Tree permit application fees in the Fraser Valley range from nothing to $150 in 2026. Abbotsford charges $59, the Township of Langley charges $150 plus $100 per tree, and Chilliwack does not regulate trimming of trees on private property at all. The real cost is usually not the fee, it is the replacement trees, cash-in-lieu and arborist report that come with the permit.
Every municipality here writes its own tree rules, and they differ more than most homeowners expect: one city protects trees from 20 cm trunk diameter, its neighbour protects them from 75 cm. Below is what each of the six municipalities we work in publishes, sourced to the cities themselves, and what to confirm before you book a crew.
What does a tree permit cost in each Fraser Valley city?
Here is the 2026 picture, from each municipality’s own bylaw or permit page. Fees and thresholds are amended regularly, so confirm your own address before cutting.
| Municipality | Permit needed for | Application fee | Replacement or cash-in-lieu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbotsford | Trees over 20 cm DBH, or any tree in a tree retention area | $59, non-refundable | Replacement trees required, scaled to the size removed; $500 per tree security, $750 on development sites |
| Chilliwack | Private-property trimming not regulated; street trees and development land are separate | Not applicable | Not applicable for private trees |
| Township of Langley | Trees 20 cm DBH and up, removal allowed only in defined situations | $150, plus $100 per tree permit fee | $600 to $1,200 per tree cash-in-lieu for building, driveway or septic conflicts; $100 per tree for wrong-place trees; nothing for dead or failing trees |
| City of Langley | Trees 75 cm DBH and up, plus environmentally sensitive area trees | Confirm current fee with the City | None for homeowners not doing a development project |
| Mission | Trees 20 cm and up inside the mapped Urban and Urban Reserve area only | Confirm current fee with the City | Replacement trees per an approved plan, planted within 3 months |
| Maple Ridge | Trees 20 cm DBH and up, any tree in a riparian or conservation area, and pruning over 25 percent of live crown | Set in the Fees and Charges Bylaw, invoiced after review | 2 to 4 replacement trees by size, with refundable security |
What does Abbotsford charge, and what triggers a permit?
Abbotsford requires a permit for trees greater than 20 cm in diameter measured 1.4 metres above the ground, and the application fee is $59. The governing document is Tree Management Bylaw No. 3600-2025, adopted in January 2026 and in force since March 1, 2026, replacing the 2009 bylaw.
Two definitions in that bylaw catch people out. A protected tree includes a row of five or more closely planted trees in hedge-like form where at least one stem reaches 20 cm DBH, which means a mature cedar hedge removal can be a permit job in Abbotsford. And a tree listed as significant in the bylaw needs a permit even to prune, although that particular fee is set at zero.
Replacement planting is where the real money sits. The bylaw scales replacements to the size of the tree removed and the size class of the replacement species: removing a tree of at least 60 cm DBH calls for two large replacement species, or four medium, or eight small, and the ratios step down from there for smaller trees. A $500 per tree security deposit is held for replacement trees, or $750 per tree on properties undergoing development, and re-inspections cost $82 for one to ten trees. Hazardous trees are handled as an exemption: a tree rated high or extreme risk by an ISA Qualified Tree Risk Assessor, verified by the City, does not need the permit.
Why do the two Langleys have completely different rules?
Because they are two separate municipalities, and the thresholds differ by 55 cm of trunk. This is the single most expensive mix-up in Fraser Valley tree work, so confirm which Langley your address is in before anything else.
The Township of Langley protects trees 20 cm DBH and up on private property under Tree Protection Bylaw 2019 No. 5478. The application fee is $150, and the fee schedule adds $100 per tree for the permit itself where the removal is for a building envelope, driveway or septic field conflict, or because the tree is inappropriate for its species, size or location. Cash-in-lieu is charged per removed tree: $600 for a tree 20 to 30 cm DBH and $1,200 for a tree over 30 cm where the removal is for a building, driveway or septic conflict, and $100 for a tree that is simply in the wrong place. There is no fee and no cash-in-lieu for a tree that is dead, dying, damaged, diseased, in decline beyond recovery, or in imminent failure. Renewals cost $100 per tree, re-inspections $165, and permits are valid one year. Agricultural Land Reserve properties are exempt from the bylaw.
