Independent tree-rule information · Not a government or arborist service
Tree RulesCanadaSearch your city

A field guide to Canadian tree rules

The right rule.
Before the first cut.

Find what your city protects, what a permit needs, and where to confirm the answer.

PopularVancouverTorontoCalgaryMontréal
Browse all 126 municipal guides
Three checks before tree workAn illustrative tree with callouts for ownership, trunk size and work near roots. The drawing is not to scale and does not show a legal property boundary or protection-zone distance.01 Ownership02 Trunk size03 Nearby work
Ownership. Size. Site conditions.
The rule starts with more than the trunk.
126municipal guides
9provinces covered

Official sources linked.
Local review dates shown.

How we research

Location changes the answer

Same tree.
Different starting point.

These are entry points, not removal permissions.
Open the guide for exceptions and site conditions.

British Columbia

Vancouver

20 cm+

Private-tree size trigger at 1.4 m. Smaller replacement or development trees can still need a permit.

Read the local rule Ontario

Toronto

30 cm+

Private-tree size trigger at 1.4 m. City street trees and ravine areas have separate protections.

Read the local rule Alberta

Calgary

City-owned

The Tree Protection Bylaw covers City trees. Ordinary private-yard trees are outside that bylaw’s scope.

Read the local rule

Examples rechecked against the linked municipal sources on October 6, 2026. Size alone does not decide every case.

Start with the question

What are you
planning to do?

Get the useful checks first.
Then take them to your local guide.

Explore all 8 tree topics →
Removal permitsKnow when approval is required.Protected treesSize is only one possible trigger.Who owns it?Start with the legal property line.Dead or dangerous?Check the exception and evidence route.Building near treesProtect retained trees and roots.

Browse by province

Find your place in the guide.

Choose the municipality that covers the property.

Alberta10British Columbia21Manitoba1New Brunswick3Newfoundland and Labrador1Nova Scotia2Ontario42Quebec19Saskatchewan2

A useful first measurement

Tape around the trunk?
That is circumference.

Divide circumference by π to get diameter. Use the measurement height and multi-stem method your city specifies.

See how to measure →Try the tree checker →
DIAMETERC ÷ πUse one unit throughout.