Kirkland, WA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- No-permit sidewalk pruning
- Up to 1.5-inch diameter branches
- Permit required
- Pruning branches over 1.5 inches
- Pruning standard
- ANSI A300; topping prohibited
- Max crown removal
- 25% of live crown per event
- Governing section
- KZC 95.20
Summary
Kirkland puts street trees in the public right-of-way under city control: adjacent property owners must water and mulch them and may trim branches up to 1.5 inches in diameter for sidewalk clearance, but anything larger needs a public tree pruning permit under KZC 95.20.
Other than City crews, no person, directly or indirectly, shall prune, trim, modify, alter, or damage any public tree without first obtaining a public tree pruning permit as provided in this chapter, unless the activity falls under the exempt tree removal activities per KZC 95.15 or falls within the maintenance exceptions set forth in subsection (1)(b) of this section... It is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner to maintain street trees abutting their property, including watering and mulching. Maintenance may include minor pruning of up to 1.5-inch-diameter branches for sidewalk clearance. A public tree pruning permit is required to trim, modify, alter, or substantially prune street tree branches more than 1.5 inches in diameter. The City reserves the right to have City or utility crews perform routine pruning and maintenance of street trees.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4945, passed July 21, 2026).
Full Breakdown
20 governs pruning and removal of public trees, including street trees planted in the right-of-way abutting private lots. 20(1)(b). 5 inches in diameter without a permit specifically for sidewalk clearance. 5 inches in diameter crosses back into permit territory. All pruning, permitted or exempt, must follow the current ANSI A300 Pruning Standards; topping a tree is never an acceptable practice, and pruning that removes more than 25 percent of a tree's live crown in one event is likewise barred, public or private. The City reserves the right to have its own crews or a utility provider's crews handle routine street-tree pruning and maintenance instead of leaving it to the adjacent owner, and a utility provider may remove a public tree outright if pruning cannot resolve a service interruption, under a City-approved utility vegetation management plan.
Violations & Fines
Pruning a street tree beyond the 1.5-inch sidewalk-clearance exception without a public tree pruning permit, or topping a public tree, is enforced by Kirkland's Planning and Building Department under Chapter 95's enforcement provisions (KZC 95.55), which can impose fines and require restorative pruning or replacement. Damage from prohibited topping or over-pruning can also convert the incident into an unpermitted tree removal under the KZC 95.10 definition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I trim the street tree in front of my Kirkland house myself?
What happens if I over-prune a street tree without a permit?
Does the city ever prune street trees itself?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kirkland
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Tree Trimming in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle tree trimming.