How to remove a tree depends almost entirely on size. A small ornamental under 15 feet — manageable with the right gear. Anything larger, near the house, or leaning the wrong way: that's a certified arborist situation. (The chainsaw part takes twenty minutes. The planning that keeps it from landing on your roof takes longer than that.)
I've been doing this work in Surrey and the Fraser Valley since 2009. Nine times out of ten, the homeowners who get hurt — or whose property gets damaged — skipped the assessment step. The cut itself wasn't the problem.
Here's the complete picture: deciding whether to remove it, how the job works, what it costs, and what you're left with when it's done.
When a tree actually needs to come down
Before you think about how to remove a tree, settle whether you should. This matters more than people realise.
More than half the tree is dead. A tree can recover from minor dieback — a branch here, a section of bark there. Once you're looking at more than 50% dead wood, the structural integrity of the whole tree is compromised. Dead wood doesn't improve with time; it gets drier, more brittle, and closer to a failure point.
Structural damage at the base. Cracks running vertically up the trunk, a hollow core visible through bark openings, or a trunk that sounds hollow when you knock on it. These are signs the wood has lost load-bearing strength. A tree in this condition is unpredictable under wind load — it won't give you much warning.
A lean that appeared recently — especially after a storm. Healthy trees lean. Natural lean over decades isn't inherently dangerous. A lean that worsened after a windstorm, or one accompanied by lifted soil around the root flare, is the root plate starting to fail. That's a different situation entirely.
Root damage from nearby excavation. Trenching within the drip line, compacted fill soil, or severed major roots can kill a tree invisibly. The tree looks fine for two to five years, then fails without much notice. If your property has seen construction or utility work near a large tree in the last few years, get it assessed before it becomes urgent.
When removal is the wrong answer:
A tree that's leaning naturally, has one dead branch, or is just inconveniently large — those aren't removal situations. They're pruning situations. I reckon a third of the "I need this tree taken down" calls I get can be resolved with a crown reduction or deadwood removal at a fraction of the removal cost. Worth asking the question before you commit.
Assess the job before anything else
Walk around the tree. Twice. Then stand back and look at the whole site. This is the step that determines whether the job goes well or sideways.
Estimate height and trunk diameter. A rough height method: stand back, hold a stick at arm's length, and align the stick tip with the treetop. The fist-to-tip distance roughly equals the tree's height. For trunk diameter, measure at 1.4 metres above ground — the standard reference point for both permit applications and structural assessment.
Calculate the fall zone. Rule of thumb: the fall zone is 1.5 times the tree's height in all directions from the base. A 30-foot tree can land 45 feet away. Everything in that radius — power lines, structures, fences, vehicles — needs to be accounted for before the first cut. The fall zone is a full arc, not a straight line.
Identify the natural lean and your intended felling direction. A tree leaning slightly in one direction will want to fall that way. Fighting the lean requires rigging. If the natural lean takes the tree into open space — ideal. If it takes the tree toward anything valuable — that problem needs to be solved before you pick up the saw.
Check for power lines within the fall zone. Not just directly in line with your intended fall direction — across the full radius. A 40-foot tree with distribution lines 55 feet away in any direction is not a safe DIY removal.
Look at the root system. Lifted soil on one side of the base is a warning sign. Fungal growth around the base — mushrooms, shelf fungus, or conks — indicates internal decay. A tree showing these signs isn't structurally predictable. It may move before you intend it to.
Rule of thumb for DIY eligibility: under 15 feet tall, no structural issues in the trunk or roots, clear fall zone in the intended direction with room to spare, no power lines within twice the tree's height. If all four conditions are met, it's a manageable DIY job. One condition missing means a phone call to a certified arborist.
How professionals remove a tree
Here's what a proper professional tree removal looks like — step by step. Understanding this also shows you exactly where DIY removals go wrong.
1. Site assessment and removal plan. Before a saw starts, the crew walks the site. Where is the tree going? What anchor points are available for rigging? What's the condition of the lower trunk? Where do crew members stand, and where are the escape routes? On a complex removal, this assessment takes as long as the cutting itself.
2. Clear the drop zone. Every vehicle, obstacle, and person out of the fall zone. Clear escape routes at 45 degrees to the intended fall line — not directly behind the tree, where a base kickback can catch someone off-guard.
3. Set up rigging if needed. Trees near structures, leaning the wrong way, or too tall for a clean free-fall get rigged. A rope is attached to the upper stem, routed over a friction device on an anchor tree or rigging point, and controlled by a crew member on the ground. The tree comes down on a controlled vector, not wherever gravity decides.
