Burnaby has three size thresholds for a protected tree. Which one applies depends on whether your property currently has a development application on file, and on whether the tree is a conifer or a broadleaf. If you read the wrong one, you can plan to remove a tree that is protected.
The Threshold Splits by Site and Species
Under s.2(o) of the Burnaby Tree Bylaw, a tree on a property with a current development application is protected from one DBH. Off a development site, the threshold is bigger, and it splits again by species: one DBH for a conifer and a larger one for a broadleaf tree. Confirm the three sizes with Burnaby.
A broadleaf tree can sit below the size threshold on a lot with no active development application. File a development application and that same tree can become protected, because the development-site size is lower. Conifers work the same way.
DBH Is Measured at 1.3 Metres, and Multi-Stem Trees Get Added Up
DBH stands for diameter at breast height. Burnaby fixes that height at 1.3 m up the trunk.
Multi-stem trees get their own rule: the bylaw sums the three largest stems and treats that total as the tree’s DBH. A three-stemmed birch with trunks measuring under the single-stem threshold individually can still clear the combined line once you add the three together.
Burnaby Protects to the Dripline, With No Radius Table
Burnaby’s bylaw, its current Information Bulletin, and its FAQ have no table that sets a protection distance from trunk diameter (DBH).
Instead, s.8 fixes the protection boundary at the tree’s measured dripline. The fencing has to go up on or outside that dripline, at a minimum of 1.2 m. The Information Bulletin (rev. 2026-07-01) then sets the fencing material by the scale of the development: a 4 ft wood-frame snow fence for R1 small-scale multi-unit sites, a 6 ft chain-link or portable metal panel fence for larger development sites.
Removing a Protected Tree Means Replacing One to Three
Section 13(1) sets the replacement count by the size of the tree removed. A small tree gets one replacement, a mid-size tree two and a large tree three.
The replacement stock has to meet a minimum standard under s.13(2): a conifer replacement needs to be at least 2 m in height, a broadleaf replacement at least 5 cm in diameter. Fruit trees are the one exception. Two trees of at least 2.5 cm diameter each can stand in for one standard replacement.
Cash-in-lieu is paid into the Civic Tree Reserve Fund. Confirm the amount per tree with Burnaby.
What a Permit Costs, and What It Doesn’t Cover
Burnaby’s Fees Schedule E11, in effect January 1, 2026, sets a fee per tree, with a cap, when no development application is on file. A residential development application has its own fee per tree and cap. Non-residential development sites pay a base fee set by site size, plus a fee per tree. Confirm the amounts with Burnaby.
That fee is separate from the security deposit under s.7. The deposit is the greater of a minimum set in the Fees Bylaw or 120% of the estimated replacement cost.
A permit is valid for 6 months under s.9.
The Bylaw’s Current Version
The bylaw itself is Burnaby Tree Bylaw 1996 No. 10482, consolidated as 10482C, with its latest amendment under Bylaw 14511, dated October 3, 2022. You apply by contacting the department directly.
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 Burnaby Permits
We prepare ISA Certified Arborist reports for tree removal permits in Burnaby. We confirm availability for your address before we quote. Send us yours and tell us whether a development application is on file.