Surrey sets two qualifications for the person who signs a tree report. The same bylaw gives that report an expiry date. It also puts two separate caps on the security deposit for a retained tree.
The Arborist Definition Has Two Parts
The Surrey Tree Protection Bylaw, 2006, No. 16100, consolidated through Bylaw 21973 (2026-04-13), gives the report author a two-part definition. That person must be an ISA Certified Arborist who is also an ISA Tree Risk Assessor. One person has to hold both.
The bylaw also puts a clock on the report: it stays valid for two years. After two years, the City needs a new report.
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.
What Counts As a Protected Tree
A tree is protected once it measures 30 cm or more in diameter at 1.4 m. A stump counts too, at 35 cm or more. For a multi-stem tree the bylaw doesn’t look at the biggest trunk alone. It adds up the three largest stems and checks that sum against the threshold.
Size isn’t the only trigger. Surrey protects every replacement tree and every riparian tree whatever the diameter. The same goes for specimen-quality trees, the 382 significant trees listed in Schedules B and B1, and any tree holding a raptor, osprey or heron nest. Six named species are protected above a modest size: Arbutus, Garry Oak, Coast Redwood, Dawn Redwood, Giant Redwood and Ginkgo. Every tree on City property is protected as well. A skinny tree on that list still needs a permit before it comes down.
The Security Deposit Carries Two Caps
Surrey takes security against the trees you keep. The amount is set per retained tree and depends on its category: a significant tree, a specimen tree or any other retained tree. Confirm the amounts with the City of Surrey.
Then come the ceilings. The bylaw caps the security per single-family lot, and in the same sentence per subdivision. The per-lot cap is the one most homeowners will meet. If you are subdividing, confirm with the City of Surrey how both caps apply to your lot layout before you budget for the deposit.
Replacement Trees Follow a 2:1 Rule
Section 57 sets Surrey’s replacement ratio at 2:1 for most protected trees removed. Red alder and black cottonwood removed outside a riparian area replace at 1:1 instead.
Cash in lieu of replacement trees runs $550 plus tax per tree.
The Protection Barrier Scales With Trunk Size
Section 63 requires a barrier around a protected tree whenever work happens within 10 m of the trunk. The fence has to be at least 1.2 m high, in a contrasting colour, with a sign that starts “Tree Protection Zone, DO NOT ENTER”.
The fence distance isn’t fixed. Schedule C Table 1 sets the barrier radius at six times the tree’s diameter, so a wide trunk pushes the fence line well out from where a narrow one would put it. A 20 cm tree gets a 1.2 m radius, a 60 cm tree gets 3.6 m, and a 100 cm tree gets 6.0 m.
Permit Fees Are Set Per Tree
On an existing lot, Surrey charges a base fee plus a fee for each protected tree removed. Confirm the amounts with the City of Surrey.
Our Metro Vancouver tree bylaw comparison lines up permit triggers and fees city by city, and the Surrey permit guide walks through the application.
Surrey Permit Reports
The Arborist Group prepares ISA Certified Arborist reports for tree permit applications in Metro Vancouver. Because Surrey wants the report author to hold the Tree Risk Assessor credential as well, ask us before you order. See our tree removal report service for what a report covers, or contact us with the Surrey address. We confirm availability for your address before we quote.