Lynnwood, WA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Ground-level clearance
- 6 ft minimum
- Clearance over vehicular areas
- 8 ft
- Maintenance duty
- in perpetuity per approved plan
- Applies to
- any site with required landscaping
- Street/sidewalk trees
- deep-rooted species + root barrier
Summary
Lynnwood's landscaping maintenance code requires branches to be trimmed to at least six feet of clearance above the ground so sightlines and walkways stay open, rising to eight feet wherever a branch overhangs a driveway, parking lot or other vehicular use area, as an ongoing duty tied to every approved landscape plan.
Tree branches must be trimmed to provide a minimum of six feet of clearance measured from the ground to the branch to prevent sight and pedestrian obstructions. Tree branches must be trimmed to provide eight feet of clearance when overhanging vehicular use areas.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3512, passed May 26, 2026).
Full Breakdown
0220(C) sets the maintenance standards that attach to any landscaping installed under Title 8, the Unified Development Code that replaced the expired Title 21 zoning code. ' Subsection (C)(6) is the specific clearance rule: branches must be trimmed to a minimum six-foot clearance from the ground to prevent sight and pedestrian obstructions, and to eight feet wherever they overhang a vehicular use area such as a driveway, parking aisle or drive-through lane. 5), and pairs with the tree-specific root-barrier rule at (D)(2)(a), which requires trees planted within 10 feet of a public street, sidewalk, paved trail or walkway to be a deep-rooted species separated from hardscape by a root barrier.
0100 applies to subdivisions, new construction, additions and site modifications, so it runs with commercial, multifamily and other developed sites carrying an approved landscape plan rather than creating a freestanding citywide yard-tree ordinance.
Violations & Fines
Branches left below the six-foot ground clearance, or below eight feet over a driveway or parking area, are a landscape-maintenance violation of LMC 8.40.0220(C); the development and business services department can require corrective trimming as part of ongoing monitoring of landscaping conditions of approval, and an unresolved violation can hold up release of a landscaping installation bond posted under subsection (A)(2).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much clearance must a Lynnwood tree branch keep above the ground?
What clearance is required over a driveway or parking lot?
Who has to keep the trees trimmed?
Does this apply to every yard in Lynnwood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lynnwood
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Tree Trimming in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle tree trimming.