Burnaby · homeowners and property managers
Do you need a permit to remove a tree in Burnaby?
Tap your answer and leave your details. A certified arborist will call you within one business day.
Reports by an ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist® who is also an ISA Certified Arborist® with Tree Risk Assessment Qualification. Fixed fees, never tied to what the report concludes.
Building or demolishing? Use the developer check →Tree somewhere else? Change municipality
Burnaby tree permit questions
Do I need a permit to cut down a tree in Burnaby?
Only if it is a protected tree. On a property with no development application, conifers 30.5 cm (12 in) or more and broadleaf trees 45.7 cm (18 in) or more in trunk diameter, measured 1.3 m above the ground, are protected. Replacement trees, retained trees, covenanted trees, trees planted under an approved landscape plan, trees in streamside protection areas and trees on cemetery land are protected at any size. Once a demolition, building, rezoning or subdivision application is made, any tree 20.3 cm (8 in) or more is protected.
Do I need a permit to prune a tree in Burnaby?
No, as long as the pruning follows accepted arboricultural practice. Topping a tree, or cutting roots inside its dripline other than in accordance with accepted practice, counts as damage under the bylaw and needs a permit if the tree is protected.
How much does a Burnaby tree permit cost?
Under Schedule E11 of the Burnaby Consolidated Fees and Charges Bylaw (in effect 1 January 2026), a tree permit with no development application costs $97 per tree, up to a maximum of $691. With a development application pending it is $207 per tree on a residential lot, up to $1,380, and other sites pay a base fee plus $207 per tree. Tree permit fees are non-refundable.
My tree is dead or looks dangerous. What do I do?
A dead or dangerous tree above the protected size still needs a permit, unless severe weather has left it about to fall. To remove a tree as dangerous, the bylaw calls for the written recommendation of a certified arborist you hire. We can assess it and write that recommendation, with a tree risk assessment, for a fixed fee.
The City refused my tree permit. What now?
You can hire a certified arborist to assess the tree. If their report recommends removal and City staff find it consistent with good practice, a permit can be issued. You can also appeal to the Director of Planning and Development or to Council.
Can you write the arborist report?
Yes. Reports are written and signed by an ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist who is also an ISA Certified Arborist with Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ), to what the City of Burnaby asks for. The fee is fixed before the site visit and never depends on what the report concludes. Reports recommend work by certified, insured and licensed professionals, and never tell you who to hire.
Do you do the tree work?
We have a network of vetted, insured local companies who can visit and quote, and you're always free to get your own quotes. If you book one of our crews, you pay the deposit through our payment system and they're the contractor for your job.
Why can't you price the job from photos?
Every site is different. Access, what's underneath the tree and how it has to come down all change the price. A crew needs to see it to quote accurately, so there are no surprises on the day.