, L&I-registered tree company. Permit decisions are made only by the City of Puyallup. This is general information, not legal advice. How it works.
Quick answer
| Your tree | Permit to remove? | Source |
|---|---|---|
| On a single-family lot, or residential property with 4 or fewer units, not in a critical area and not a Heritage Tree | No permit | Flow chart, city FAQ |
| In or near a wetland or wetland buffer, steep slope, stream buffer, or habitat area/greenbelt | Yes, any size or species, even dead trees. Arborist report required; 2 replacement trees per tree removed. | Tip sheet, flow chart |
| On the city's Heritage Tree register | Yes. Pruning doesn't need a permit, but any work near the tree requires tree protection measures. | City FAQ, flow chart |
| Commercial, industrial, institutional, or multifamily with more than 4 units, trunk 15" or larger | Yes. These trees must be retained unless removal is allowed for hazard. | Flow chart, tip sheet |
| A live street tree (curb to sidewalk) over 6", or any tree within 15 ft of power lines | Yes (street tree ordinance, PMC 11.28) | Flow chart |
| A dead street tree | No permit to remove. Replacement required if the planter strip is 4 ft or wider, with a free planting permit. | Flow chart, street tree FAQ |
The flow chart says pruning a regulated private tree doesn't require a permit. But critical-area trees may not be topped or significantly pruned to create or keep views, and black cottonwood and red alder in a critical area may not be removed or significantly pruned without review (tip sheet).
Significant trees
- Definition: a healthy, living tree greater than 15 inches in diameter at breast height (DBH, measured 4.5 ft above the ground), per the city's Feb 2026 tip sheet. The city FAQ phrases it as 15" or larger. The application form describes significant trees as large, healthy coniferous trees over 15" DBH (application). If your tree is near the line or a broadleaf, ask the Planning Division.
- Measuring: measure the trunk's circumference at 4.5 ft and divide by 3.14. The city's example: a 48" circumference ÷ 3.14 = a 15.2" diameter.
- Homes are exempt: significant-tree protections don't apply to single-family, duplex, triplex or multifamily lots of four or fewer units, unless the tree is in a critical area. They do apply to commercial, industrial and larger multifamily properties.
- Species exceptions: black cottonwood and red alder aren't typically regulated as significant trees, but are protected in or near a critical area.
Critical areas
A critical-area tree is any tree within or associated with an environmentally critical area regulated under PMC Chapter 21.06: wetlands and wetland buffers; streams, rivers and riparian buffers; geologic hazard areas such as steep slopes; and wildlife habitat conservation areas such as wooded greenbelts (tip sheet).
- Every tree counts: all trees in critical areas, anywhere in the city, are regulated regardless of size or species, including dead or snag trees. A tree removal permit and arborist report are required.
- Replacement: each tree felled in a critical area must be replaced with two native trees, planted within one year under an approved replanting plan (application).
- Buffers vary with the significance and function of each wetland or stream. The flow chart says to ask the Planning Department.
- Reports: removal or trimming in a critical area typically needs review by city planners under PMC 21.06, plus professional reports from an arborist, biologist or geotechnical engineer, and city approval before any work.
Heritage Trees
A Heritage Tree is designated for its exceptional size, age, or association with a community event or history. On private property, a current or former owner opted in voluntarily. All Heritage Trees are protected from removal and construction impacts, and removal requires a permit (city FAQ).
Street trees and power lines
- Street trees fall under the city's Street Tree Ordinance, PMC 11.28. Most street trees are maintained, pruned and removed by the abutting property owner, except a limited number the city maintains (Street Trees page).
- Only a licensed and bonded tree care company using certified arborists may work in the city right-of-way. Pruning branches over 2" needs a permit; minor pruning under 2" is exempt (flow chart). Topping a street tree is prohibited (PMC 11.28.040, per the Street Trees page).
- Branches must be kept clear at 14 ft over roads and 7 ft over sidewalks (Street Trees page).
- Power lines: if any part of a tree is within 15 ft of energized lines, the work may only be done by the utility, Puget Sound Energy. The city lists PSE's pruning line as (360) 786-5992 (flow chart). Line down? Call 911 (see our emergency guide).
