The City of Seattle is committed to protecting our city roof. Trees add value to your property and the surrounding community. The canopy is an important measure of the health of the city forest. Urban trees provide numerous environmental, economic, and social benefits, including habitat for wildlife, quality of life in neighborhoods, and improved public health outcomes.
The City Council passed Bill 120207, which requires 1) tree care contractors to register with the City of Seattle before conducting commercial tree work and consultations on private property, and 2) property owners before onsite construction work beyond routine maintenance to make a public announcement. The Register of Tree Care Providers will be open to the public so owners, residents and neighbors can be assured that a registered company knowledgeable of tree regulations and best practices is carrying out work in their neighborhood.
A tree contractor is any business that removes or tends trees on private property. Your company must register if these activities are part of your duties, or you may have to hire a registered company to carry out these duties. For example, if tree removal is part of a demolition contract, the company hired to clear all trees larger than 6 inches in diameter (standard height) must be registered.
Tree Service Provider Registration Requirements
The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) launched a new tree service provider registry on August 26, 2022. The SDCI Tree Code webpage has been updated with the directory of registered tree contractors authorized to undertake tree work beyond routine maintenance Private property in Seattle in accordance with the tree code.
- Beginning August 26, tree service providers can create an account and register with SDCI through the Seattle Services Portal tree page.
- All tree contractors performing*** tree removal*, major pruning**, or consulting services in Seattle must be registered for all work beginning November 10, 2022.
- Providers of tree services must commit to complying with the tree protection provisions in SMC 25.11, Director’s Rule 16-2008 and ANSI A-300 standards (or any subsequent standard).
- Failure to register or two notifications of violations will disqualify tree care contractors from doing business in Seattle.
- Please note that the SDCI register for tree service providers covers work on private property and is distinct from the SDOT register for tree service providers, which covers work carried out on public rights of way. You must register for each one individually; Links to these can be found on the Seattle Services Portal tree page.
*Removal of all trees larger than 15 cm in diameter.
**Major pruning work for any tree on private property. A larger tree trimming will remove branches or roots 2 inches or more in diameter or more than 15% of the tree canopy. You do not need to be registered to perform other routine pruning and maintenance jobs.
***Carrying out tree assessments for an arborist report.
Requirements for real estate owners
- From November 10th, you must hire one registered Tree care service provider who will do most of the tree work on your property. You can see the list of registered providers on the SDCI tree code website.
- Beginning November 10, property owners are required to post a public notice of the pruning or removal of trees on their property at least three days before work by a tree care contractor begins. To create the public notice, you must create an account and fill out the form that will be available below https://cosaccela.seattle.gov/portal/Customization/pages/trees.aspx.
- Property owners who do their own routine pruning and maintenance work on their property are not required to register or post a notice.
- No public notice is required to control dangerous trees.
- The Search Public Notices page in the portal will also be updated and you can specify whether you want to search for public notices or for public notices in the SDCI tree.
Resources and more information
- To help you better understand registration requirements, property owner responsibilities, and Seattle tree regulations, SDCI will help you do so We are hosting another informational webinar on November 3rd from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.! Register to participate: https://bit.ly/treecode.
- The new Directors Rule 8-2022 clarifying the new legislation came into effect on October 25, 2022.
- Two new tips designed to assist applicants in navigating the registration (tip 242C) and public disclosure (tip 242D) processes will be released shortly and posted on the SDCI tree code webpage.
- For more information and the latest updates, visit the SDCI tree code webpage.
If you have questions about tree care requirements, you can call the Tree Service Provider Registry phone number at (206) 233-5185 or contact us through our Submit an Inquiry form. To forward your request, state that you need help with “Permits, Codes, Zones, Plans.” Then select “Land Use” as the type of help you need, then select “Trees” in the description box.
buildingconnections.seattle.gov
https://buildingconnections.seattle.gov/2022/10/31/seattle-tree-service-providers-must-register-and-post-public-notice/
