Local tree-rule guide
Langley Township tree rules
Local tree/bylaw source reviewed; confirm ownership, size and property area.
The local rule
The Township of Langley regulates protected trees under its Tree Protection Bylaw and requires a permit before a protected tree is cut or removed.
The Township's guidance generally exempts smaller trees under its stated diameter threshold unless the tree was required by an earlier development approval or another protected condition applies.
Application details
When the Township of Langley requires a tree-cutting permit
- The Township’s current guidance gives a clearer rule than the older summary on this page: trees under 20 cm DBH are generally outside the private-property permit trigger unless they were planted as a required development tree or another protected condition applies.
Trees on private property with a DBH below 20 cm are listed as exempt unless they were required under the Subdivision and Development Servicing Bylaw. Protected trees at or above the applicable threshold require the Township permit before cutting or removal.
The Township limits protected-tree removal to stated situations, including removal tied to a building permit, a tree that is dead/dying/damaged/diseased or beyond recovery, imminent failure, or a tree whose size and species make it inappropriate for its location.
The Tree Protection Bylaw excludes Agricultural Land Reserve lands, licensed tree farms/nurseries/Christmas-tree operations and land that is already the subject of a development application, which follows the separate development process.
Sound horticultural or arboricultural pruning is exempt, as are hedges under 10 m, but that does not authorize removing a protected tree.
Tree cutting/removal permit applications are submitted online through the Township’s building-permit portal. Fees are collected before permit issuance under the current Fees and Charges Bylaw; credit-card payments carry the published 2.2% processing fee.
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