Tree service in Montreal
Remove it, prune it or save it? Describe your tree and a local arborist calls you back with a price. Montreal, the West Island, Laval, the South Shore and the North Shore.
Three different jobs
Pruning (called émondage or élagage in French) removes part of the crown: dead wood, limbs over the roof, branches near the pool. The tree stays and grows back in spring.
Removal takes the whole tree down. In the city it almost never falls in one piece: the climber takes it apart from the top, lowering each section on a rope.
Saving a weak tree is arborist work: cabling between large limbs, restoration pruning, or treatment against an insect such as the emerald ash borer. It often costs less than a removal, and you keep the shade.
Before you cut: the permit
Almost every city around Montreal requires a permit to remove a tree on private land, even a dead one. The threshold is the trunk diameter measured 1.3 m above ground: 10 cm in Montreal, 5 cm in Longueuil, 3 cm in Laval. West Island cities such as Pointe-Claire, Beaconsfield, Kirkland and Baie-D’Urfé, and Westmount, each have their own rules and forms. Pruning usually needs no permit.
Street trees belong to the city. Report a broken limb or a dangerous city tree to 311 in Montreal, and do not cut it yourself.
Storm damage
If a tree or limb is on power lines or your service mast is torn off, stay at least 10 m away and call Hydro-Québec at 1 800 790-2424. For injuries, fire or immediate danger, call 911. Take photos before anything is moved, then call your insurer. The tree service comes last, once the lines are safe.
As a rule of thumb, home insurance covers damage your tree causes to your house; removing a tree that fell without damaging anything is usually your cost. Every policy differs, so ask your insurer before work begins.
Areas served
- Montreal
- West Island
- Pointe-Claire
- Beaconsfield
- Kirkland
- Dollard-des-Ormeaux
- Pierrefonds
- Westmount
- NDG
- Laval
- South Shore
- North Shore
- Hudson
- Vaudreuil-Dorion
Your request goes to a tree service that works in your area. They call you back to see the tree and give you their price. More detail on tree removal.
Common questions
Is winter a good time for tree work?
Yes. The tree is dormant, frozen ground carries equipment without rutting the lawn, and tree services have more openings. You still need the permit for a removal.
Who pays if the tree is on the property line?
A tree whose trunk straddles the line belongs to both neighbours. Most cities ask for the neighbour’s written consent with the permit request, and the cost is shared as you agree.
Updated November 10, 2026