Tree Removal Permit Guide for Burnaby, BC

When Burnaby requires a permit

The Burnaby Tree Bylaw 1996 No. 10482 decides protection in two steps. First it asks whether the lot is under a current development application. Then, for lots that are not, it asks whether the tree is a conifer or a broadleaf. The section below walks through each case.

Diameter is taken at 1.3 m above the ground. For a tree with several stems, the three largest stems are added together.

Size is not the only trigger. Covenanted trees, streamside trees, trees in the cemetery district, trees on a landscaping plan, replacement trees and retained trees are all protected at any size (s.2(o)).

How the site and species set the threshold

Situation	Protected from
Lot under a current development application	20.3 cm DBH, any species
Other lots, conifer	30.5 cm DBH
Other lots, broadleaf tree	45.7 cm DBH

The practical effect is that a tree can sit below the line today and be protected next month. Once a development application is filed, the line drops to 20.3 cm for every tree on the lot. If you plan to build, measure and plan the trees before the application goes in, and confirm the status of the lot with the City of Burnaby.

What the permit costs

Fees come from Schedule E11 of the Consolidated Fees and Charges Bylaw 14485C, in effect from January 1, 2026:

• No development application: $97 per tree, to a maximum of $691.
• Residential development application: $207 per tree, to a maximum of $1,380.
• Non-residential development sites pay a base fee set by site size plus $207 per tree. Confirm the band for your site with the City of Burnaby.

Replacement trees and cash in lieu

Section 13(1) ties the replacement count to the size of the tree removed:

1. Up to 30.5 cm: 1 replacement tree.
2. Over 30.5 cm and up to 61 cm: 2 replacement trees.
3. Over 61 cm: 3 replacement trees.

Replacement stock has minimum sizes under s.13(2). A conifer must be at least 2 m tall. A broadleaf tree must be at least 5 cm in diameter, and fruit trees can instead be two trees of at least 2.5 cm each.

Cash-in-lieu is $1,500 per tree, paid to the Civic Tree Reserve Fund. Security under s.7 is the greater of $1,500 or 120% of the estimated replacement cost.

How to apply

Burnaby has no dedicated online form that we can confirm. Contact the Building Division (Planning and Development) through the City’s trees page to start an application. Once issued, a permit is valid for 6 months (s.9), so time the work to fall inside that window.

What the arborist report covers

A report for a Burnaby permit typically starts with the threshold that applies, because that decides whether a permit is needed. It typically sets out:

• whether the lot is under a current development application;
• each tree’s species group (conifer or broadleaf) and its diameter at 1.3 m;
• any category that protects the tree at any size, such as a covenant or a streamside location;
• the replacement count each removal triggers under s.13(1).

For trees that stay, s.8 sets protection fencing on or outside the dripline, at least 1.2 m high, unless the Director Planning directs otherwise.

What we do and do not do

We prepare tree removal permit reports for Burnaby lots, including sites where a development application changes the threshold.

• We confirm availability for your address before we quote.
• 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.
• We do not offer emergency service.
• We do not supervise construction. We write the permit report and stop there.