A tree is easy to count. A stump is harder. Once the tree is down you are left with a root ball and a heap of heavy rounds that no curbside program will take. What happens next hinges mostly on one thing: size.
First, the permit
Whether you can take the tree down at all hinges on your city. In Vancouver, you need a permit to remove a tree or hedge on private property if the tree measures at least 20 centimetres in diameter, measured 1.4 metres above the base. The City's page says the permit may require a replacement tree and lists the cases when a tree can be removed, such as when it is dead, dying or a hazard. Other cities have their own tree bylaws, so check yours before the work starts. If a permit applies, get it before any tree work.
Size decides the route
Metro Vancouver. The United Boulevard Recycling and Waste Centre, 995 United Boulevard in Coquitlam, accepts yard trimmings including tree stumps with a maximum diameter of 30 centimetres and a maximum length of 120 centimetres. The fee is $139 per tonne, with a $10 minimum on loads up to 75 kg.
Vancouver. The City's yard waste page accepts branches, root balls and stumps up to 25 centimetres in diameter and 2.6 metres long. It says that anything more than 25 centimetres in diameter is considered garbage and should go to the landfill.
Maple Ridge brush chipping. The City's program excludes stumps and root balls.
Metro Vancouver's disposal ban manual says single objects over 100 kg, 2.5 metres long or 1.2 metres wide are banned, so a large root ball cannot just be dropped at a disposal site. Cutting it down gets it under the limit.
What to do with the big rounds
Rounds from a large trunk are heavy and dense. Cut them smaller. Clean, untreated wood can go to wood programs or be sold or given away for firewood, and Metro Vancouver lists clean wood among its banned recyclables, which means it should not go in the garbage. Our wood page explains the clean wood route.
Cutting and hauling
Plan for chainsaw work to be done by someone qualified, and for a stump grinder if you want it gone in place. A stump ground to chips becomes yard waste.
When a bin makes sense
Our green waste bins can take stumps, but there is a size limit and it depends on your area. Call us to check the limit before you load. We drop it off, you fill it, and we haul it off when you are done. If the bin stays on your driveway, no permit is needed. Some cities need a permit for a bin on the street or lane, so confirm with your City before you book. We will line delivery up with any permit dates. See our organics recycling page and our post on yard waste bin rental.
FAQ
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Vancouver? Yes, for a tree at least 20 centimetres in diameter or a qualifying hedge on private property. Other cities have their own bylaws.
What is the largest stump a Metro Vancouver depot takes? United Boulevard accepts stumps up to 30 centimetres in diameter and 120 centimetres in length.
Does Vancouver take big stumps? Vancouver's page accepts them up to 25 centimetres in diameter, and treats larger ones as garbage for the landfill.
Can I put a stump in a Trash King bin? Yes, in a green waste bin, up to a size limit that depends on your area. Call to check.