Tree removal permits in Puyallup: fees, timeline & requirements (2026)
Everything you need to know about pulling a tree removal permit in Puyallup, Washington — when one is required, what it costs, how long review takes, what documents are required, and which inspections you can expect. Cited to Puyallup Development & Permitting Services.
Free lookup, no account needed — your lot polygon, zoning, setbacks and overlays, cited to Puyallup's source.
When does tree removal need a permit in Puyallup?
On a lot with one to four homes, Puyallup sets no tree removal permit for a tree outside a critical area, a native growth protection easement or greenbelt, or the City's heritage tree registry. In a wetland, stream or wildlife habitat area, a landslide or erosion hazard area, or their buffers, every tree is protected, whatever its size or species, dead and snag trees included, and removing one needs the City's tree removal permit with a certified arborist's report (PMC 20.11.050(1), 21.06.320(4); the City's tip sheet, Rev. 02/2026). A hazardous tree there comes down on the arborist's report with two new trees planted for each one felled, and the City confirms the exemption in writing before the work (21.06.410(1)(e), (2)); vegetation that holds the soil of a landslide or erosion hazard area stays unless the City approves its removal (21.06.1230(3)). On land other than a lot of one to four homes, a significant tree, a healthy tree more than 15 in across at 4.5 ft other than a black cottonwood or red alder, is protected as well. A heritage tree may not be removed or altered without a heritage tree alteration permit, or being taken off the registry at its owner's request (20.58.025(3), (4)), and clearing in a native growth protection easement or greenbelt needs a permit (21.14.300(4)).
In the source's own words
“All trees in critical areas in all areas of the city are regulated and protected, regardless of size or species, including dead or snag trees, which provide habitat to birds and other wildlife. A tree removal permit and arborist report is required.”Source ↗verified 2026-10-28
What Puyallup says in its own permit handout
From Significant Trees & Trees in Critical Areas (dated 02/2026), published by Puyallup. This is the jurisdiction's own guidance on its permit process, not the ordinance text — where the two differ, the code governs.
“A significant tree is a healthy, living tree, greater than 15 inches in diameter, measured at Diameter at Breast Height”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 Puyallup?
Kolmo Construction is a licensed Washington general contractor — KOLMOL*753JS, active through April 10, 2027, bonded and insured — working throughout Puyallup and Pierce County. Kolmo prepares the drawings and submittals, files the tree removal permit with Puyallup Development & Permitting Services, carries the project through review and inspections, and arranges the tree work. Call (206) 410-5100 for a Puyallup 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 Puyallup — 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: Puyallup Development & Permitting Services ↗
- 4. Track review. Respond to reviewer comments promptly.
- 5. Pay the review fees (Puyallup's fee schedule sets them) and keep the approval with the job.
Or have Kolmo do it
Kolmo prepares the drawings and submittals, files with Puyallup Development & Permitting Services, handles reviewer comments, and arranges the tree work.
Licensed WA general contractor KOLMOL*753JS · bonded & insured
Tree removal permits in Puyallup — FAQ
When does tree removal need a permit in Puyallup?
On a lot with one to four homes, Puyallup sets no tree removal permit for a tree outside a critical area, a native growth protection easement or greenbelt, or the City's heritage tree registry. In a wetland, stream or wildlife habitat area, a landslide or erosion hazard area, or their buffers, every tree is protected, whatever its size or species, dead and snag trees included, and removing one needs the City's tree removal permit with a certified arborist's report (PMC 20.11.050(1), 21.06.320(4); the City's tip sheet, Rev. 02/2026). A hazardous tree there comes down on the arborist's report with two new trees planted for each one felled, and the City confirms the exemption in writing before the work (21.06.410(1)(e), (2)); vegetation that holds the soil of a landslide or erosion hazard area stays unless the City approves its removal (21.06.1230(3)). On land other than a lot of one to four homes, a significant tree, a healthy tree more than 15 in across at 4.5 ft other than a black cottonwood or red alder, is protected as well. A heritage tree may not be removed or altered without a heritage tree alteration permit, or being taken off the registry at its owner's request (20.58.025(3), (4)), and clearing in a native growth protection easement or greenbelt needs a permit (21.14.300(4)).
How much does a tree removal permit cost in Puyallup?
Puyallup's fee schedule has no general tree removal fee: removing a tree from the right-of-way is a $50 authorization, a critical area review is $160, and listing a heritage tree $50 (2026 Municipal Fee Schedule). Apply through Puyallup's online permit system, CityView (https://permits.puyallupwa.gov/Portal); the Permit Services page (https://www.puyallupwa.gov/325/Permit-Services) walks through the steps and fees.