Tree Removal Permits in Kent, WA

Verified against Kent city sources · last checked 2026-08-07

Do you need a permit?

It depends on the tree

Kent's code and Kent's website disagree, and we are going to tell you both. The ordinance, KCC 15.08.240, applies its retention duty only to "undeveloped property" and states that its requirements apply to development — so on a normal developed lot with no construction, the code asks nothing of you. But the city's own Vegetation Management page tells homeowners flatly to call and "obtain a permit," and we could find no such permit, form or fee anywhere in the city's published material. Until the city clears that up, call before you cut. Three things definitely require permission: the strip between your property line and the curb, any tree in a critical area or its buffer, and any tree an approved plan required you to keep.

Size threshold

Six inches, but only where the section reaches. KCC 15.02.529 defines a tree as a woody plant "having a diameter of six inches or more measured at four and one-half feet above ground level," and KCC 15.08.240(B) provides: "Except as provided for in this section, on undeveloped property in the city, all trees of a six-inch diameter or greater shall be retained on the property where they are growing." KCC 15.08.240(D)(2) confirms the convention: "Diameter breast height (DBH) of the tree shall be measured in inches at the height of four and one-half feet above the ground." Diameter, not circumference.

What's protected in Kent

Any tree between the property line and the curb, which needs a written permit from the director (KCC 6.10.060(B))
Trees in a critical area or its buffer, where KCC 11.06.030(A)(6) regulates "destroying or altering vegetation, including hazard trees, through clearing, grading, harvesting, shading, or planting vegetation that would negatively affect the character of a critical area"
Vegetation in a landslide hazard area or its buffer, where removal "shall be prohibited, except for removal of hazard trees as verified by the department"
Trees on land meeting Kent's definition of undeveloped, which is a footprint test rather than a vacant-lot test
Landscaping required by a prior approval, which KCC 15.07.070(A) requires be "permanently maintained in such a manner as to accomplish the purpose for which it was initially required"
Trees designated for retention on an approved tree retention plan (KCC 15.08.240(I))

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Fee: There is no tree removal fee. We read all three pages of Kent's 2026 Land Use Permit Applications and Approvals Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2026, and it contains no tree, arborist, vegetation or land-clearing line item. The nearest thing is the Critical Areas Exempt Determination, at $659.60 for minor alterations and improvements and $1,587.32 for major alterations, new buildings or redevelopment, plus a technology fee of 3 percent or $10.00, whichever is greater.
Penalties: Violating the street tree chapter is a misdemeanor: KCC 6.10.080 provides for "a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or by imprisonment for a period of not more than one (1) year, or by both such fine and imprisonment." Zoning, landscaping and critical-areas violations run through KCC 1.04, where a notice of violation carries a monetary penalty of five hundred dollars for each violation, due within 30 days; a negligent violation is a misdemeanor and a knowing or repeated violation is a gross misdemeanor. Separately, KCC 15.08.240(I) requires that "trees removed illegally from undeveloped land or trees designated for retention which are damaged or destroyed" be replaced: one existing tree with a six-inch DBH is replaced by two new trees, and for each additional three inches of DBH one more replacement tree is added, up to a maximum of six. Replacement deciduous trees must be at least two inches DBH at planting and replacement evergreens at least six feet high.
Ordinance: Kent City Code 15.08.240, Preservation of trees (Ord. No. 2452; Ord. No. 2932, July 17, 1990; Ord. No. 3830, March 6, 2007; current text from Ordinance No. 4209, adopted July 19, 2016). KCC Chapter 6.10, Street Trees. KCC Chapter 11.06, Critical Areas, amended by Ordinance No. 4542, June 16, 2026. KCC 15.07.070, Maintenance of landscaping. Title 11 is revised through August 2026 and Title 15 through May 2026.