The City of Langley protects a much smaller set of trees under Tree Protection and Management Bylaw No. 3321: significant trees of 75 cm DBH or more, trees in environmentally sensitive areas, replacement trees from earlier permits, development-related trees, and City trees. The City states that homeowners removing a protected tree outside a development project have no financial or replacement obligations, and that no permit is needed to trim a protected tree as long as the work follows current ANSI standards and ISA best management practices. Its hazard rule is unusually clear: a tree 75 cm or larger posing immediate risk can be removed without a permit, but the City must inspect the cut tree before disposal.
Does Chilliwack require a tree permit at all?
For an ordinary tree on your own lot, no. The City of Chilliwack states that it “does not otherwise regulate the trimming of trees on private property”, which makes it the most permissive municipality in the central valley. That is not the same as no rules:
- Street and boulevard trees may not be pruned or cut by residents or contractors they hire.
- The City’s Tree Management (Land Development) Bylaw requires new developments to achieve a tree density of at least 50 trees per hectare.
- Residents must keep trees from encroaching onto a roadway or sidewalk.
- Provincial riparian rules and hillside development controls still apply near creeks, ditches, dikes and on Promontory, Little Mountain and Ryder Lake slopes.
Confirm your situation with the City of Chilliwack before removing anything large. Our Chilliwack tree removal page covers what local jobs typically involve.
When does Mission’s tree bylaw actually apply?
Only in one part of the municipality, which is why Mission feels inconsistent street to street. Tree Management Bylaw 3872-2006 applies to parcels inside the Urban and Urban Reserve area mapped on its Schedule A, in the southwest of the District, and only to trees at least 20 cm in diameter measured 150 cm above the ground.
Inside that area, the bylaw exempts several common situations: cutting up to five trees per 0.4 hectare in a calendar year to a maximum of 50 trees, cutting for a purpose that conforms with the zoning bylaw including agricultural use, cutting under a valid building permit where the tree is in the way of the building, driveway, private sewage disposal system or utilities, and any tree within 30 metres of a residential dwelling.
Here is the catch that matters on Mission’s terrain: none of those exemptions apply to trees within 30 metres of the top of bank of a stream, or on land steeper than 3:1. Those are exactly the ravine edges and hillsides much of Mission is built on. A permit application there needs a site plan, a replacement planting plan, Department of Fisheries and Oceans approval where a stream is involved, and a geotechnical engineer’s report for slopes steeper than 3:1. Permits last 12 months and are issued by Council resolution. Penalties run from $1,000 to $10,000 per offence, with each day counted as a separate offence.
What about Maple Ridge?
Maple Ridge protects trees at 20 cm DBH and up under Tree Protection and Management Bylaw No. 8045-2026, treats trees 60 cm and over as significant, and protects trees of any size in riparian and conservation areas. Notably, a permit is also required to prune more than 25 percent of a tree’s live crown, and topping is prohibited outright as damage to a protected tree.
An arborist report and a replacement planting plan are required with every application except when a single non-significant tree is proposed for removal. Replacement counts run two trees for a removed tree of 20 to 39 cm, three for 40 to 59 cm and four for 60 cm and up, with a refundable security deposit released half after the City verifies planting and half a year later. Permits are valid six months, and the application fee is set in the Fees and Charges Bylaw and invoiced after review.
What costs money beyond the permit fee?
Four things, and together they usually dwarf the application fee:
- Replacement trees. Either you plant them, or you pay cash-in-lieu. In the Township of Langley that is $600 to $1,200 per tree for construction-driven removals. In Abbotsford it is replacement stock plus a $500 per tree security you get back only after the trees survive.
- The arborist report. Priced by whoever writes it, and several cities specify who may write it. Abbotsford’s bylaw defines an arborist as ISA certified and ISA qualified as a tree risk assessor; both Langleys ask for ISA certification plus the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification, with the certification number in the report. Ask for the qualification and a written price before commissioning one. Our danger tree assessment page explains what a hazard assessment documents and what it does not.
