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Tree retention is a submittal requirement on nearly every development permit in south King and north Pierce County, and the plan has to be signed off by an arborist the code recognizes. Our ISA Certified Arborists prepare the tree inventories, retention plans, protection details, and replanting plans that go into commercial, new construction, property addition, and subdivision applications — plus the pre-construction and post-construction reporting several jurisdictions require once the equipment is on site.
Free on-site consultation · Reports prepared by ISA Certified Arborists
Different jurisdictions ask for different documents under different names. These four cover what the ten cities in our service area actually require.
Every regulated tree tagged, located, and recorded with species, diameter, height, and condition, in the format the reviewing city asks for. Federal Way also wants trees within 50 feet of the property line captured.
The retention minimum varies by city and zone — 30% of significant trees in Renton, 20 density credits per net acre in Kent, and 30% down to 5% by zone in Covington. We plan retention against the number your parcel actually has to hit.
Protection zones, fencing details, and limits of disturbance, plus the monitoring reports required during the work. Maple Valley wants both a pre-construction and a post-construction report on the viability of retained trees.
Species selection and planting specifications written to the standards in your jurisdiction’s code, including the requirement in several cities that non-native selections be recommended by a qualified arborist.
Removing one tree at a house, or documenting a hazard? That is a residential arborist report.
The sequence is built around the permit timeline, not the other way round.
Send the plan set, parcel numbers, acreage, and lot count. We identify the jurisdiction, the applicable chapter, and the exact documents that chapter requires, then quote against that.
Every regulated tree on the parcel is tagged, measured, located, and condition-rated. Where a city sets a survey radius beyond the property line, that gets captured too.
Retention is planned against your zone’s minimum, with the report explaining why each retained tree is viable and each removal is justified — the finding Kent and Renton specifically require.
Protection zones, fencing, and limits of disturbance drawn to the code’s formula, with the pre-construction report the checklist calls for.
After the work, retained trees are reassessed and reported where the jurisdiction requires it, which is what releases the retention condition.
Retention percentages, credit systems, canopy targets and preparer credentials all differ by jurisdiction, and two of the ten can order a peer review of your report at your expense. Every row below links to the adopted code or the city’s own published handout.
| City | What the code requires of the arborist or the report | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Auburn | Reports for regulated and landslide-hazard areas “shall be prepared by a qualified professional” — defined as someone holding a degree in horticulture or arboriculture, or state certification in the discipline. The city “may retain a qualified professional paid for by the applicant” to review it. | ACC 16.10.070 |
| Kent | A development permit requires an approved tree retention plan. Standard is 20 tree density credits per net acre. The site plan must show “limits of disturbance… as recommended by a licensed arborist” and protection measures on the same basis; construction inside the protected area is allowed only “in accordance with the recommendation of a licensed arborist.” | KCC 15.08.240 |
| Federal Way | Plan “must be prepared by a certified arborist or a certified landscape architect,” with a survey that also captures trees within 50 feet of the site. No-disturbance zone is 12″ of radius per 1″ of diameter at 4.5 ft. Penalties run $100–$1,000 per tree, or marketable value as determined by a certified arborist. | FWRC 19.120 · Handout 069 |
| Renton | “When a land development permit… is submitted to the City it shall be accompanied by an arborist report pursuant to RMC 4-8-120.” Minimum 30% of significant trees retained. Construction monitoring by “an ISA certified arborist or ASCA certified consultant” for retained trees. Burien’s BMC 19.10.432 names the ASCA registered consulting arborist as well, so this is not unique to Renton. | RMC 4-4-130 |
| Tacoma | Development activity in Urban Residential zones calls for “a Certified Arborist’s Report and Tree Protection Plan,” and stormwater tree-retention credits require an arborist report per Urban Forest Manual Appendix 4. Budget for the canopy loss fee: it attaches to removals at 6″ DBH and up, and is assessed at $130 per inch of DBH once a tree reaches 18″. Right-of-way work is governed separately by TMC 9.20. | Urban Forest Manual 2025 · TMC 13.06.090 |
| Puyallup | Regulated trees must be evaluated by a certified arborist holding TRAQ, and the assessment must be a formal Tree Risk Assessment on ISA forms, attached to the application. | City program page · tip sheet |
| Des Moines | A permit is required at 2,000 sq ft of clearing or more, in regulated, shoreline or buffer areas, in required landscaping areas, or on city property. Submittals need plan sheets at 1:10, 1:20 or 1:40 with two-foot contours, an erosion and sedimentation control plan, and an executed hold-harmless agreement. | DMMC 16.25.030 |
| Burien | A Vegetation Management Plan is required in shoreline, regulated and buffer areas — and also for removing more than 10% of a canopy, topping, or cuts over 6″. Significant tree = 6″ diameter or more and not exceptional. | BMC 19.26 · 19.40.180 |
| Covington | Minor track (under one acre) and major track (one acre or more) both require a tree inventory “prepared by a qualified arborist” covering every tree 4″ DBH or larger by number, size, approximate height, specific location and species; the major track adds a protection plan with fencing details. A qualified arborist here must hold ISA and/or Association of Consulting Arborists membership and certified or board-certified master arborist status. Retention by zone: R-1 30%, R-4/R-6 25%, R-8/R-18 20%, commercial and industrial 5%. Non-native replacements must be “recommended by a qualified arborist.” | CMC 18.45.060 · .080 |
| Maple Valley | There is no acreage trigger. A Tree Retention Plan is required with every non-exempt development or redevelopment proposal, and “may be prepared by a qualified professional” — an owner may submit one without a professional if it locates the trees well enough for staff review. A Clearing and Grading Permit is separately required for any landmark tree “regardless of lot size,” and for a significant tree on a lot of one-half acre or more. Canopy coverage must reach 20% of total site area for residential development in the R-4 through R-24 zones, or 15% for commercial development with no residential component. The critical root zone is one foot of radius per inch of DBH, or out to the longest branch, whichever is greater; work inside one-third of the dripline “shall be planned to be done by hand.” | MVMC 18.40.140 · city FAQ |
Summarized from each city’s adopted code, ordinances and published submittal checklists as of August 2026. Codes and fee schedules change; confirm against the current version for your parcel before relying on a number.
