Everett, WA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing code
- EMC § 8.08.020 / § 8.08.040
- Duty
- Owner must remove overhanging vegetation
- Notice period
- 5 days before council resolution
- Enforcement
- Unpaid cost becomes a property lien
- Applies to
- All property within Everett city limits
Summary
Everett property owners must remove or trim any trees, shrubs, or vegetation that overhang or obstruct a public sidewalk or street, under Everett Municipal Code Section 8.08.020, enforced through a city council abatement process with a five-day notice.
Each and every owner of property situated in the city shall remove or destroy all trees, plants, shrubs, or vegetation or parts thereof which overhang any sidewalk or street or which are growing thereon in such a manner as to obstruct or impair the free and full use of a sidewalk or street by the public.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4194-26, passed July 29, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Everett Municipal Code Section 8.08.020 requires every property owner within city limits to remove or destroy trees, plants, shrubs, or vegetation that overhang or grow onto a sidewalk or street in a way that obstructs public use. If an owner does not comply, EMC Section 8.08.040 lets the city council adopt an abatement resolution after five days written notice; if the hazard still is not cleared, the city removes it and bills the owner, with unpaid costs becoming a lien on the property enforced like a lien for labor and materials. The city may also use the general code-enforcement procedure in EMC Chapter 1.20.
Violations & Fines
Noncompliance after the five-day notice lets Everett's city council adopt a removal resolution; the city then clears the obstruction itself and charges the cost to the owner as a lien on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to trim trees overhanging an Everett sidewalk?
What happens if I don't trim overhanging trees in Everett?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Everett
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Tree Trimming in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle tree trimming.