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King County · Line Clearance Tree Trimmer
Line Clearance Tree Trimmer prevailing wage in King County, Washington
$62.19an hour, base wage + fringe benefits · Tree Trimmer
$44.54 base wage + $17.65 fringe benefits
King County uses the same line clearance tree trimmer rates as 35 other counties. See all of them on one page.
On Washington public works in King County, a line clearance tree trimmer working as tree trimmer must be paid at least $62.19 an hour in total: $44.54 in wages plus $17.65 in fringe benefits for health, pension, vacation, training and other plans. L&I's rate took effect September 2, 2026.
L&I published this rate on August 3, 2026 and it took effect September 2, 2026. Checked against L&I's wage lookup on October 24, 2026.
L&I lists 5 commercial line clearance tree trimmer rates for King County, from $45.73 to $69.62 an hour. See all of them.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $44.54 + $17.65
The wage is the taxable hourly rate. The other lines are what Washington law calls "usual benefits": contributions to health, pension, vacation and holiday, apprenticeship and similar plans. A contractor that doesn't provide a benefit pays its value as wages instead (RCW 39.12.010).
| Base wage (taxable) | $44.54 |
| Health and welfare | $7.50 |
| Pension | $9.39 |
| Training | $0.56 |
| Other benefits | $0.20 |
| Total straight-time hourly rate | $62.19 |
Set from: collective bargaining agreement, Agreement between Asplundh Tree Expert Co. and Local Union No. 77 and Local Union No. 483 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (AFL-CIO) Seattle and Tacoma Washington. Where a county has a collective bargaining agreement, L&I adopts its wage and benefits; with more than one, the higher rate prevails. Otherwise L&I uses wage surveys (RCW 39.12.015).
When does this rate change?
- Rates lock at the bid date. A project uses “the rates that are in effect on the date when bids by prime contractors are due”, and they stay for the life of the contract. If the contract isn't awarded within six months of the bid date, the award-date rates apply. Contracts without bids use the date they're signed (WAC 296-127-011).
- L&I publishes on the first business day of February and August, and rates take effect 30 days later. Corrections can be published at any time and also take effect 30 days later (WAC 296-127-011(1); L&I publications and corrections). L&I's next set is due February 1, 2027, effective March 3, 2027.
- L&I doesn't republish every rate each period. A rate stays until L&I changes it, so each one has its own date. This one was published August 3, 2026 and took effect September 2, 2026.
Every line clearance tree trimmer rate in King County
As L&I lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
- Journey Level In Charge$69.62
- Tree Equipment Operator$69.62
- Spray Person$65.89
- Tree Trimmer$62.19
- Tree Trimmer Groundperson$45.73
| Classification | Base wage | Fringe benefits | Total rate | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journey Level In Charge | $51.67 | $17.95 | $69.62 | Sep 2, 2026 |
| Spray Person | $48.10 | $17.79 | $65.89 | Sep 2, 2026 |
| Tree Equipment Operator | $51.67 | $17.95 | $69.62 | Sep 2, 2026 |
| Tree Trimmer | $44.54 | $17.65 | $62.19 | Sep 2, 2026 |
| Tree Trimmer Groundperson | $31.18 | $14.55 | $45.73 | Sep 2, 2026 |
Davis-Bacon line clearance tree trimmer rate in King County
Federally funded or assisted construction here uses the U.S. Department of Labor's wage determinations. When a contract requires both the state rate and the Davis-Bacon rate, paying the higher of the two meets both. The contract documents say which apply.
We don't put a federal figure next to L&I's here, because the federal determinations split this trade into groups that don't line up with L&I's. The federal rows for this trade are below; match the classification to the work.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base wage | Total rate | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy | TREE TRIMMER: GROUND PERSONELEC0077-003 | $22.60 | $38.97 | WA20260125 Mod 1 |
| Heavy | TREE TRIMMERELEC0077-003 | $42.57 | $60.54 | WA20260125 Mod 1 |
Davis-Bacon rates from SAM.gov, read October 25, 2026. Our federal totals are base plus fringe; DOL prints no total. Washington Davis-Bacon changes
Holidays
L&I holiday code 5A:
Holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Friday after Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day (7).
How King County compares
The main line clearance tree trimmer rate in every county that has one, and how the pay splits here and in the nearest counties. All bars use the same scale.
Every county in Washington
Base wage and fringe benefits, nearby
- King Countybase $44.54$62.19
- Pierce Countybase $44.54$62.19
- Snohomish Countybase $44.54$62.19
- Skamania Countybase $35.58$51.98
Line Clearance Tree Trimmer rates in nearby counties
Current L&I rates. You pay the rate for the county where the work is done. The statute defines “locality” as “the largest city in the county wherein the physical work is being performed”, and L&I publishes rates county by county (RCW 39.12.010).
L&I's line clearance tree trimmer rates for King County are the same as in 35 other counties: Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Clallam, Columbia, Cowlitz, Douglas and 27 more. The closest county with a different rate is Skamania County, at $51.98.
| County | Classification | Base wage | Total rate | vs King County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King County | Tree Trimmer | $44.54 | $62.19 | |
| Pierce County | Tree Trimmer | $44.54 | $62.19 | same |
| Snohomish County | Tree Trimmer | $44.54 | $62.19 | same |
| Kitsap County | Tree Trimmer | $44.54 | $62.19 | same |
| Island County | Tree Trimmer | $44.54 | $62.19 | same |
| Kittitas County | Tree Trimmer | $44.54 | $62.19 | same |
| Chelan County | Tree Trimmer | $44.54 | $62.19 | same |
Washington line clearance tree trimmer prevailing wage by county, with a map
More from L&I on this rate
- Scope of work, WAC 296-127-01387: which tasks this trade covers. L&I says the right classification “depends upon determinations published by L&I” (L&I).
- L&I's prevailing wage lookup, for any county, trade and bid date
- Apprentices: registered apprentices are paid L&I's apprentice rate for the trade. Anyone without a registered agreement counts as a journey-level worker (RCW 39.12.021).
Are you being paid this rate?
Add your wage to what your employer pays into health, pension and other plans for you, and compare it with $62.19. Each contractor files an L&I-approved Statement of Intent to Pay Prevailing Wages before it's paid, and an Affidavit of Wages Paid when the job is accepted (RCW 39.12.040). On contracts over $10,000 the approved intent and L&I's contact details are posted on the job site (RCW 39.12.020).
Source
Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, prevailing wage lookup, King County, Power Line Clearance Tree Trimmers (PTRE), L&I wage record 149826, published August 3, 2026, effective September 2, 2026: secure.lni.wa.gov/wagelookup/
Each figure comes from L&I's lookup and is checked against L&I's CSV export and a second, separate query. How we check · Download King County as CSV · Report an error