In April 2022, the City of Seattle passed regulations protecting our municipal canopy. These regulations require tree contractors to register with the City of Seattle before conducting commercial tree work, conducting consultations on private property, and posting an on-site public notice for tree work beyond minimal routine maintenance. In February 2023, the city passed additional legislation amending and clarifying these regulations. See the SDCI tree code web page for the detailed registration and notification requirements.
Below is a summary of the key issues affecting tree service providers and property owners, including key changes in recent legislation.
Requirements for tree service providers
- Tree service providers must create an account and register on the Seattle Services Portal Trees page.
- All tree service providers performing commercial tree work in Seattle (tree removal, pruning, or consulting services) must be registered.
- Tree service providers must comply with the tree protection provisions in SMC 25.11, Director’s Rule 16-2008, Director’s Rule 8-2022, and ANSI A-300 standards (or subsequent standards).
- Tree service providers are not authorized to perform commercial tree work in Seattle if they do not register or if they receive two violation reports.
- Tree service providers who perform work on public trails must also be registered with SDOT, which is linked from the Seattle Services Portal’s Trees page.
New regulations from April 2, 2023:
Tree service providers must be registered and meet public notice requirements for commercial tree work both inside and outside environmentally sensitive areas.
- Tree contractors must be registered and meet public notice requirements for the removal of hazardous trees or parts of trees.
- The updated definition of “commercial tree work” now includes the phrase “notifiable work” instead of “major pruning” to clarify the extent of pruning that requires a tree contractor to perform the work and post public notices. Reportable work includes the removal of live branches 2 inches or more in diameter, the pruning or removal of live roots 2 inches or more in diameter, or the removal of live branches that account for 15 percent or more of a tree’s foliage area.
- For commercial tree work, tree service providers must prepare and file a tree public notice to be posted on the SDCI website 3 business days prior to the commencement of reportable work and 6 business days prior to the commencement of any tree removal.
- Public notice of the tree now only needs to be physically posted at the site while the time the tree service provider is conducting commercial tree work and should remain in place for five days after the work is completed.
- Tree service providers must display their SDCI tree service provider registration number, the name of the tree service provider company and either a telephone or email address on their commercial vehicles. This information must be prominently displayed on the sides and rear of the commercial vehicle in letters at least 2 inches tall.
Requirements for property owners
- Property owners must rent a registered Tree contractors to perform most tree work on their property. See the SDCI tree code webpage for registered vendors.
- Property owners receive a copy of the tree’s public notice and should confirm that the notice is posted on their property while the commercial tree work and that it will remain in place for five days after the work is completed.
- Property owners who do their own routine pruning and tree maintenance on their property are not required to register or post a notice.
Visit the SDCI tree code webpage for more information and latest updates.
Questions:
- Call the Tree Service Provider Registry phone line at (206) 233-5185 (voice support available upon request).
- Email us at sdci-trees@seattle.gov.
- Submit a request to ask a question. Please indicate that you need help with ‘Permits, Codes, Zones, Plans’, then select ‘Land Use’ as the type of help and then select ‘Trees’ in the description field.
buildingconnections.seattle.gov
https://buildingconnections.seattle.gov/2023/04/03/updates-to-seattle-tree-service-provider-regulations/
