Board Certified Master Arborist Serving Toronto
Arborist reports and tree protection plans prepared to Toronto Urban Forestry standards.
Toronto's tree protection framework is the most complex in the GTA. It is not one bylaw. It is three overlapping bylaws that apply simultaneously across most of the city, each with its own thresholds, its own application process, and its own enforcement mechanisms. A single infill development project on a typical Toronto lot can trigger requirements under all three.
The Private Tree By-law (Chapter 813, Article III) protects trees on private property with a diameter of 30 cm or greater at 1.4 metres above ground. The Street Tree By-law (Chapter 813, Article II) protects all trees on City-owned land regardless of size. The Ravine and Natural Feature Protection By-law (Chapter 658) protects trees of any size within designated ravine areas. Understanding which bylaws apply to your site, and how they interact, is the first step in any Toronto project.
I work through Toronto's Urban Forestry review process regularly on infill development, additions, and lot severance projects. I am familiar with their submission standards, comment letter patterns, and the specific documentation that satisfies their review. When Urban Forestry sends comments or conditions on your application, I respond directly.
Three Overlapping Bylaws: What Applies to Your Project
Most property owners assume tree protection in Toronto is straightforward. It is not. Here is what each bylaw covers and why the overlap matters.
Private Tree By-law (Chapter 813, Article III)
This is the bylaw most people think of. It protects trees on private property with a trunk diameter of 30 cm or greater, measured at 1.4 metres above ground (DBH). No person may injure, destroy, or remove a protected private tree without a permit. The permit application requires an arborist report, and for development and construction applications, a tree protection plan as well.
When a healthy tree is proposed for removal, the City may require public notice, giving neighbours 14 days to comment before the permit decision is made. This public notification step is unique to Toronto among GTA municipalities and can add time to the approval process on projects where healthy tree removal is involved.
Fines for unlawful injury or removal of protected private trees range from $500 to $100,000 per tree. The City actively enforces the bylaw and issues stop-work orders for construction that violates tree protection conditions.
Proposed threshold change: Toronto is currently reviewing Chapter 813 with a proposed reduction of the private tree threshold from 30 cm to 20 cm. If enacted, this would bring Toronto in line with Burlington and significantly increase the number of regulated trees on residential properties across the city. As of spring 2026, the review is ongoing and public consultation has taken place but the change has not been enacted. I will update this page when it is.
Street Tree By-law (Chapter 813, Article II)
This is the bylaw that catches people off guard. It protects all trees on City-owned streets and boulevards, regardless of size. There is no minimum diameter threshold. A 10 cm caliper boulevard maple is protected the same as a 60 cm oak.
What makes this consequential for development projects: in older Toronto neighbourhoods, the City often owns the first 4.5 metres or more of what appears to be a private front yard. Property owners frequently do not realize that trees they consider "theirs" are actually City street trees. Construction access, driveway widening, utility connections, and demolition staging all commonly conflict with street trees, and permits for street tree injury or removal are notably more difficult to obtain than for private trees.
Any construction that could affect a street tree, including excavation within the root zone, requires a permit and arborist report. Street tree permit conditions are typically more restrictive than private tree conditions.
Ravine and Natural Feature Protection By-law (Chapter 658)
Properties within or adjacent to designated ravine areas are subject to this bylaw, which protects trees of any size. Ravine permits involve a separate review process with an environmental assessment component in addition to arborist documentation.
Toronto has an extensive ravine system. Many residential lots in areas like the Don Valley, Rosedale, Moore Park, the Scarborough Bluffs, and along the Humber River are ravine-designated. If your property is in or adjacent to a ravine, this bylaw applies on top of the private tree and street tree bylaws.
In practice: Most urban infill development sites in Toronto encounter at least two of these three bylaws. A laneway suite on a typical east-end lot may involve the private tree bylaw for trees on the subject property, the street tree bylaw for boulevard trees near the construction access route, and potentially the ravine bylaw if the lot is adjacent to a designated area. Understanding which bylaws apply and how they interact is something I assess as a standard part of every Toronto project.
What Triggers an Arborist Requirement in Toronto?
The project types that most commonly trigger arborist requirements in Toronto are:
Infill development and lot severances. Toronto's established residential neighbourhoods are seeing steady infill activity: lot severances, secondary suites on severed lots, and redevelopment of underutilized properties. On a typical 25 to 50-foot Toronto lot, there may be multiple bylaw-protected trees on or adjacent to the property, all requiring assessment before construction can begin. Severance projects are particularly complex because the arborist documentation must address both the retained lot and the new lot.