4. The face cut (notch cut). Made on the side facing the intended fall direction. A 70-degree top cut and a horizontal bottom cut meet at a depth of roughly one-quarter of the trunk diameter. This creates the notch that guides the fall. The angle of the notch face determines the direction almost as much as the back cut does — a sloppy notch is how a tree ends up going somewhere unexpected.
5. The back cut. Made on the opposite side, slightly above the bottom of the notch. The saw moves horizontally toward the notch, leaving a strip of uncut wood — the "hinge" — roughly 10% of the trunk diameter wide. The hinge controls the fall. Too thin and the tree steers poorly. Too thick and it won't go. Chainsaw kickback happens most often at this stage, when the bar nose contacts something unexpected in the wood.
6. The fall. Once the back cut is almost through, a plastic felling wedge goes into the notch to prevent the tree sitting back on the saw bar. Finish the cut. Move to the escape route immediately — the fall is now committed.
7. Limbing and bucking. Once the tree is down, branches come off (limbing) and the trunk is cut into manageable sections (bucking). This is where most of the on-site time goes. A 40-foot tree on the ground is also a 40-foot obstacle to process.
8. Stump grinding. Ground below grade in the same visit and included in our standard removal pricing. Without grinding, you're left with a rot point and trip hazard that active. A stump that's been sitting for a season is also considerably harder to grind than a fresh one.
DIY tree removal: the honest version
If your tree qualifies for DIY — under 15 feet, clear fall zone, no power lines, structurally sound — here's what you actually need.
Equipment list:
A chainsaw with a bar at least two inches longer than the trunk diameter. For a 10-inch trunk, that's a 12-inch bar minimum. Rental is entirely fine if this is a one-off job. Don't buy a saw you'll use twice.
PPE is not optional: chainsaw-rated chaps, a helmet with face shield and integrated ear protection, steel-toed boots, and chainsaw gloves. Chainsaw leg and hand injuries are among the most severe in outdoor DIY work, and most of them happen to people who'd done it before without incident. The chaps don't make you look like a professional — they make you look like someone who wants to keep their leg.
Two plastic felling wedges. If the saw bar gets pinched by the tree settling back during the back cut, a wedge in the notch keeps the cut open. Plastic, so they don't damage the chain if you accidentally contact one.
A handsaw or loppers for removing branches after the tree is down. Using a running chainsaw overhead is how people end up in the emergency room. For branches up to three or four inches, a sharp handsaw is safer and more controlled.
The cuts, in plain language:
The notch cut goes first, on the side you want the tree to fall toward. Aim for a clean 70-degree top cut and a nearly horizontal bottom cut, meeting cleanly at the same depth. Messy notch cuts produce unpredictable falls.
The back cut goes on the opposite side, about an inch above the bottom of the notch. Keep the hinge. If you cut all the way through — no hinge left — the tree can fall in any direction at all. (This is the single mistake responsible for most of the property damage in DIY removals. The hinge is the steering wheel. Cut it away and you're a passenger.)
Stand to the side when the tree starts to move — not directly behind it. The base can kick backward as it falls, and that's where the people standing directly behind the tree are standing. Choose your escape routes before you make the first cut.
If the chainsaw kicks back the moment it contacts wood, set it down and figure out why before you continue. Kickback at full throttle causes the injuries that take months to recover from, not the falls from ladders. It's the thing chainsaw courses spend the most time on, and the thing most DIYers think won't happen to them.
Do you need a permit to remove a tree in BC?
Almost certainly yes — if you're in Surrey, Langley, White Rock, Delta, or Burnaby.
Surrey's Tree Protection Bylaw requires a permit before removing any tree with a trunk diameter of 20 cm or more at 1.4 metres above ground. That's roughly the width of a large dinner plate — which covers most mature garden trees. The City of Surrey's tree removal permit process requires a site plan, species identification, and often a replacement planting plan. Processing typically takes two to four weeks for a standard application.
Exceptions are narrow. A tree that's fallen across a walkway or vehicle during a storm can be cleared without a permit — the stump still falls under the bylaw. A dead tree presenting an imminent hazard has a fast-track exemption, but you still need documentation of the hazard condition. "I want the view back" is not an exception.
