What we're asked for most
Deadwood & hazard limbs
Taking out dead, broken and hanging limbs from firs, hemlocks and maples before the next storm does it for you.
Roof & gutter clearance
Lifting and shortening limbs over the house and keeping needles and moss off the roof.
Sidewalk & street clearance
Keeping planter-strip and yard trees clear of the walk and the road, as the city requires.
Thinning & structure
Opening up dense crowns for light and wind, and shaping young trees to grow strong.
Topping counts as removal in Federal Way
Federal Way's code defines topping, a pruning cut to the main stem of a mature tree, and says topping "shall be treated the same as tree removal." In practice, topping a tree can trigger the same approvals, and the same penalties, as cutting it down. It's also bad for the tree: the big wounds decay and the regrowth is weakly attached. A good tree service will suggest reduction cuts, thinning or deadwooding instead.
Planter strips and clearance
In residential neighborhoods, the city says landscaping in the planter strip is the adjacent property owner's to maintain. Vegetation must leave at least 8 feet of clearance over sidewalks and walkways and 14 feet over the roadway, and more may be needed for sight lines at intersections. City code section 4.35 also covers removing and replacing significant landscaping in the right-of-way, so check with the city before taking out a planter-strip tree.
Pruning calendar
- Deadwood and hazards: whenever you spot them.
- Deciduous trees: late fall through winter, while dormant.
- Big-leaf maple: heavy sap flow in late winter and spring, so larger cuts are often scheduled for summer or fall.
- Conifers: flexible timing, but finish storm-prep work before October.
- Spring: check for nesting birds before heavy pruning.
Trees near power lines are a job for PSE or line-clearance-qualified crews. See power lines in Federal Way.
Free tree estimate for your Federal Way property
Share a few details. One registered, insured local tree service will reach out, usually by the next business day.