King County, WA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit-free clearing
- 15 ft of house, no permit
- Ladder-fuel pruning zone
- 30 ft, up to 10 ft vertical
- Extended clearing
- up to 100 ft with risk assessment
- Applies only in
- unincorporated King County
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Local Services
Summary
Unincorporated King County lets homeowners clear brush and prune trees near a house for wildfire safety without a clearing permit, but only within fixed distance limits set by county code.
23. Clearing for the purposes of wildfire preparedness that does not otherwise require another permit and that is not subject to K.C.C. 16.82.156 or K.C.C. Title 21A, as follows:
a. understory clearing within fifteen feet of a residential structure containing habitable space or an attached deck;
b. understory clearing and tree removal and pruning within ten feet of an installed aboveground nonportable liquefied petroleum gas tank;
c. within thirty feet of a residential structure containing habitable space, understory clearing and tree pruning underneath a tree crown to provide up to ten feet of vertical clearance from the ground to remove ladder fuels. Tree pruning shall not exceed one-third of the tree height;
d. within thirty feet of a residential structure containing habitable space, tree removal and pruning to provide up to fifteen feet of vertical clearance over driveways and roads used for emergency vehicle access;
e. within thirty feet of a residential structure containing habitable space, tree removal and pruning to provide up to eighteen feet between tree crowns;
f. tree removal and pruning to provide up to ten feet between tree crowns and decks, chimneys, overhead communication cables and electrical wires, or other structures; and
Full Breakdown
K.C.C. 16.82.051.E.23 exempts defensible-space clearing from the county's clearing-and-grading permit: understory clearing within 15 feet of a habitable residential structure or attached deck, ladder-fuel pruning within 30 feet, up to 15 feet of vertical clearance over driveways used for emergency access, and up to 18 feet of spacing between tree crowns within 30 feet of the house. Clearing beyond that, out to 100 feet, is only exempt if backed by a wildfire risk assessment from a certified professional or a DNR-approved forest stewardship plan. Clearing outside these limits, or on properties subject to K.C.C. 16.82.156 significant-tree retention or Title 21A special-district overlays, still requires a full clearing and grading permit from the Department of Local Services.
Violations & Fines
Clearing beyond the exempt footprint without a permit is a violation of K.C.C. 16.82, enforced by the Department of Local Services permitting division; the director can order restoration of the site and unpermitted clearing exposes the owner to code enforcement action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to clear brush around my house in unincorporated King County?
Can I clear trees farther than 30 feet from my house without a permit?
Does this rule apply inside Seattle or other King County cities?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in King County
Compare King County to another location·View the Washington fire regulations overview
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