Worth knowing

The contradiction, stated plainly. Kent's Vegetation Management page says: "If there is a tree on your property that you'd like to remove please call our Economic Community Development Department at 253-856-5490 or email them at CallB4UCut@kentwa.gov to obtain a permit." We found no permit type, no application form and no fee line item anywhere on kentwa.gov matching that instruction. We are reporting it rather than deciding which side is right.
The code's own applicability clause points the other way. KCC 15.08.240(C): "1. The requirements of this section shall apply to new single-family or duplex development that is not subject to a previously approved tree plan, including but not limited to subdivisions, short subdivisions, planned unit developments, and development of existing lots. 2. Developments other than new single-family or duplex developments, such as multifamily, commercial, institutional, or industrial developments, are exempt from the requirements of this section."
That is the reverse of the usual arrangement. In most cities commercial development carries the heaviest tree obligations; in Kent commercial and multifamily are expressly exempt and single-family development is the covered class.
The trigger is a permit application, not the act of cutting: "An applicant for a development permit shall submit and receive city approval of a tree retention plan prior to permit issuance" (KCC 15.08.240(E)).
The sleeper issue is what "undeveloped" means. KCC 15.02.529.5: "Undeveloped land means a parcel of land which does not have an inhabitable building or where the inhabited buildings occupy no more than three (3) percent of the total parcel area." A modest house on a large enough lot can occupy three percent or less of it, which puts a lived-in property inside the retention rule and inside the illegal-removal replacement penalty. Kent publishes no guidance acknowledging this, and its SR-1 and SR-3 zones contain lots this could reach.
Critical areas come with a notice duty even when your activity is exempt: "no private property owner or other entity shall undertake exempt activities prior to providing 14 days' notice to the director and receiving confirmation in writing that the proposed activity is exempt" (KCC 11.06.040(C)). The hazard-tree exemption in that chapter covers public property only.
On street trees: "No person shall, without a written permit from the director, plant, remove, trim, prune or cut any tree between the property line and the curb" (KCC 6.10.060(B)). KCC 6.10.010 defines that director as the director of the parks and recreation department, even though the website routes street vegetation to Public Works Operations. Another code-versus-practice mismatch we are recording rather than resolving.
Kent has no defined term "significant tree" with a diameter attached. The phrase appears only as purpose language. KCC 15.02.501 defines "special trees" as "trees significant due to their size, age, species and variety, or historical importance," but we found no operative section that regulates them — it reads as an orphaned 1990 definition.
There is no standalone tree ordinance and no land-clearing permit chapter in Kent. We enumerated the chapter lists for Titles 6, 8, 11, 12, 14 and 15 to establish that rather than inferring it from a failed search.

What we could not confirm

We would rather tell you what we don't know than guess. Call the office below to confirm these before you cut.

— Whether the permit the Vegetation Management page describes actually exists. No form, fee or code section supports it. It may be stale copy, shorthand for the critical-areas exempt determination, or an informal internal review. A call to 253-856-5454 is the only way to settle it.
— The text of KCC 15.07.050 and 15.07.060. Both render with only their ordinance histories; the substance sits in tables the code site does not expose. Chapter context suggests they are development-triggered, but we cannot confirm they contain no retention duty.
— Table A of KCC 15.08.240, the tree density credit values by DBH, which did not render. Do not rely on credit figures.
— Kent's Shoreline Master Program vegetation rules. KCC 11.04.010 adopts the program by reference to an exhibit that is not codified, so waterfront lots on the Green River, Lake Meridian and Panther Lake likely have additional rules we have not read.
— Whether a Kent mailing address that actually sits in unincorporated King County falls under King County's clearing code instead. Kent publishes an address lookup tool for this.

Sources

Who to contact in Kent

Permit Center, City of Kent

General questions: 253-856-5300. Land Use and Environmental, the right line for a critical-areas or tree question: 253-856-5454. The city's Vegetation Management page sends private-property tree questions to 253-856-5490, though the Permit Center page labels that same number Utilities and Engineering. Kent also publishes a dedicated call-before-you-cut address, CallB4UCut@kentwa.gov. Public Works Operations, which handles street and drainage vegetation crews: 253-856-5600. City main line: 253-856-5200. There is no urban forestry division and no 311. PermitCenter@KentWA.gov Official page

400 W. Gowe Street, Kent, WA 98032

Cost Calculators

Find Tree Services

Browse tree trimming and removal companies in Kent.

View tree services

Related Permits

Get weekly cost & permit updates

Join homeowners who get free insights on project costs, permit changes, and money-saving tips. No spam — unsubscribe anytime.

Free forever. No credit card. Unsubscribe in one click.

Size threshold

What's protected in Kent

Any tree between the property line and the curb, which needs a written permit from the director (KCC 6.10.060(B))

Trees in a critical area or its buffer, where KCC 11.06.030(A)(6) regulates "destroying or altering vegetation, including hazard trees, through clearing, grading, harvesting, shading, or planting vegetation that would negatively affect the character of a critical area"

Vegetation in a landslide hazard area or its buffer, where removal "shall be prohibited, except for removal of hazard trees as verified by the department"

Trees on land meeting Kent's definition of undeveloped, which is a footprint test rather than a vacant-lot test

Landscaping required by a prior approval, which KCC 15.07.070(A) requires be "permanently maintained in such a manner as to accomplish the purpose for which it was initially required"

Trees designated for retention on an approved tree retention plan (KCC 15.08.240(I))

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Fee

There is no tree removal fee. We read all three pages of Kent's 2026 Land Use Permit Applications and Approvals Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2026, and it contains no tree, arborist, vegetation or land-clearing line item. The nearest thing is the Critical Areas Exempt Determination, at $659.60 for minor alterations and improvements and $1,587.32 for major alterations, new buildings or redevelopment, plus a technology fee of 3 percent or $10.00, whichever is greater.

