Tree removal permits in Lakewood: fees, timeline & requirements (2026)
Everything you need to know about pulling a tree removal permit in Lakewood, Washington — when one is required, what it costs, how long review takes, what documents are required, and which inspections you can expect. Cited to Lakewood Planning and Public Works Department.
Free lookup, no account needed — your lot polygon, zoning, setbacks and overlays, cited to Lakewood's source.
When does tree removal need a permit in Lakewood?
Removing a significant tree in Lakewood needs a tree removal permit first (LMC 18A.70.320 D). A significant tree is one 9 in or more across measured 4.5 ft above the ground, 4 in or more for an Oregon white oak (Garry oak), or one the Director finds significant for its species or its wildlife habitat (320 A.1). Two things are exempt: removing a nonsignificant tree that nothing else protects (18A.70.310 B), and any tree on a lot of less than 10,000 sq ft in a single-family residential zone, the R1 to R4 districts (310 A, 18A.10.120). The lot exemption does not apply in a short subdivision or subdivision, on a lot whose Oregon white oaks LMC 18A.70.330 requires preserved, where SEPA mitigation requires trees kept, or where no permit is needed to establish the use (310 A.1 to A.4). Neither exemption reaches an Oregon white oak or a tree in a shoreline buffer (310). An Oregon white oak needs a permit at any size and on any lot (18A.70.330 B, 14.154.080), and so does a designated heritage tree (320 G.1, 2.48.040 D). In a critical area or its buffer, removing vegetation is a regulated activity that needs the City's critical areas review (14.142.060). An aquifer recharge area, which takes in most of the City (14.150.020 B), does not count here: LMC 14.150 regulates it by land use and asks a hydrogeological assessment only for the uses it lists (14.150.030, 14.150.040 A), and removing a tree is not one of them. Trimming that does not make the tree a safety hazard needs no permit (320). A hazardous tree may come down in an emergency, with the City told the next business day (310 D). A tree in the street right-of-way is a street tree: planting, removing or changing one needs a right-of-way permit (12.09.080 A).
From Lakewood's own code
“Approval is required prior to the removal of any significant tree (as described in subsection A of this section) in accordance with the following subsections E, F, and G of this section.”Source ↗verified 2026-10-27
What Lakewood says in its own permit handout
From Tree Preservation and Protection Pro-Tip (dated December 31, 2024), published by Lakewood. This is the jurisdiction's own guidance on its permit process, not the ordinance text — where the two differ, the code governs.
“Lots of 10,000 square feet or more, located in single-family residential zoning districts are required to obtain a tree removal permit prior to the removal of trees on their property.”Handout ↗read 2026-09-05
Required submittals
- Site plan with tree locations + DBH
- Arborist report (sometimes)
- Replacement / mitigation plan
Inspection sequence
- Site verification (arborist or planner)
- Final replacement compliance
Contractor specialties needed
General contractor
Who can do this work in Lakewood?
Kolmo Construction is a licensed Washington general contractor — KOLMOL*753JS, active through April 10, 2027, bonded and insured — working throughout Lakewood and Pierce County. Kolmo prepares the drawings and submittals, files the tree removal permit with Lakewood Planning and Public Works Department, carries the project through review and inspections, and arranges the tree work. Call (206) 410-5100 for a Lakewood tree removal quote.
Notes & caveats
Issuing body is city planning / urban forestry. Replacement requirements common (e.g. 1:1 or 2:1 by canopy area). Critical-area parcels (steep slope, salmon stream buffer) have stricter rules. Cities treat a dead, dying or hazardous tree differently, so check this city's rule before removing one. Some need no permit for it (Lynnwood: no permit for a dead, diseased or dangerous tree, LMC 17.15.150). Some allow emergency removal if the city is told afterward (Kirkland: within seven days, KZC 95.15). Some still require the permit and waive the fee (Issaquah: no fee when every tree proposed for removal is deemed hazardous).
How to apply yourself
- 1. Confirm your parcel's zoning & overlays. Run an address lookup for your tree removal in Lakewood — we'll pull your specific lot polygon, zoning, setbacks, and any shoreline, critical-area or historic overlays.
- 2. Assemble submittals: the 3 documents under Required submittals above.
- 3. Submit through the city portal: Lakewood Planning and Public Works Department ↗
- 4. Track review. Respond to reviewer comments promptly.
- 5. Pay issuance fees (Lakewood's fee schedule sets them) and pick up the permit. Keep it with the job.
Or have Kolmo do it
Kolmo prepares the drawings and submittals, files with Lakewood Planning and Public Works Department, handles reviewer comments, and arranges the tree work.
Licensed WA general contractor KOLMOL*753JS · bonded & insured
Tree removal permits in Lakewood — FAQ
When does tree removal need a permit in Lakewood?
Removing a significant tree in Lakewood needs a tree removal permit first (LMC 18A.70.320 D). A significant tree is one 9 in or more across measured 4.5 ft above the ground, 4 in or more for an Oregon white oak (Garry oak), or one the Director finds significant for its species or its wildlife habitat (320 A.1). Two things are exempt: removing a nonsignificant tree that nothing else protects (18A.70.310 B), and any tree on a lot of less than 10,000 sq ft in a single-family residential zone, the R1 to R4 districts (310 A, 18A.10.120). The lot exemption does not apply in a short subdivision or subdivision, on a lot whose Oregon white oaks LMC 18A.70.330 requires preserved, where SEPA mitigation requires trees kept, or where no permit is needed to establish the use (310 A.1 to A.4). Neither exemption reaches an Oregon white oak or a tree in a shoreline buffer (310). An Oregon white oak needs a permit at any size and on any lot (18A.70.330 B, 14.154.080), and so does a designated heritage tree (320 G.1, 2.48.040 D). In a critical area or its buffer, removing vegetation is a regulated activity that needs the City's critical areas review (14.142.060). An aquifer recharge area, which takes in most of the City (14.150.020 B), does not count here: LMC 14.150 regulates it by land use and asks a hydrogeological assessment only for the uses it lists (14.150.030, 14.150.040 A), and removing a tree is not one of them. Trimming that does not make the tree a safety hazard needs no permit (320). A hazardous tree may come down in an emergency, with the City told the next business day (310 D). A tree in the street right-of-way is a street tree: planting, removing or changing one needs a right-of-way permit (12.09.080 A).
How much does a tree removal permit cost in Lakewood?
On a single-family or mixed residential lot under 10,000 sq ft with no Garry oak, outside a shoreline setback and critical area, Lakewood requires no tree removal permit. Otherwise the permit is $150 on a residential lot, and $250 in other zones where the lot is in a critical area or shoreline setback or has a Garry oak; off-site replacement is $588 for each 3-inch tree. Every tree fee carries the technology fee surcharge (2026 Fee Schedule). Apply through Lakewood's Online Permit Center (https://app.oncamino.com/lakewood_wa), linked with the account steps from the city's Apply for a Permit page (https://cityoflakewood.us/permit-center/).