Serving the Cowichan Valley
About Duncan Tree Removal
Duncan Tree Removal provides 4 primary tree services—danger tree removal, storm cleanup, stump grinding and pruning—across Duncan, North Cowichan and the Cowichan Valley. We bring experienced crews and ISA Certified Arborists to every job on Vancouver Island. Duncan's Tree Protection Bylaw No. 3135 sets the local permit threshold, and our ISA Certified Arborists assess every hazard tree before we remove it.
What we do
Every project starts with a free on-site assessment and a flat-rate written quote before any work is booked.
Local species, coastal weather and floodplain regulations
We check your trees against Bylaw No. 3135, which sets a 20 cm threshold for four specific species: Douglas fir, western red cedar, grand fir and big leaf maple. If your property sits along the Cowichan River floodplain, on Duncan's eastern side, we also check the floodplain rule before disturbing root systems near the bank.
Standards and certification
Our arborist is ISA Certified, we're insured, and we follow WorkSafeBC standards on every job, cutting to the ANSI A300 standard when we prune. We call BC Hydro's locate line before we cut near any overhead or buried service line.
What do we check before we recommend removal over pruning?
Before recommending removal, we inspect five structural signs: changes in lean, loose bark, fungal growth on the trunk, cracked limbs and lifted soil around roots. Together, they tell us whether a tree is sound or actively failing.
A permit is required once a trunk hits 30 cm in diameter, or 20 cm for protected species. When we confirm a hazard, the city waives the permit fee, while a replacement-tree security remains due. A Development Permit Area over sensitive land can bring its own separate check on top of that.
When there's no clear drop zone — a tree boxed in by a structure, a fence or a neighbouring property — we don't try to fell it whole. We rig the trunk and lower it in sections, and we call BC Hydro before cutting near any overhead or buried service line.
From late March through mid-August, we check every tree for active nests before we touch it — federal and provincial law both make disturbing one an offence. Once a tree is down, the rounds, brush and chips leave with us on the same visit, unless you'd rather keep the wood or the mulch.
Where the tree is sound rather than hazardous, we prune it to the ANSI A300 standard — crown thinning and crown raising cut down wind load without the tree coming down at all.
Service area
We serve Duncan, North Cowichan, Chemainus, Cowichan Bay, Mill Bay, Cobble Hill, Shawnigan Lake and Lake Cowichan, across the Cowichan Valley.
Read our tree removal page for complete details, or view our service areas across the region.
Ready for a quote? Tell us about your property and get a free assessment.