When a windstorm drops a fir across a Kirkland roof, the first job is not cutting; it’s making sure nothing else falls. Kirkland Sentinel Tree Care sends a crew for trees on houses, cars, fences and driveways around the clock, and handles the paperwork the city expects afterwards.
First 15 minutes: what you do
- Get everyone out of rooms under the tree. Branches shift as the wind keeps blowing.
- Look for wires. If any line is down or touching the tree, stay 35 feet away and call PSE at 1-888-225-5773. Treat every wire as live.
- Call us. Then call your insurer.
- Take photos from a safe distance: the whole tree, the base and roots, the damage, the street. These are your evidence for insurance and for the city’s 7-day report.
- Don’t try to cut a loaded tree. Trunks and limbs under tension spring when cut.
How Kirkland handles emergency removals
Kirkland’s code lets you remove a tree that poses an imminent risk to life or property without a permit first. Then, within 7 days, a Private Tree Removal Notification goes in on mybuildingpermit.com with evidence that the risk was real: the photos, or an arborist report.
If the Planning Official decides the removal wasn’t an emergency, fines can apply. “It might fall someday” isn’t imminent. That’s why we photograph the tree before the first cut.
Public tree down across your street? That’s the city’s: call Public Works at 425-587-3900.
What the crew does on site
| Step | Why |
|---|---|
| Assess the load | Which pieces are holding weight, what will move when cut |
| Secure | Ropes or a crane take the weight off the roof before cutting |
| Remove in sections | Lift or lower each piece; never drag across the roof |
| Make the house safe | Clear the roof so a roofer can tarp it the same day |
| Clean up | Chip branches, cut or haul the trunk; stump grinding later |
| Document | Photos and notes for your insurer and the city |
When a crane is the safer choice
A big Douglas fir lying across a roof is often best lifted off. A crane takes the weight without anyone standing on a damaged roof, and lifts sections over the house instead of through it. On many Kirkland lots, especially in Houghton and on Finn Hill, it’s also the only way to get large wood out. More on crane removals.
Kirkland’s storm pattern
Most emergency calls here come October through March, when Pacific storms arrive on soils already soaked by weeks of rain. Shallow-rooted Douglas firs and western hemlocks tip over at the root plate; cottonwoods and alders snap. The November 2024 bomb cyclone was the latest reminder. Eastside cities lost thousands of trees and power for days. Trees growing at the edge of a recently cleared lot, newly exposed to wind, are the most likely to go.
After the emergency
- Stump and replanting: grind the stump and decide whether to replace the tree. See the Kirkland tree rebate.
- The rest of the yard: a storm that drops one tree often loosens its neighbours. Ask for a walk-around while the crew is there.
- Neighbour’s tree on your house? In Washington, the neighbour is generally responsible only if they knew or should have known the tree was dangerous. Your insurer usually pays first and sorts it out with theirs.
Tree on the house right now? Call. Don't fill in a form.
(425) 000-0000Common questions
Do I need a permit for emergency tree removal in Kirkland?
Not first. A tree that poses an imminent risk to life or property may be removed without a permit, but Kirkland requires a Private Tree Removal Notification within 7 days of removal, with photos or an arborist report as evidence.
What counts as an emergency?
A tree or large limb on a house, car or driveway; a tree actively falling, split or with its root plate lifting after a storm; a tree blocking the only access to a home. A tree that has leaned for years usually is not an emergency, even if it worries you.
Will insurance pay for emergency tree removal?
Homeowner's policies commonly cover removing a tree that fell on a covered structure, such as the house, garage or a fence, up to a limit. A tree that fell in the yard without hitting anything often isn't covered. Photograph everything before work starts and call your insurer early.
How much does emergency tree removal cost?
Expect roughly 1.5 to 2 times a planned removal of the same tree. A fir on a roof often runs $2,500 to $7,500 or more, depending on size, damage and whether a crane is needed.