A tree risk assessment is a structured evaluation of how likely a tree is to fail, what it would hit if it did, and how severe the consequences would be. On the North Shore it is also a regulatory document. Both North Vancouver tree bylaws make removal of a hazardous tree conditional on written confirmation from a qualified professional, which means the assessment is often the single piece of evidence a permit turns on. Sylva Environmental works out of 1132 15th St W Unit#10 in North Vancouver, and our assessments are carried out by ISA Certified Arborists holding the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ).
When You Need a Tree Risk Assessment in North Vancouver
Most calls come from one of four situations: a tree has visibly changed after a windstorm, a tree is leaning over a house or a neighbour's property, a strata or property manager needs documented due diligence, or a municipal permit application requires a hazardous tree to be certified by a qualified professional. The last one is the one people most often discover late.
District of North Vancouver
Under Tree Protection Bylaw 7671, 2012, section 7 prohibits cutting, damaging or removing a protected tree or a large-diameter tree without a tree permit. A large-diameter tree is any tree with a DBH of 75 centimetres or more that is not already protected, and protected trees include trees on District land, trees in streamside protected areas, trees on steep slopes over 20 degrees, heritage, covenant, wildlife and old growth trees, and Arbutus, Garry Oak, Oregon Ash, Pacific Yew, Western White Pine and Yellow-cedar at any size.
Section 12(a)(vi) of that bylaw requires a report from a certified tree risk assessor where the tree, or part of the tree, is to be declared hazardous. Section 19 then allows the Environmental Protection Officer, Community Forester or Manager to issue a permit for a hazardous tree that is not on District land and is not a protected tree, where satisfied that the tree is hazardous, dead, damaged, diseased or in decline beyond expectation of recovery, based on a report by a certified tree risk assessor, or that it is impairing sewers, drains, water lines, septic fields, electrical lines, structures or similar infrastructure in a way that cannot be resolved short of removal.
City of North Vancouver
Under Tree Bylaw, 2022, No. 8888, the bylaw applies to trees of 20 cm DBH or more, and does not apply to a tree whose entire trunk sits on a highway or on land zoned GO (Ground Oriented Zone), RS-1, RS-2, RS-4B, RT-1 or RT-2, or in a CD zone whose permitted uses are based on those zones. Within its scope, section 6.C limits the Director on a parcel with no active development or building permit application to issuing a removal permit only where the tree is dead, dying or hazardous as confirmed in writing by a Certified Arborist, where it directly interferes with utility wires and cannot be pruned to resolve that, or where it directly blocks sewer or drainage as certified by an accredited plumber or civil engineer. Section 6.A(4) applies the same dead, dying or hazardous test on parcels with an active building permit application.
In other words, on a City lot without a development application in play, a written hazard determination from a Certified Arborist is one of only three routes to a removal permit. Replacement obligations follow: section 7.A requires one replacement tree for each dead, dying or hazardous tree removed, against three for any other tree, so a properly documented hazard finding also changes the replanting bill.
How a TRAQ Assessment Works
We assess to the ISA Best Management Practices for tree risk assessment, the methodology TRAQ is built on. It is a systematic process rather than an opinion.
- Scope and targets. We establish what the assessment covers and identify the targets, meaning the people, vehicles, structures and activities that could be struck, and how often they are actually present.
- Site and species context. Exposure to wind, soil conditions, slope, drainage, recent site changes such as excavation or grade change, and the failure profile typical of the species.
- Tree inspection. A ground-based inspection of the root collar, buttress roots, trunk, unions, scaffold branches and crown, looking for decay, cavities, cracks, included bark, response growth, dieback, fungal fruiting bodies and evidence of previous failure. Aerial or advanced inspection is used where the visible evidence is not conclusive.
- Likelihood and consequences. We rate the likelihood of failure, the likelihood of impacting a target, and the consequences of that impact, and combine them into a risk rating.
