Excavation in Maple Ridge
On the north shore of the Fraser, with industrial and employment land still available. Soil and stream rules are the ones to plan around.
About Maple Ridge
- Maple Ridge sits on the north shore of the Fraser River and has over 300 hectares of industrial and employment land available. Source: City of Maple Ridge: Economic development
- 3,782 hectares, about 15% of Maple Ridge, is in the Agricultural Land Reserve. Source: City of Maple Ridge: Agriculture
Local rules that affect excavation
Checked October 2026. Each point below links to Maple Ridge’s own bylaw or web page. Bylaws change, so confirm with Maple Ridge before work starts. General information, not legal advice.
Soil deposit and removal
- Soil Deposit Regulation Bylaw No. 7412-2017: deposits need a permit, with an exemption up to 25 m³ in 12 months. Public notice applies above 350 m³ and Council review at 20,000 m³. Source: Bylaw No. 7412-2017 (PDF)
- Soil removal is covered by a separate Soil Removal Bylaw No. 6398-2006, amended in 2025. Source: Bylaw No. 8070-2025 amending 6398-2006
Tree protection
- Tree Protection and Management Bylaw No. 8045-2026: a permit is needed to cut or remove a protected tree (20 cm DBH or more, or any size in riparian or conservation areas), and a barrier is required if a retained tree’s critical root zone is within 10 m of any excavation. Source: Bylaw No. 8045-2026
Erosion, sediment and watercourses
- Watercourse Protection Bylaw No. 6410-2006 requires an ESC plan and permit for subdivision works, large-scale building permits, grading permits, and soil deposit or removal more than 1 m deep over more than 150 m². Turbidity over 20 NTU is excessive. Source: Bylaw No. 6410-2006
- A Watercourse Protection Development Permit is required for any new development within 50 m of a water feature. Source: City of Maple Ridge: Watercourse 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 Maple Ridge
PCE is based in Langley and works across Langley and the Fraser Valley. Services we take on here:
Got a big job coming up?
Tell us where it is, what needs to come out of the ground and when. We’ll tell you how we would do it.