Local tree-rule guide
Delta tree rules
Private trees ≥20 cm DBH are generally protected, with important exceptions including Agricultural Land Reserve properties.
The local rule
Delta protects private trees with a diameter of 20 cm or more measured 1.4 m above ground, subject to the Tree Protection and Regulation Bylaw.
The City has specific application and arborist-report rules, and 2026 pilot rules can affect some neighbourhoods, so the current property-specific process should be confirmed.
Application details
What Delta currently asks for before a protected tree is removed
- Delta’s current tree page gives homeowners a fairly complete permit checklist.
- The ordinary protected-tree trigger is 20 cm DBH, but application evidence, replacement requirements and fees change when more than one tree is involved or when the tree is especially large.
A private tree is generally protected at 20 cm diameter or greater measured 1.4 m above ground; for multi-stemmed trees, the combined diameter of the largest two or three stems can also meet the 20 cm trigger. Required replacement trees remain protected.
For the first application to remove one tree within a 24-month period, Delta does not require an arborist report. The application instead asks for a diameter photo, a photo of the full tree and a satellite image marking its location.
A subsequent application within 24 months, an application involving multiple trees, or a dead/dying-tree removal requires an ISA-certified arborist report. Strata applications need strata-council permission; shared trees need consent from all co-owners.
Outside Sunshine Hills, the first single-tree application in a 24-month period is $100. Applications for more than one tree use a $100 application fee plus $50 per tree. Sunshine Hills has additional significant-tree fee tiers published by the City.
Issued Tree Removal Permits are valid for six months and must be displayed where they are clearly visible from the street during removal. Delta also states that the private-tree bylaw does not apply to properties within the Agricultural Land Reserve.
Before work starts
- Ownership: check the property line. Public and boundary trees may follow a different process.
- Site context: review any development approval, covenant or protected-area conditions.
- Work requirements: confirm any permit, exemption or protection requirements that apply to the planned work.
Official sources
Primary municipal source reviewed October 1, 2026. Rules can change; confirm with the local authority before work. How we research