Popular pruning jobs
Deadwood removal
Taking out dead and broken limbs, especially from cottonwoods and big firs, before they fall on their own.
Clearance
Raising limbs over roofs, decks, driveways and RV pads, and keeping branches off siding and gutters.
Thinning
Selective cuts to let light into the yard and reduce wind resistance, without butchering the tree.
Young & ornamental trees
Structural pruning for young shade trees and careful shaping of Japanese maples and fruit trees.
Street trees: clearance and permits
In Puyallup, most street trees are maintained by the property owner next to them. The city requires branches to clear 14 feet over the road and 7 feet over the sidewalk. A right-of-way street tree permit is needed to prune branches larger than 2 inches in diameter, while minor pruning of smaller limbs is exempt. All street tree pruning has to meet ANSI A300 standards, and topping a street tree is prohibited by city code (PMC 11.28.040). On a typical single-family yard, pruning private trees doesn't need a permit.
Don't top it
The City of Puyallup is blunt about it: topping is not pruning. Cutting off the top of a tree leaves big wounds that decay, and the tree answers with a flush of weakly attached sprouts that become the next hazard. Good alternatives are reduction cuts back to a healthy lateral branch, thinning, or removal and replanting with a species that fits the space.
When to prune in Puyallup
- Hazard and dead limbs: any time.
- Deciduous shade and fruit trees: late fall to late winter, while dormant.
- Big-leaf maple and birch: they bleed sap in late winter and spring, so many pros prefer summer or fall for big cuts.
- Cottonwood: deadwood work before fall storms is the priority.
- Nesting season: spring work should include a quick check for active nests.
Near power lines? See power lines in Puyallup. That work belongs to PSE or line-clearance-qualified crews.
Get your free Puyallup tree estimate
A few details about the tree is all it takes. One registered, insured local tree service will follow up, usually by the next business day.