King County, WA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- K.C.C. 14.52.080
- Applies to
- unincorporated county road right-of-way
- Utility trimming
- must preserve tree's general appearance
- Sight-distance trimming
- permitted at intersections and signs
- Seattle covered?
- No: has its own tree code
Summary
King County Code § 14.52.080 forbids removing or cutting back street trees and plantings in county road right-of-way if it damages their appearance, letting utilities trim only enough to protect wires and allowing sight-distance trimming near intersections.
Street trees planted within the public right-of-way along roads under the jurisdiction of King County shall not be removed or cut back so as to generally damage the aesthetic quality of the tree... The same provisions shall be applicable to others in that trees, shrubs and other plantings shall not be removed or otherwise trimmed so as to damage the general appearance of the planting areas.
Full Breakdown
King County Code § 14.52.080 protects street trees and plantings within the public right-of-way of roads under county jurisdiction: they can't be removed or cut back in a way that generally damages the tree's aesthetic quality, even under a franchise agreement. Power and telephone companies trimming for wire clearance must preserve the tree's general appearance, and judicious trimming for proper sight distance at intersections and traffic signs is permitted. This only governs unincorporated King County road right-of-way. Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, Renton, Federal Way, and the county's roughly 30 other incorporated cities enforce their own separate tree and street-tree codes.
Violations & Fines
Section 14.52.080 sets no fine of its own; the county road engineer and department of local services can order restoration or pursue civil code enforcement under K.C.C. Title 23 against anyone who removes or cuts back a street tree so it loses its general appearance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I trim a street tree in front of my house in unincorporated King County?
Does King County Code § 14.52.080 apply inside Seattle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in King County
Compare King County to another location·View the Washington landscaping rules overview
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