The Exorbitant Costs of Tree Removal Permits in Seattle.

As of Jan. 1, 2018, the city of Seattle is charging homeowners $324 per hour to review a tree removal permit.**

You are charged per hour for the permit review, whether or not the permit is approved.

This fee comes on top of the arborist’s fee for the required Tree Risk Assessment (which usually begins at $250).

One of our customers was charged for 3 hours by the city to review his permit — nearly $1,000 to simply review the permit — on top of the cost for us to actually remove the tree.

This fee is charged to you even if your tree is dead and dangerous.

Can you afford these crazy costs? Is it right for the city to keep adding fees and regulations? Look at your yard. Do you have a nuisance tree? Is one of your trees sick or dying? Plan to spend about $575 on up just to get permission to remove the tree.

** These fees currently apply only to trees that are on the planting strip or trees with a diameter and species that designates them exceptional. With the proposed new rules, these fees will apply to EVERY tree with a diameter of 12″ or more, regardless of its health