- Langley City
- Protects "significant" trees of 75 cm diameter and up, plus some others · Engineering, City Hall · 604-514-2997 · [email protected]
- Township of Langley
- Most private trees of 20 cm diameter and up need a permit · Permits, Licences and Inspections, Civic Facility · 604-533-6018 · [email protected]
- Pruning
- No permit in either for proper pruning; topping and damaging cuts aren't pruning
- Nesting birds
- Federal and provincial nest protections apply everywhere, even where a bylaw doesn't
- Last checked
- October 25, 2026
It’s the classic Langley fall question: the big fir is dropping branches on the roof, and you want it gone. Can you just call someone with a chainsaw? Maybe. It depends mostly on which Langley you live in. Work through these seven checks first.
1. City or Township?
The two municipalities have very different tree bylaws. If you’re not sure which one you’re in, check City vs. Township.
| Langley City | Township of Langley | |
|---|---|---|
| The bylaw | Tree Protection and Management Bylaw No. 3321 (adopted January 2026) | Tree Protection Bylaw No. 5478 |
| Protected size | “Significant” trees: 75 cm or more across | Generally 20 cm or more across |
| Also protected | Trees in environmentally sensitive areas; replacement trees; trees required by a development; trees under a covenant to the City; on lots with a development application, trees from 20 cm | Development-required replacement trees of any size; trees with nests of certain birds, including hummingbirds and pileated woodpeckers |
| Who to ask | Engineering, 604-514-2997 | Permits, 604-533-6018, [email protected] |
2. How big is it?
Both measure diameter at breast height (DBH), 1.4 metres above the ground. Wrap a tape around the trunk at that height and divide the circumference by 3.14 to get the diameter.
For a tree with several stems, the Township’s method is: take the biggest stem’s diameter, then add 60% of the diameter of each of the others.
3. Is it exempt?
City exemptions include pruning done to current ANSI standards and ISA best practices, removing invasive species, and cutting needed for defined farm operations.
Township exemptions include:
- land in the Agricultural Land Reserve (the ALR is exempt from the Township bylaw; see our ALR explainer);
- licensed tree farms, nurseries and Christmas tree farms;
- standard pruning using good arboricultural practice;
- ordinary hedges, unless they’re made of big trees 10 metres or taller.
Land with a development application follows its own tree rules in both municipalities.
What isn’t pruning: in the City, topping a tree. In the Township, damaging the roots, stripping bark or making harmful cuts in the canopy are regulated. If you are pruning, the ISA suggests a professional arborist for anything off the ground or with power tools, and cutting just outside the branch collar, not flush with the trunk.
4. Are there nests?
This one applies everywhere, ALR included. Federal law protects migratory bird nests with live birds or eggs in them, and 18 listed species’ nests are protected all year. BC’s Wildlife Act separately protects eagle, peregrine falcon, gyrfalcon, osprey, heron and burrowing owl nests. The Township’s guidance broadly avoids March to August, but federal guidance warns that some birds on the south coast start nesting in February, so no calendar is a guaranteed safe window. Look before you cut.
5. Whose tree is it?
- On the boulevard? In the Township, street trees belong to the Township and are maintained by its crews. Ask about ownership or maintenance at 604-532-7300 or [email protected]. In the City, City-owned trees can only be trimmed or removed by the City.
- On the property line? Both municipalities need signed consent from the neighbour who shares it.
- In a strata? In the Township, the strata council applies, and even small trees planted as a condition of the development stay protected. Development Services: 604-533-6034.
6. Getting a permit
City of Langley. Removal can be approved when a tree is dead, more than half its crown is dead, it’s a real hazard, damage can’t be avoided, or another bylaw requires it. A dead protected tree that isn’t an immediate danger still goes through the permit process. Some applications need a report from an ISA-certified arborist with Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ). Removals tied to development need replacement trees, or cash in lieu when planting isn’t possible.
The City’s FAQ and its fee schedule don’t line up on what homeowners pay or whether they have to replant, so email [email protected] to confirm before you budget.
Township of Langley. Apply online through the tree cutting/removal section of the Township’s Other Building Permits page. Have ready:
- a site plan showing the trees coming out, the ones staying, buildings, property lines and other features;
- photos, if the tree is dead, dying, diseased or badly damaged;
- an arborist report, if you’re removing five or more trees or say a tree is wrong for its spot;
- your neighbour’s signed consent for a shared tree.
Fees (Township, before tax): a $150 non-refundable application fee. Removing a tree because it conflicts with a building, driveway or septic field, or is in an inappropriate spot, adds a $100 permit fee per tree plus cash in lieu: $100 per tree for an inappropriate location, and for building/driveway/septic conflicts $600 for a 20 to 30 cm tree or $1,200 above 30 cm. The per-tree charges are zero for a tree about to fail or one that’s dead, dying or irrecoverably damaged; the application fee still applies.
Don’t cut yet. The application isn’t a permit. Wait until it’s issued, then post the permit card where it can be seen from the road. Township permits normally last a year.
Cutting hours: the Township’s web page and its bylaw give different allowed hours, so ask when your permit is issued.
7. Emergencies and power lines
Falling right now? In the City, a tree in imminent danger of falling and hurting people or property can be removed without a permit first, but you must send the City evidence, and the wood stays on the lot until a permit allows it to be taken away. In the Township, document it and apply for a permit within 24 hours (or the next business day after a weekend or holiday).
Near a power line? Don’t touch it. BC Hydro says to use a certified utility arborist, or call its vegetation coordinators at 1-800-224-9376.
Where to go
Both offices are open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
Planting instead?
The Township’s tree voucher program helps pay for a new tree; see the Township’s $350 tree voucher.
Related
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Last checked October 24, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
