Tree Removal Permit Guide for West Vancouver, BC

When West Vancouver requires a permit

Tree Bylaw No. 4892, 2016 sets a high general line. Under s.4.3, a tree on private land is protected once its DBH is over 75 cm. A multi-stem tree counts when its stems combine to 75 cm. DBH is taken at 1.4 m above the highest natural grade next to the trunk.

Several groups are protected well below that line:

• six named species over 20 cm: Arbutus, Garry Oak, Pacific yew, Pacific dogwood, Yellow cedar, and Shore pine in the shoreline zone;
• any tree, of any size, within a 15 m Watercourse Protection Area or Foreshore Protection Area;
• replacement trees, retained trees and trees on the heritage registry;
• trees that hold a raptor nest or listed wildlife habitat.

The CD77, CD81 and CD82 zones have their own rule under s.6.8. There, a tree is protected at 15.24 cm DBH once it is 1.8 m tall.

What the permit costs

A private-property tree cutting permit costs $330. Each additional tree on the same permit adds $120. Confirm the current fee with the District when you apply.

Replacement trees and cash in lieu

Replacement under s.7.1 is 1:1 with no size tiers. Confirm with the District of West Vancouver which removals need a replacement tree. New stock must be at least 5 cm caliper for a deciduous tree or 3 m tall for a conifer, picked from the Schedule B species list. Caliper is measured 15 cm above grade.

The District holds a security of $1,000 per replacement tree, capped at $10,000.

The bylaw we verified has no cash-in-lieu provision. Confirm with the District of West Vancouver.

How to apply

West Vancouver takes private-property permit applications online only, through the Document Upload Centre. There is no paper or counter route. The District’s permit page gives a review time of 2 to 3 weeks. For questions, Land Development takes email at districttrees@westvancouver.ca.

What the arborist report covers

A report for a West Vancouver permit typically screens each tree against the right line before it measures anything else. A maple and an Arbutus of the same size on the same lot can fall under different rules, and a tree close to a creek or the shoreline may be protected at any size. It also notes the zone for lots in CD77, CD81 or CD82.

For trees that stay, Schedule A of the bylaw sets a minimum fence distance by trunk diameter. The fence is 1.2 m high, built of 2×4 verticals with top and bottom rails and X cross-bracing, covered with continuous snow fence, staked, and signed as a protection zone.

Development parcels changed in December 2025

In practice this changes the count on a building lot. Before Bylaw 5373 came into force on 2025-12-15, the 2022 consolidation sent development-scoped removal to the development permit process (s.3.1.6) instead of the tree permit. On a parcel under development with a new residential or commercial building, or a subdivision, the District’s page now puts that tree inside the 20 cm rule. Council approved Bylaw 5373 on 2025-11-17, and the published consolidation still reads as it did in 2022, so the page and the bylaw text do not yet match.

If your project involves new construction or a subdivision, settle the track with the District before you order a report. The answer decides which trees the report has to cover.

What we do and do not do

We prepare tree removal permit reports. Ask us before you order a West Vancouver report. We tell you whether we can take your file. 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.