Local tree-rule guide
Laval tree rules
Private-property tree removal requires an authorization certificate; replacement is generally required.
The local rule
Laval requires an authorization certificate before felling a covered tree on private property, including when removal was recommended by a utility.
The City sets tree-size definitions and accepted reasons for removal and generally requires an authorized tree to be replaced.
Local exceptions and conditions
Scope and protected trees
- Laval's permit page applies to a broadleaf tree from 3 cm in diameter and to a conifer at least 150 cm tall, wherever it stands on a private lot.
- That is not a 30 cm mature-tree rule.
- The different measurements mean a small deciduous sapling or a young conifer may already be in the certificate process.
- Laval says a felled tree must be replaced before the date written on its authorization and remain healthy.
- The City also regulates planting and site coverage under its urban-planning code, so removal as part of a new house or driveway needs the property's full planning context.
Applications and timing
- Apply for the authorization before cutting, with location, species, dimensions and the reason, then follow the City's documentation and payment instructions.
- A tree recommended for removal by Hydro-Québec still requires the City's certificate according to Laval's permit guidance.
- The official page lists a per-tree charge but fees change, so use the live schedule when applying.
- It does not promise a fixed decision time for every situation; an inspection, development file or proposed replacement can change the review.
- A certificate is the start of conditions to satisfy, not an automatic exemption from replanting.
Enforcement and exceptions
- Laval's urban-planning provisions control which trees may be felled; an unapproved cut can trigger municipal enforcement and replacement, with the exact fine read from the current regulation rather than guessed here.
- No separate universal heritage-tree diameter appears on the City's permit summary, while protected land, public trees or development conditions may impose additional duties.
- Use the official property-specific certificate page before arranging the work.
Different units for different trees
- Laval's threshold is unusual because it mixes units and tree types.
- A deciduous tree enters the certificate rule at a trunk width of 30 millimetres, or 3 cm, while a conifer enters at a height of 1.5 metres.
- An owner measuring a 2 cm young maple and a 1.7 m spruce must not apply the same diameter test to both.
- The City says the rule applies regardless of where the tree stands on the private lot and even when Hydro-Québec recommends the work.
- Establishing the tree's species and recording the measurement before it is cut is therefore especially useful in a young landscaped yard.
Replacement conditions
- The certificate may name a replacement deadline, and Laval requires the new tree to remain healthy.
- A proposed pool or extension can change the planting space available after removal, so mark both the original and proposed replacement on the same lot drawing.
- The City's urban-planning code also has planting and site-coverage provisions, which means the certificate is not a stand-alone waiver of a development landscape requirement.
- A public right-of-way tree is managed through the City's separate municipal-tree service.
- If a contractor removes several small conifers without authorization, the violation is not made harmless by their age; use the current City certificate and any listed inspection fee and replacement terms.
- No fixed decision-day promise is given for every request on the official permit route.
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
Last verified: September 28, 2026 · Primary municipal source reviewed September 23, 2026. Rules can change; confirm with the local authority before work. How we research
Local detail review: September 28, 2026.