The fine for removing without a permit is up to $10,000 per tree in Surrey. The bylaw officer doesn't care that the tree was inconvenient, or that you didn't know. The permit requirement applies to the tree, not to your knowledge of it.
Langley Township, White Rock, and Delta have equivalent bylaws with slightly different size thresholds. Check with your municipality before any work begins.
When you hire us, the permit application is our problem. We file it, track it, and schedule work when it clears. It's part of the service, not a separate charge.
What tree removal costs — honest numbers
Most tree services don't list prices. Here are actual numbers.
| Tree size | Price range (CAD, all-in) |
|---|---|
| Small tree, under 30 ft | $400–$650 (stump grinding included) |
| Medium tree, 30–60 ft | $800–$1,400 (stump grinding included) |
| Large tree, 60+ ft | $1,500+ (site-dependent) |
| Stump grinding only (standalone) | $200–$500 per stump |
| Crown reduction — 20–30% size reduction | $500–$1,200 |
For a longer breakdown of what drives costs up or down, see our tree removal cost guide with pricing by access, species, and job complexity.
What makes the price go up: a narrow side yard (equipment access), a tree leaning toward a structure (rigging required), power line proximity requiring utility coordination, dense hardwood species like bigleaf maple, and requesting full debris removal versus leaving rounds on-site for firewood. These are line items on your quote before work starts — not surprises on the invoice.
My strong view on this: most tree services push removal because it pays better and requires less nuanced assessment than management. A proper arborist should sometimes tell you to prune instead, even when it's the cheaper option. If a company quotes you removal without first asking whether crown reduction would solve the problem — ask them directly why. The question costs you nothing.
When not to remove it yourself (and when not to remove it at all)
Cases where you shouldn't DIY, full stop: any tree over 20 feet, any tree within fall distance of a structure, dead trees (dry wood behaves unpredictably under a moving saw), and anything within reach of power lines. Those are line items, not guidelines.
The harder call is when the tree doesn't need to come down at all.
A few years back, a homeowner called us after getting a $2,400 quote to remove a 120-year-old Garry oak. The reason given: "leaning and unsafe." I drove out and assessed it. The lean was natural — the tree had been growing toward the light for a century. The dead branches were minor crown periphery stuff, maybe four limbs at the edge. Nothing structurally concerning.
Crown thinning cleared the sightline issue. Deadwood removal took care of the hazard. Total: $950. The tree is still standing. It'll outlast everyone involved in that conversation.
That's what I mean when I say the first question is whether to remove the tree — not how. A $150 ISA certified arborist assessment — credited toward any work that follows — is cheaper than an unnecessary removal by a significant margin. Ask the question before you commit to the job.
Cases where you genuinely shouldn't call us either: a single dead branch on an otherwise healthy tree — that's a pruning visit, not a removal. A healthy tree you've decided you no longer like the look of — worth sitting on that decision. Trees are considerably harder to grow than to cut down. A tree that's been leaning for twenty years without change — that's an assessment, not an emergency.
What happens after the tree is down
The tree is on the ground. You're not done.
The stump. Grinding takes it 12 to 15 inches below the original surface level. What's left is a pile of wood chips that settle and decompose over the following months. Without grinding, the stump is a rot point and trip hazard. The decaying root system also draws down nitrogen from surrounding soil for years, which affects anything you plant nearby. Stump grinding is in our standard removal price. If someone else removed your tree and left the stump, standalone grinding runs $200–$500.
The wood. Options: rounds cut and left for firewood — you stack and season them, typically 12–18 months for hardwood. Wood chipped on-site with chips available as free mulch. Or full debris removal, where we haul everything away. Fresh wood chip mulch is excellent for established garden areas; hold off using it directly around new plantings until it's partially broken down.
Replanting. You can plant in the same area, but offset from the stump location by at least a metre. Old root systems can introduce disease pathogens to new plantings, and decomposing wood creates nitrogen draw-down in the surrounding soil for several years after removal. For more on this — including which tree species handle replanting sites best in BC — our guide to planting after tree removal covers the timing and species selection in detail.
The permit close-out. In Surrey and most municipalities with tree protection bylaws, the removal permit requires a completion notice filed after the work. If a replacement planting was a condition of the permit — common in Surrey — we coordinate that too and confirm the close-out with the city on your behalf.
Three weeks after a well-done removal, the only visible sign is a fresh patch of turf where the stump was. That's the standard. If the crew leaves and there's debris scattered across the yard or rounds left without agreement — that's a conversation to have with the company before you pay the invoice.