- Mitigation options. Where the risk is unacceptable, we set out the options that reduce it, which frequently means pruning, crown reduction, cabling, target management or moving an activity rather than removal.
Where the trunk or root collar is suspect and a visual assessment cannot settle it, we escalate to advanced diagnostics such as resistance drilling, sonic tomography or air excavation of the root collar so the finding rests on measured data rather than inference.
What You Receive
- A signed report carrying the arborist's ISA certification number and tree risk assessor qualification, which is what both bylaws ask to see.
- Tree-by-tree data. Species, DBH, height, crown condition, defects observed, and critical root zone.
- Documented targets and occupancy rates, which is the part most informal assessments leave out and the part that most affects the rating.
- A risk rating for each tree with the reasoning behind it.
- Mitigation recommendations ranked from least to most invasive, with retention options considered before removal.
- Photographs of the site and each tree assessed, labelled to the inventory.
- Recommended reinspection interval, because a risk rating describes a tree at a point in time.
Risk Assessments for Strata Councils and Property Managers
Strata councils and property managers on the North Shore carry a duty to manage known hazards on common property. A documented tree inventory with risk ratings and a reinspection schedule turns an open-ended liability into a managed programme, and it gives the council something defensible to point at if a tree does fail. We can assess an entire property in one visit, provide a prioritised works list, and set a reinspection interval appropriate to the species and exposure.
Our Process and Turnaround
We start with a call about the tree, the property and what has changed. We attend the site, carry out the assessment, and where required escalate to advanced diagnostics. Written reports are typically delivered within five to ten business days of the site visit. Where a tree has already failed or a failure looks imminent, we prioritise the visit and can attend the same day for emergencies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a tree risk assessment to remove a hazardous tree in North Vancouver?
In the District of North Vancouver, section 12(a)(vi) of Tree Protection Bylaw 7671 requires a report from a certified tree risk assessor where a tree is to be declared hazardous, and section 19 lets the District issue a hazardous tree permit based on that report. In the City of North Vancouver, sections 6.A(4) and 6.C(1) of Tree Bylaw 8888 require that a dead, dying or hazardous tree be confirmed in writing by a Certified Arborist before a removal permit can be issued.
What is TRAQ and why does it matter?
TRAQ is the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification issued by the International Society of Arboriculture. It certifies that an arborist has been trained and examined in a systematic method for assessing the likelihood of tree failure, the likelihood of impacting a target, and the consequences of impact. Because both North Vancouver bylaws condition hazardous tree permits on a qualified written determination, an assessment carried out to that methodology is what municipal staff are looking for.
Does a risk assessment always recommend removal?
No, and it should not. A risk rating measures likelihood and consequence, and both can often be reduced without felling the tree. Pruning, crown reduction, deadwooding, cabling, root zone protection or simply relocating a target such as a parking space or a play structure can bring risk to an acceptable level. West Vancouver's bylaw is explicit that where pruning can address the risk, a permit may be issued for pruning only, and the District and City both expect retention options to be considered first.
How often should trees be reassessed?
A risk rating describes a tree at the time it was inspected. The appropriate reinspection interval depends on species, defect type, exposure and target occupancy, and we set one in every report. Trees with active defects, recent site disturbance nearby, or high-occupancy targets warrant shorter intervals, and any tree should be looked at again after a significant windstorm.
Can you assess a neighbour's tree?
We can document a neighbouring tree from your property, including the parts of its crown and root zone that extend onto your land, and both North Vancouver authorities expect neighbouring trees within range of proposed work to be included in an inventory. A detailed inspection of the tree itself requires the neighbour's permission for access.
Service Areas
We carry out tree risk assessments across both North Vancouver municipalities, including Lower and Central Lonsdale, Lynn Valley, Deep Cove, Seymour, Blueridge, Edgemont, Capilano and the Upper Levels, and throughout West Vancouver and Burnaby. Our office is at 1132 15th St W Unit#10, North Vancouver, BC V7M 2J5, and you can reach us at (778) 583-8986.