Federal Way, WA Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required for
- Any vegetation work in the right-of-way
- Owner exception
- Routine maintenance, not plant replacement
- Fee
- Waived unless public notice required
- Notice trigger
- Removing/pruning trees 4+ inches diameter
- Notice radius
- Mailed within 100 feet of the tree
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor under FWRC 4.35.130
Summary
Federal Way requires a right-of-way permit before anyone plants, prunes, removes, or otherwise works on vegetation, including street trees, in a public right-of-way under FWRC 4.35.030. Abutting property owners can perform routine maintenance without a permit, but plant replacement always needs one, and the city waives fees except where public notice is required.
Any person wishing to perform any vegetation work in a public right-of-way must file a right-of-way application with the city and obtain a right-of-way permit prior to commencing any work; provided, however, that owners or occupants of abutting property may maintain such property other than plant replacement without obtaining a permit; provided, further that the city and its employees, agents and representatives may perform such work without obtaining a permit. Permit fees will not be charged in connection with right-of-way applications made pursuant to this chapter except for applications requiring public notice under FWRC 4.35.050.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 26-1049, passed August 11, 2026).
Full Breakdown
030 requires anyone who wants to perform vegetation work in a public right-of-way, including planting a parkway or street tree, to file a right-of-way application and obtain a permit before starting work. The chapter carves out two exceptions: owners or occupants of abutting property can maintain that right-of-way vegetation, other than replacing plants, without a permit, and the city and its own employees, agents, and representatives can do the work without one. 050, which applies when a project would remove or significantly prune vegetation four inches or more in diameter measured four and a half feet above the ground; notice goes by mail to everyone receiving property tax statements within 100 feet, unless the tree is a red alder, cottonwood, poplar, big leaf maple, or willow, which are exempt from notice regardless of size.
010, which includes facilitating the planting, maintenance, restoration, and survival of trees, shrubs, and groundcover in the right-of-way, promoting drought-tolerant plantings and reduced irrigation, and protecting the public from injury or property damage from improper planting or removal. The director must also confirm the work fits the city's comprehensive plan, does not grant a special privilege, and is compatible with the character of the surrounding neighborhood.
Violations & Fines
Planting, pruning, removing, or otherwise working on vegetation in a Federal Way public right-of-way without the FWRC 4.35.030 permit is enforced under FWRC 4.35.005, which makes it unlawful to violate any provision of the vegetation chapter or a rule adopted under it. FWRC 4.35.130 separately deems chapter violations a misdemeanor, and the general penalty in FWRC 1.10.010 applies where no different punishment is specified: up to a $1,000 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with each day of a continuing violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to plant a tree in the parking strip in front of my Federal Way home?
Can I trim my own street tree without a Federal Way permit?
When does Federal Way notify neighbors about right-of-way tree removal?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Federal Way
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Parkway Planting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle parkway planting.