Penalties

Violating the street tree chapter is a misdemeanor: KCC 6.10.080 provides for "a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or by imprisonment for a period of not more than one (1) year, or by both such fine and imprisonment." Zoning, landscaping and critical-areas violations run through KCC 1.04, where a notice of violation carries a monetary penalty of five hundred dollars for each violation, due within 30 days; a negligent violation is a misdemeanor and a knowing or repeated violation is a gross misdemeanor. Separately, KCC 15.08.240(I) requires that "trees removed illegally from undeveloped land or trees designated for retention which are damaged or destroyed" be replaced: one existing tree with a six-inch DBH is replaced by two new trees, and for each additional three inches of DBH one more replacement tree is added, up to a maximum of six. Replacement deciduous trees must be at least two inches DBH at planting and replacement evergreens at least six feet high.

Ordinance

Kent City Code 15.08.240, Preservation of trees (Ord. No. 2452; Ord. No. 2932, July 17, 1990; Ord. No. 3830, March 6, 2007; current text from Ordinance No. 4209, adopted July 19, 2016). KCC Chapter 6.10, Street Trees. KCC Chapter 11.06, Critical Areas, amended by Ordinance No. 4542, June 16, 2026. KCC 15.07.070, Maintenance of landscaping. Title 11 is revised through August 2026 and Title 15 through May 2026.

Worth knowing

The contradiction, stated plainly. Kent's Vegetation Management page says: "If there is a tree on your property that you'd like to remove please call our Economic Community Development Department at 253-856-5490 or email them at CallB4UCut@kentwa.gov to obtain a permit." We found no permit type, no application form and no fee line item anywhere on kentwa.gov matching that instruction. We are reporting it rather than deciding which side is right.
The code's own applicability clause points the other way. KCC 15.08.240(C): "1. The requirements of this section shall apply to new single-family or duplex development that is not subject to a previously approved tree plan, including but not limited to subdivisions, short subdivisions, planned unit developments, and development of existing lots. 2. Developments other than new single-family or duplex developments, such as multifamily, commercial, institutional, or industrial developments, are exempt from the requirements of this section."
That is the reverse of the usual arrangement. In most cities commercial development carries the heaviest tree obligations; in Kent commercial and multifamily are expressly exempt and single-family development is the covered class.
The trigger is a permit application, not the act of cutting: "An applicant for a development permit shall submit and receive city approval of a tree retention plan prior to permit issuance" (KCC 15.08.240(E)).
The sleeper issue is what "undeveloped" means. KCC 15.02.529.5: "Undeveloped land means a parcel of land which does not have an inhabitable building or where the inhabited buildings occupy no more than three (3) percent of the total parcel area." A modest house on a large enough lot can occupy three percent or less of it, which puts a lived-in property inside the retention rule and inside the illegal-removal replacement penalty. Kent publishes no guidance acknowledging this, and its SR-1 and SR-3 zones contain lots this could reach.
Critical areas come with a notice duty even when your activity is exempt: "no private property owner or other entity shall undertake exempt activities prior to providing 14 days' notice to the director and receiving confirmation in writing that the proposed activity is exempt" (KCC 11.06.040(C)). The hazard-tree exemption in that chapter covers public property only.
On street trees: "No person shall, without a written permit from the director, plant, remove, trim, prune or cut any tree between the property line and the curb" (KCC 6.10.060(B)). KCC 6.10.010 defines that director as the director of the parks and recreation department, even though the website routes street vegetation to Public Works Operations. Another code-versus-practice mismatch we are recording rather than resolving.
Kent has no defined term "significant tree" with a diameter attached. The phrase appears only as purpose language. KCC 15.02.501 defines "special trees" as "trees significant due to their size, age, species and variety, or historical importance," but we found no operative section that regulates them — it reads as an orphaned 1990 definition.
There is no standalone tree ordinance and no land-clearing permit chapter in Kent. We enumerated the chapter lists for Titles 6, 8, 11, 12, 14 and 15 to establish that rather than inferring it from a failed search.

What we could not confirm

We would rather tell you what we don't know than guess. Call the office below to confirm these before you cut.

— Whether the permit the Vegetation Management page describes actually exists. No form, fee or code section supports it. It may be stale copy, shorthand for the critical-areas exempt determination, or an informal internal review. A call to 253-856-5454 is the only way to settle it.
— The text of KCC 15.07.050 and 15.07.060. Both render with only their ordinance histories; the substance sits in tables the code site does not expose. Chapter context suggests they are development-triggered, but we cannot confirm they contain no retention duty.
— Table A of KCC 15.08.240, the tree density credit values by DBH, which did not render. Do not rely on credit figures.
— Kent's Shoreline Master Program vegetation rules. KCC 11.04.010 adopts the program by reference to an exhibit that is not codified, so waterfront lots on the Green River, Lake Meridian and Panther Lake likely have additional rules we have not read.
— Whether a Kent mailing address that actually sits in unincorporated King County falls under King County's clearing code instead. Kent publishes an address lookup tool for this.