- Time. Permit validity is published, but processing time is not always. Build in the wait.
- The removal itself. The permit is the cheap part. Our guide to what tree removal costs in BC covers the actual crew work, and the earlier guide to whether you need a permit at all covers the province-wide rules that apply everywhere, including riparian setbacks and nesting birds.
If the project is a whole parcel rather than a tree or two, the thresholds change again: Maple Ridge requires a Tree Management Plan produced by a Registered Professional Forester or Certified Arborist when ten or more protected trees are removed or more than 500 square metres of land is cleared. That is lot and land clearing territory rather than a single-tree permit, and where the job is really excavation-scale site work, Fraser Valley Land Clearing, a separate company, covers land clearing at that scale.
The bottom line
Budget $59 in Abbotsford, $150 plus $100 per tree in the Township of Langley, nothing in Chilliwack for an ordinary private tree, and confirm current fees in the City of Langley, Mission and Maple Ridge. Then budget separately for replacement trees, an arborist report if your city requires one, and the wait. Cutting first is the one option that reliably costs the most: $4,700 per tree in the Township of Langley’s fee schedule, fines from $3,000 per tree in the City of Langley, and $1,000 to $10,000 per offence in Mission.
If you want the permit question answered before you commit, request a free estimate and we will tell you whether your tree looks like a permit situation as part of scoping the removal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Fraser Valley city has the strictest tree rules?
The Township of Langley. It protects every tree 20 cm DBH and up on private property, and it only allows removal in defined situations: the tree is dead, dying, damaged, diseased or in decline beyond recovery, it is in imminent failure, it has an unresolvable conflict with a building or utility, or it is inappropriate for its location by size and species. Wanting more light or less needle litter is not on the list.
Do I need a permit to remove a dead or dangerous tree?
You usually still need to apply, but the fee is often waived. The Township of Langley charges no permit fee and no cash-in-lieu for a tree that is dead, dying, damaged, diseased, in decline beyond recovery, or in imminent failure, though photographic evidence is required. Abbotsford treats a tree rated high or extreme risk by an ISA Qualified Tree Risk Assessor as a permit exemption once the City verifies it. In the City of Langley, a tree 75 cm or larger that poses immediate danger can be removed without a permit, but the City must inspect the cut tree before it is disposed of.
What happens if I cut a protected tree without a permit?
It gets expensive fast, and the bill lands on the property owner. The Township of Langley's fee schedule sets a $500 per tree permit fee, $2,000 per tree cash-in-lieu, a $2,000 per tree penalty and a $200 site inspection fee for protected trees removed without a permit, which read together come to $4,700 per tree. The City of Langley states that unauthorized removal of a protected tree can lead to fines starting at $3,000 per tree. Mission's bylaw sets fines of not less than $1,000 and not more than $10,000 per offence, with each day counted separately.
Does the permit fee include the arborist report?
No. The report is a separate cost paid to whoever writes it, and several municipalities specify the qualification. Abbotsford defines an arborist as someone certified by the International Society of Arboriculture and qualified as a tree risk assessor by the ISA. The Township of Langley and the City of Langley both ask for ISA certified arborists holding the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification, with the certification number stated in the report. Ask for the qualification and a written price before commissioning a report.
How long does a tree permit take, and how long is it good for?
Processing time varies by city and season, so ask when you apply rather than booking a crew first. Validity is published: Township of Langley permits are valid one year from issuance, Mission permits are valid 12 months and require a Council resolution to issue, and Maple Ridge tree permits are valid six months. Build the wait into your project, especially if you are working around a build schedule.
Do the rules apply to farm properties?
Often not, but confirm. Abbotsford's Tree Management Bylaw does not apply to land designated as Agricultural Land Reserve, and the Township of Langley's tree protection bylaw exempts ALR lands, tree farms, nurseries and licensed Christmas tree operations. Mission exempts cutting for a purpose that conforms with its zoning bylaw, including agricultural use. None of that removes provincial riparian rules near watercourses.
Published August 20, 2026 · Last updated August 20, 2026 · Fraser Valley Tree Service