About Township of Langley

The Township covers 316 square kilometres, and 75 per cent of it (235 km²) is in the Agricultural Land Reserve. Source: Township of Langley: About the Township
More than 150,000 residents (2025) live in six urban centres plus the rural area. Source: Township of Langley: About the Township
The Township describes Willoughby-Willowbrook as a growing community with new neighbourhoods. Source: Township of Langley: Willoughby-Willowbrook

Local rules that affect excavation

Checked October 2026. Each point below links to the Township’s own bylaw or web page. Bylaws change, so confirm with the Township before work starts. General information, not legal advice.

Soil deposit and removal

Soil Deposit and Removal Bylaw 2013, No. 4975: no one may deposit soil or other material on, or remove soil from, a property without a permit or an exemption. Source: Bylaw No. 4975 (PDF)
Fees in the bylaw: a $250 application fee for deposits or removals up to 600 m³ ($500 above that), a volume fee of $1.00 per cubic metre of the maximum permitted volume, and security of $5.00 per cubic metre with a $1,000 minimum. Source: Bylaw No. 4975 (PDF)
The Township tracks soil deposit applications over 600 m³ under Council Policy 05-008, and where the land is in the ALR the Agricultural Land Commission considers the proposal first. Source: Township: Soil deposit activity
A building permit does not necessarily exempt a project from needing a soil deposit permit. Source: Township bulletin: Soil deposit and building permits (PDF)

Tree protection

Tree Protection Bylaw 2019, No. 5478 protects trees of any species with a diameter at breast height of 20 cm or more, and all trees on municipal land. Source: Bylaw No. 5478 (PDF)
Protection barriers must be at least 1.2 m high and set around the critical root zone, a radius of six times the trunk diameter. The bylaw does not apply to ALR land or to land under a development application. Source: Bylaw No. 5478 (PDF)

Erosion and sediment control

ESC Bylaw No. 4381: no construction may start on land with a developable area over 2,000 m² (zoned other than agricultural) until an ESC permit is issued. Smaller sites must still follow the bylaw’s best practices. Source: Bylaw No. 4381 (PDF)
The ESC permit is required before any land clearing, grading or grubbing, and security is 120% of the ESC estimate. Source: Township: Erosion and sediment control

Building permits and excavation

Langley Building Bylaw 2008, No. 4642 requires a permit for all construction, and defines construction to include excavating and shoring. Retaining walls over 1.2 m need a registered professional’s design. Source: Bylaw No. 4642 (PDF)

Streams and watercourses

Streamside setbacks depend on watercourse class, measured from top of bank: 30 m for Class A natural watercourses and the Fraser River, 20 m for Class B natural watercourses, and 7.5 m or 6 m for Class A or B roadside watercourses. ALR land is excluded; the provincial Riparian Areas Protection Regulation applies to residential development there. Source: Township: Streamside protection
The Township notes it cannot authorize work under provincial or federal jurisdiction, such as Water Sustainability Act changes in and about a stream or Fisheries Act matters. Source: Township: Streamside protection

Provincial and federal rules apply too

Municipal bylaws sit on top of provincial and federal rules: BC 1 Call locates and WorkSafeBC requirements on every dig, the Agricultural Land Commission for fill in the ALR, soil relocation notifications for some commercial and industrial sites, and the Water Sustainability Act and Fisheries Act near streams. Our Excavation permits checklist for BC projects links each one to its source.

PCE in Township of Langley

PCE is based in Langley and works across Langley and the Fraser Valley. Services we take on here:

Excavation in the Township of Langley