How to apply for a significant or critical-area tree permit
- Check whether your lot is in or near a critical area. The application points to the city's GIS portal: scroll to "Applications" and open the "City of Puyallup Critical Areas App." The application asks about critical areas on or within 300 ft of your property. The code says maps are a guide; a qualified professional's field investigation sets the actual boundary (PMC 21.06.1010).
- Hire a private certified arborist with TRAQ. Significant trees (when regulated) and all critical-area trees must be evaluated by a certified arborist with a Tree Risk Assessment Qualification before you apply. The city doesn't assess trees on private property (tip sheet). Find one through the ISA directory and ask whether their TRAQ is current.
- Gather the documents on the submittal checklist: the signed application; a site plan (an aerial photo marking each tree to be removed); the TRAQ assessment; and, for critical-area trees, an arborist report on condition and hazard with a replanting schedule.
- Apply online. Create an account at permits.puyallupwa.gov, select "Apply for Planning Permit," then "Tree Removal of Significant or Critical Area Tree," and upload everything. Missing documents delay processing.
- Fees listed on the application (updated 2/6/2025): tree removal $0; critical area report review $160.
When removal can be approved (tip sheet). The city expects these trees to be kept whenever possible. Removal may be approved, with arborist documentation, when:
- a formal ISA Tree Risk Assessment rates the tree high risk (some moderate-risk trees can qualify if the report shows added factors);
- it poses a high-risk hazard to, or is actively damaging, buildings, sidewalks, streets, driveways or utilities, with no reasonable alternative;
- for development, there's no feasible site design that keeps the tree, and it's unlikely to survive construction.
Removal for views or solar access is strongly limited: pruning must be considered first, topping isn't permitted, and these trees may not be removed solely to create a new view.
City contacts
- Planning Division: (253) 864-4165, option 3 · Planning@puyallupwa.gov
- Tree questions: trees@puyallupwa.gov · Permit questions: PermitCenter@puyallupwa.gov
- In person: Development Center, City Hall, 333 South Meridian, 2nd floor, 9 am–3 pm, Mon–Fri. Virtual counter visits are available over Microsoft Teams.
Sources: Significant Trees & Trees in Critical Areas tip sheet (Rev. 02/2026); Tree Removal application (updated 2/6/2025); Tree Removal Flow Chart; City FAQs; Street Trees page; PMC 21.06; PMC 11.28. Also see our tree FAQ and cost guide.
Puyallup tree permit FAQ
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in my Puyallup yard?
Usually not, if the lot is a single-family home or residential property with four or fewer units. The City of Puyallup says trees on single-family properties generally aren't regulated unless the tree is in a critical area (wetland or wetland buffer, steep slope, stream buffer, or habitat/greenbelt area) or on the city's Heritage Tree inventory. Street trees between the curb and sidewalk have their own permit rules.
What is a significant tree in Puyallup?
The city's 2026 tip sheet defines it as a healthy, living tree greater than 15 inches in diameter measured 4.5 ft above the ground. Significant-tree protections don't apply to single-family, duplex, triplex or other residential lots of four or fewer units unless the tree is in a critical area. Black cottonwood and red alder usually aren't regulated as significant trees, but are protected in a critical area.
Can I remove a dead tree in a Puyallup critical area without a permit?
No. The city's tip sheet says all trees in critical areas are regulated and protected regardless of size or species, including dead or snag trees, and that a tree removal permit and arborist report are required.
How do I apply for a Puyallup tree removal permit, and what does it cost?
Have a certified arborist with a Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) assess the tree, then apply online: create an account on the city's permit portal, choose Apply for Planning Permit, and select Tree Removal of Significant or Critical Area Tree. Upload a signed application, a site plan or aerial photo marking the trees, and the arborist report. The application lists a $0 tree removal fee and a $160 critical area report review fee.
Do I need a permit to remove or prune a street tree in Puyallup?
In most cases, yes. Per the city's flow chart, a live street tree over 6 inches in diameter, or any tree with a portion within 15 ft of power lines, needs a permit, and only a licensed and bonded tree care company using certified arborists may work in the right-of-way. Pruning branches over 2 inches needs a permit, and topping is prohibited (street tree FAQ). A dead street tree can be removed without a permit, but a replacement is required if the planter strip is 4 ft or wider.
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