Redmond Summit Tree Service serves North Redmond, the area north of Education Hill toward the Woodinville border. Much of it was forest until recent decades, and newer subdivisions sit right against retained woodland, greenbelts and Native Growth Protection Areas. That mix of new homes and old forest creates the neighbourhood’s most common tree problem: tall native trees left standing at the edge of new lots.
The Edge-Tree Problem
When land is cleared for houses, the trees kept at the edge of the clearing were grown inside a forest. They have tall, narrow crowns, roots adapted to shelter, and no experience of full wind. In the first windstorms after construction, many of them fail. In North Redmond that shows up as:
- Firs and hemlocks blowing down from greenbelts into back yards.
- Leaning trees along newly exposed edges.
- Root damage from grading, trenching and new driveways close to retained trees, causing decline 2–5 years later.
A hazard assessment on edge trees behind your house is often the best money you can spend after moving into a newer home here.
Protected Trees and Native Growth Areas
Many North Redmond subdivisions were approved with Tree Preservation Plans and recorded Native Growth Protection Areas (NGPAs):
| Tree | Can it be removed? |
|---|---|
| Protected tree on your plat | Only if hazardous, with a Tree Exception Request |
| Tree inside a recorded NGPA | No, unless hazardous; arborist mitigation; wood stays in place |
| Other significant tree on your lot | Yes, with a Tree Removal Permit, within yearly limits, with replacement |
| Tree in HOA common area | HOA’s decision and responsibility, under the same city rules |
If you’re unsure, start with an arborist report.
New Construction and Clearing
Lots still being developed, ADUs and additions in North Redmond need a tree preservation plan and arborist report with the building permit, and new development must retain at least 35% of significant trees. See land clearing.
Trees Here
Second-growth Douglas fir, western hemlock and western red cedar in greenbelts; red alder and bigleaf maple along drainages; young street and landscape trees in the newer neighbourhoods.
More in the Redmond tree permit guide.
Popular Services Nearby
Questions We Hear
My North Redmond subdivision has a 'protected tree' or native growth area on the plat. Can I remove those trees?
Not normally. Trees designated as protected in a Tree Preservation Plan, and trees inside recorded Native Growth Protection Areas, can't be removed or altered unless a certified arborist finds them hazardous. Removal then needs a Tree Exception Request or hazard documentation. Check your plat and HOA rules first.
Why do trees at the edge of new subdivisions blow down?
When forest is cleared for new homes, the trees left standing at the edge lose the shelter of the trees around them. Their roots and trunks grew for calm conditions, and the first strong windstorms after clearing often topple them. Those 'edge trees' are worth checking within a few years of construction.