Contents 12 sections
- What you need to know
- Which trees are protected
- When can a tree come out for a build
- What does the City need with your application
- How big is a tree protection barrier
- What do replacement trees cost
- The front-yard tree rule
- What if a tree is removed without a permit
- How do Burnaby and Surrey compare
- How we plan around trees
- Questions
- Sources
In Vancouver, any tree 20 cm or more across, measured 1.4 m above the ground, is protected. You need a permit to remove one, and for a new building it’s only allowed in set cases, such as the tree standing where the building has to go. Each removed tree is replaced with one large tree or two smaller ones, and fines run up to $10,000 per tree.
What you need to know
- 20 cm: the trunk width that makes a tree protected, measured 1.4 m above the ground
- $113 and $324: the permit fee for the first tree, and for each tree after that in 12 months
- 1 or 2: replacement trees for each one removed, depending on their size
- $1,000: cash instead of a replacement tree, only if your lot already has enough trees
- Up to $10,000: the fine for each tree removed or damaged without a permit
Which trees are protected?
Any tree with a trunk 20 cm (8 inches) or more across, measured 1.4 m above the ground. For a tree with several trunks, you add up the two or three biggest. Trees in a hedge and replacement trees are protected at any size.
For a new build, the rules reach past your lot line. The City wants to see every tree on your lot, every tree on a neighbour’s lot within 2 m of your line, and every street tree in front.
When can a tree come out for a build?
Only for set reasons. These are the ones that come up most on new homes:
- It’s where the building has to go. The tree sits inside the building area on your permit, and moving a garage or shed can’t save it
- It’s in the way of construction access, as decided by the City
- Its roots are breaking a drain or sewer, confirmed by a certified plumber
- It’s hazardous, damaged, dying or dead, confirmed by a certified arborist
- It’s damaging property, like a roof or retaining wall, and pruning can’t fix it
On a sloping lot, an engineer must also confirm that taking the tree out won’t loosen the soil.
What does the City need with your application?
With a development or building permit, you send two reports about the trees:
- A land survey showing each tree on your lot, within 2 m on the neighbour’s side, and on the street, with its drip line (the edge of its branches)
- An arborist’s report on each tree’s health, how the build affects it, and how to protect it. The arborist also agrees to check the site during construction and after
Plan for both early. They come before design is final, because a protected tree can move the whole building. See how long a build takes.
How big is a tree protection barrier?
Before any demolition or digging, each tree you keep needs a fence around it. It must be at least 1.2 m high, usually snow fencing on stakes. The bigger the trunk, the farther out the fence goes:
- Common sizes on older Vancouver lots
City of Vancouver Protection of Trees By-law No. 9958, Schedule A (consolidated to December 9, 2025). Selected sizes; the schedule lists every 5 cm from 20 to 60 cm
The City inspects the fences before it issues the demolition or building permit. For a neighbour’s tree near your line, the fence reaches at least 2 m into your lot. On a 33 ft lot, that can take a real bite out of where you can dig and park equipment.
What do replacement trees cost?
For each tree you remove, you plant one large replacement tree or two smaller ones, before you move in. You also leave a deposit until the City approves them:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Permit, first tree in 12 months | $113 |
| Permit, each tree after that | $324 |
| Deposit per replacement tree | $500, or $750 for a tree 8 cm or more |
| Cash instead of planting | $1,000 per tree, only if the lot already meets its tree minimum |
The tree minimum depends on lot size. A typical 33 × 122 ft lot is about 374 m², which needs 3 trees, and a 50 × 122 ft lot needs 5. Replacement trees must be at least 1.5 m from a house and 2.5 m from other trees.
The front-yard tree rule
This one catches people out. In Vancouver’s R1-1 zone, a new multiplex, a duplex with a suite, a house with a suite, or a laneway house needs trees in the front yard:
- Lot under 15.1 m (49.5 ft) wide: keep one front-yard tree, or plant one
- Lot 15.1 m or wider: keep two, or plant enough to make two
A kept tree must be 20 cm or more across. If your lot has no lane, the City can relax this rule. See the duplex rules for the rest of R1-1.
What if a tree is removed without a permit?
Each tree counts as its own offence. The fine is $500 to $10,000 per tree, and $250 to $10,000 for each day a breach continues. The City can also make you plant replacement trees and stop work on the site.
How do Burnaby and Surrey compare?
| Item | Vancouver | Burnaby | Surrey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected size | 20 cm | 20 cm on a development site. 30 cm conifer or 45 cm leafy tree otherwise | 30 cm, plus some species at any size |
| Replacement trees | 1 large or 2 smaller | 1 to 3, by the size of the tree removed | Up to 2 per tree, set by the arborist report |
| Permit fee | $113, then $324 a tree | Set in the fees bylaw | $108 plus $42 a tree |
| Cash instead | $1,000 a tree | To the Civic Tree Reserve Fund | $550 a tree |
| Deposit on kept trees | None set in the bylaw | Replacement security | $3,000 per kept tree on a development |
| Top fine | $10,000 per tree | Set in the bylaw | $20,000 |
Rules differ a lot by city, and so do the deposits. We check your city’s tree rules during the lot feasibility study, before design.
How we plan around trees
Trees are easiest to deal with at the start. A good plan does three things:
- Finds the trees first. The survey and arborist come before the design, not after
- Shapes the building around the best trees. A courtyard or a shifted garage can save a tree and its permit fees
- Prices the rest. Barriers, replacement trees and deposits go in the budget from day one
If a big tree sits right where the building has to go, that’s usually a valid reason to remove it. If it sits in the backyard, it may decide where a laneway house or rear building goes. See duplex floor plans on a 33 ft lot.
Sources
Every outside figure traces to one of these pages, all opened on October 29, 2026. Rates and fee schedules change, so we recheck them for your lot during feasibility.
- City of Vancouver Protection of Trees By-law No. 9958 (consolidated to December 9, 2025, fees effective January 1, 2026)
- City of Vancouver 2026 Schedule of Fees for Development and Building Permits
- City of Vancouver: Get a tree removal permit
- Vancouver R1-1 District Schedule, section 2.2.1 (June 2026)
- City of Burnaby: Tree removal and replacement
- City of Surrey: Removing trees
- City of Surrey: Trees and landscape, land development requirements
