Metro Vancouver
Tree bylaw and arborist report rules in Surrey, BC
Surrey, BC tree bylaw rules: trees from 30 cm and stumps from 35 cm, 2:1 replacement, a $108 permit fee, and who may sign the arborist report.
- Application fee
- $108 application fee
Tree bylaws in Surrey
Surrey protects stumps as well as standing trees. A stump 35 cm across or wider is covered by the bylaw, and so is any tree with a diameter of 30 cm or more at 1.4 m. Some trees need a permit at any size, among them every tree on City property, riparian trees and the 382 significant trees listed in the bylaw's schedules.
The Surrey Tree Protection Bylaw, 2006, No. 16100 asks for two new trees for most protected trees that come down. Red alder and black cottonwood outside riparian areas are the exception at one for one. On an existing lot, the City charges a $108 base fee and $42 for each protected tree removed, and it takes applications by email.
The bylaw defines the arborist as an ISA Certified Arborist who is also an ISA Tree Risk Assessor. Ask us before you order a Surrey report, and we will tell you whether we can take the file.
Surrey Tree Bylaw at a Glance
Trees 30 cm or more in diameter at 1.4 m, or stumps 35 cm or more. A multi-stem tree uses the sum of its three largest stems.
Permit Fee
$108 base fee plus $42 per protected tree removed (existing lots).
Processing Time
Confirm with the City of Surrey
Penalty
Confirm with the City of Surrey
Special Zones
Protected regardless of the 30 cm rule: every tree on City property, replacement trees, riparian trees, specimen-quality trees, the significant trees in Schedules B and B1, raptor, osprey and heron nest trees, and six named species above a size the bylaw sets (Arbutus, Garry Oak, Ginkgo, and Coast, Dawn and Giant Redwood). Confirm that size with the City of Surrey.
Bylaw details verified 2026-09-01.
See how Surrey compares to other municipalities in our Metro Vancouver tree bylaw comparison.
Before starting tree work in Surrey
Who can sign the report
The Surrey Tree Protection Bylaw defines the arborist as an ISA Certified Arborist who is also an ISA Tree Risk Assessor. A report is valid for 2 years.
Ask us before you order.
We confirm availability for your address before we quote. We do not offer emergency service.
If the removal ground is a hazardous or high-risk tree, ask us first. Some Metro Vancouver bylaws require a report author who also holds the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification.
Reports for Surrey properties
Surrey in our Metro Vancouver bylaw references
Our reference pages compare one rule at a time across Metro Vancouver. These links go straight to the Surrey entry.
Surrey tree permit guide
What triggers a permit in Surrey, what it costs and how to apply, drawn from the bylaw and the municipality's own pages.
Read the permit guideGet a quote
Tell us about your property and an ISA Certified Arborist will follow up with next steps and a firm quote.
- Free consultation, response within 24 hours.
- We confirm availability for your address before we quote.
- Independent assessment. No tree-removal sales, no conflict of interest.
Serving Metro Vancouver, British Columbia.
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