| Jurisdiction | Retention or canopy standard |
|---|---|
| Renton | 30% of significant trees on site |
| Kent | 20 tree density credits per net acre |
| Covington | R-1 30% · R-4/R-6 25% · R-8/R-18 20% · commercial and industrial 5% |
| Maple Valley | Canopy 20% of total site area residential R-4–R-24 · 15% commercial with no residential component |
| Des Moines | Triggered by area cleared, at 2,000 sq ft |
| Federal Way | Tree units per acre, 1.0–3.0 credit by DBH |
| Puyallup | Significant tree over 15″ DBH; regulated trees at any size |
| Burien | Vegetation Management Plan in shoreline, regulated and buffer areas |
| Tacoma | Stormwater retention credits via Urban Forest Manual |
| Auburn | Clearing thresholds per ACC 15.74.050; regulated-area review per ACC 16.10 |
Two of the ten codes let the city order a second opinion and send you the bill. Renton’s administrator “may require independent review of any arborist report… at the City’s discretion.” Auburn “may retain a qualified professional paid for by the applicant” to review a submitted report.
A thin report does not save money. It is the one that gets reviewed twice, at your expense, after the schedule has already slipped.
It is the drawing and report set that shows which trees on a development site stay, which come out, and how the ones that stay will be protected during construction. Kent requires the site plan to show limits of disturbance and protection measures as recommended by a licensed arborist, and the inventory to carry a formalized finding that every retained tree is healthy and compatible with the proposed development. Renton requires the arborist report to accompany the land development permit outright.
The code language varies and it matters. Federal Way requires a certified arborist or a certified landscape architect. Kent says licensed arborist. Covington says qualified arborist. Auburn and Maple Valley say qualified professional, with Auburn defining that as a degree in horticulture or arboriculture or state certification in the discipline. Renton, Tacoma, Puyallup and Burien name the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification specifically. Submitting under the wrong credential is one of the most common reasons a tree submittal comes back.
By jurisdiction and often by zone. Renton sets 30 percent of significant trees. Kent uses 20 tree density credits per net acre. Covington runs 30 percent in R-1, 25 percent in R-4 and R-6, 20 percent in R-8 and R-18, and 5 percent in commercial and industrial zones. Maple Valley works from a canopy target of 15 percent of the gross site, rising to 20 percent where landmark trees are removed. Federal Way uses a tree-unit-per-acre system with credits scaled by diameter.
In several jurisdictions, yes. Renton requires construction monitoring by an ISA Certified Arborist or an ASCA certified consultant. Kent allows work inside the protected area only in accordance with a licensed arborist’s recommendation. Maple Valley requires a Tree Retention Plan analyzing canopy coverage, landmark tree locations and critical areas, prepared by a qualified professional or by the owner if it gives staff enough to review — and an arborist report to prune or modify a protected arborist report on the viability of retained trees, and the post-construction report is generally what releases the condition.
Removing a regulated tree without the documentation the code requires exposes the property to code enforcement, and most jurisdictions can hold the permit until the required mitigation is accepted. Retroactive documentation is harder and more expensive than doing the inventory first.
Yes. Development reports start at $800, and the number of lots being subdivided is one of the factors that moves the price, alongside property size, the number of regulated trees, whether formal tree risk assessments are required, and the complexity of the findings. City fees are separate — Maple Valley’s 2026 development fee schedule lists a tree removal permit at $175 per tree and bills an arborist report at actual cost of service.
Pacific Arboriculture works across south King County and north Pierce County from our shop in Auburn. These are the 21 communities we serve and the ZIP codes they cover.
King County
Pierce County
Several of these communities share a ZIP code with a neighbor, so seeing the same number twice is normal. Puyallup includes South Hill, and the Tacoma list covers the Midland, Summit and Parkland areas. Not sure whether you are in range? Call (206) 909-2170 with your address and you will get a straight answer. City-by-city detail is on the areas we serve page.
If a reviewer has kicked back a tree retention plan, asked for a report you do not have, or flagged an inventory as incomplete, call and read us the correction letter. We will tell you what the city is actually asking for before you spend another cycle guessing.
Development and commercial arborist reports start at $800. That covers a tree inventory and retention plan on a single-parcel project inside our service area. Scope drives the rest.
| Report type | Starts at |
|---|---|
| Residential — removal permit, right-of-way, hazard and buffer documentation | $400 |
| Development — commercial, new construction, property additions, subdivision, revegetation plans | $800 |
Starting prices, not quotes. Property size, the number of regulated trees, whether formal tree risk assessments are required, the complexity of the findings, and the number of lots in a subdivision all add to the cost. Jurisdictions add their own fees on top — Maple Valley’s 2026 development fee schedule lists a tree removal permit at $175 per tree and bills an arborist report at actual cost of service. A report supports an application; it is not an approval, and the permit decision rests entirely with the jurisdiction.
Removing a single tree at a house instead? See residential arborist reports.
Every certification number below links to that arborist’s credential record with the International Society of Arboriculture, so you can verify it before anyone sets foot on your property.
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Send the plan set, the parcel numbers, and the jurisdiction. You will get scope, price, and a clear list of what the city will expect in the submittal.
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