Tree removal permits
Applications for regulated removal, including owner authorization, tree inventories, photos, and arborist reports when the authority requires them.
Site preparation • Permit filing
Tree Removal & Grading Permit Filing
Clear the permit path before you clear the site. Alliance organizes and files tree removal, grading, and land-clearing applications, follows up with the reviewing agencies, and coordinates corrections with your project team.
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Understand the permit
What is a tree removal permit?
A tree removal permit is an approval a local authority may require before a regulated tree can be removed. Whether it applies can depend on the tree’s size, species, condition, location, and the property’s development status. Trees on private property and street trees may follow different approval paths.
Grading and land clearing can involve separate reviews. Removing a tree does not automatically authorize changing site elevations, excavating, or disturbing soil. Alliance identifies the administrative filing requirements for your location and coordinates the applications included in your engagement.
Permits we file
The right applications for your project.
We confirm the local filing requirements and coordinate the permit categories included in your engagement.
Grading permits
Administrative filing for excavation, fill, or changes in elevation, using grading and drainage documents supplied by the project’s design professionals.
Land-clearing permits
Submittals for vegetation clearing and site preparation, with the proposed limits of work and any required protection measures.
Erosion-control submittals
Coordination of required erosion and sediment-control documents supplied by qualified professionals, alongside the applicable sitework application.
Related agency approvals
Coordination of identified zoning, right-of-way, floodplain, or environmental approvals where included in the agreed scope.
Multi-site permit programs
Separate permit records and agency follow-up for builders and contractors working across multiple cities or counties.
Plan before mobilizing
Tree removal, grading, and stormwater are different checks.
For construction stormwater, EPA identifies a general permitting threshold of one acre of disturbance, including smaller sites that are part of a common plan ultimately disturbing one acre or more. Local clearing and grading rules may apply below that threshold. See EPA’s construction stormwater guidance.
Alliance coordinates the administrative package. Arborist evaluations, surveys, engineering, drainage design, and stormwater pollution prevention plans remain with the appropriately qualified professionals.
From intake to issuance
How we file your tree removal permit
Confirm the site
Identify the property, responsible authority, tree-removal scope, and related grading or clearing work.
Research the requirements
Check published permit triggers, application forms, filing methods, and required supporting records.
Organize the package
Collect owner authorization and the survey, tree inventory, arborist report, or civil plans required for the application.
File where authorized
Submit the organized application and record its tracking number, agency contacts, and fee requests.
Coordinate review
Track agency comments and route technical questions to the arborist, engineer, contractor, or owner responsible for responding.
Confirm issuance
Track remaining administrative conditions and provide the issued permit documents available for the agreed scope.
Who we help
Built around the people moving the project forward.
Tree-service companies, sitework contractors, home builders, developers, and property owners who want an organized permit process before crews arrive.
Frequently asked questions
Tree Removal & Grading FAQs
Do I need a permit to remove a tree on my own property?
Possibly. Private ownership does not establish an exemption. Tree characteristics, location, local protections, and the reason for removal can all matter. Alliance researches the applicable authority’s published requirements for your project.
Does a tree removal permit include grading or land clearing?
Not necessarily. The same project may require separate applications or approvals. We confirm the administrative relationship between the tree work, land disturbance, and other site activities in your scope.
Can you prepare an arborist report or engineered grading plan?
Alliance coordinates permit documents and filing. Arborist reports, surveys, engineering, and professional certifications must come from the appropriately qualified project professionals.
What if a tree is damaged or hazardous?
Tell us about the condition when you contact us. Emergency or hazard-tree procedures are jurisdiction-specific; do not assume a damaged tree is automatically exempt from approval or documentation requirements. Address immediate danger through the appropriate local emergency services.
How much will the permit cost, and how long will it take?
Agency fees and review timelines depend on the jurisdiction, tree or site conditions, and completeness of the submission. Alliance provides a service quote based on the project. Agency fees, technical reports, and design services are separate unless your agreement states otherwise.
Official references
Requirements are local. Start with the authority.
These official references support the examples on this page. They do not replace the requirements of your project’s issuing authority.
- Seattle — Tree regulations ↗ — Illustrates separate private-property and public right-of-way tree processes.
- EPA — Construction stormwater ↗ — Explains regulated construction disturbance, including the common-plan threshold.
References reviewed November 11, 2026. Confirm current requirements before filing.