Additions and renovations. Rear extensions, second-storey additions, basement underpinning, and garage conversions routinely trigger arborist requirements when construction falls within the zone of influence of a protected tree. The zone of influence is not limited to the property boundary. Trees on neighbouring properties within 6 metres of the property line must be surveyed and assessed.
Laneway suites and garden suites. Accessory dwelling units on established lots are some of the most arboriculturally complex projects in residential development. Mature trees, tight setbacks, access route conflicts with boulevard trees, and neighbour tree disputes converge in a constrained space. Toronto Urban Forestry requires an arborist report and tree protection plan as part of the laneway or garden suite permit application.
Building permits near protected trees. Any building permit application where construction may injure or affect a protected tree, whether private, street, or ravine-designated, requires arborist documentation.
Committee of Adjustment and Toronto Local Planning Appeal Body (TLAB) proceedings. Arborist evidence and reports are part of the record at CoA and TLAB hearings. Decision-makers increasingly weigh tree preservation arguments when evaluating minor variances and consents.
How Toronto's Review Process Works
Toronto Urban Forestry has a formal site plan review role. Arborist reports and tree protection plans submitted as part of development applications are reviewed by Urban Forestry staff, who issue comments as part of the site plan approval process. Those comments must be resolved before site plan approval is granted.
Here is how the process typically unfolds:
Step 1: Arborist report and tree protection plan submission. The arborist report and TPP are submitted as part of the development application, building permit application, or tree removal permit application. The report must inventory all trees on the subject property and on adjacent properties within 6 metres of the property line. For each tree: species, DBH, condition, structural status, and a recommendation (retain with protection, retain with mitigation, or remove with justification).
Step 2: Urban Forestry staff review. Staff review the arborist documentation and issue comments. Common comment letter items include: requests for additional tree survey data (trees missed or trees on adjacent properties not assessed), requests for more detailed protection specifications, challenges to proposed removals where staff believe retention is feasible, and requests for revised TPZ calculations.
Step 3: Comment resolution. The arborist responds to Urban Forestry's comments with revised documentation, additional information, or clarification. This back-and-forth can take one round or several, depending on the complexity of the site and the quality of the initial submission. A well-prepared initial report that anticipates staff concerns minimizes this stage. A generic or incomplete report extends it by weeks.
Step 4: Permit conditions and security deposits. Once Urban Forestry is satisfied, permit conditions are issued. Conditions typically include tree protection requirements, replacement planting obligations, and security deposits. Toronto requires a Tree Protection Guarantee Deposit (including the appraised value of protected trees, removal costs, and replacement costs) and a Tree Planting Guarantee Deposit for replacement trees. For mature trees, the combined guarantee deposit can exceed $11,000 per tree.
Step 5: Replacement planting. When removal is approved, Toronto requires replacement trees to be planted at a minimum of 50 mm caliper for deciduous trees and 1.75 to 2.5 metres in height for coniferous trees. Replanting must occur in the next spring or fall planting season after construction completion. The planting security deposit is held for two years after planting and is returned only after the City confirms the replacement trees are established and healthy.
Step 6: Protection installation and construction. Tree protection hoarding must be installed to the specifications in the approved TPP before construction begins. Urban Forestry inspectors conduct compliance checks during construction. Violations of protection conditions can result in stop-work orders, additional fines, and forfeiture of security deposits.
Services for Toronto Projects
Arborist Reports for Development and Permit Applications. Full arborist reports covering all trees within the zone of influence, prepared to Toronto Urban Forestry submission standards. Each tree is individually assessed and documented. Reports are formatted to minimize comment letters and expedite the review process.
Tree Protection Plans. Construction-specific plans showing protection zones, hoarding specifications, construction staging restrictions, root zone management, and mitigation measures for each retained tree. Prepared to satisfy Urban Forestry's site plan review conditions.
Laneway Suite and Garden Suite Assessments. Comprehensive assessments for ADU projects, addressing the specific challenges of building accessory dwellings on established lots with mature trees, constrained access routes, and adjacent property tree conflicts.
Lot Severance and Infill Assessments. Full site assessments covering both the retained lot and the new lot, with preservation strategies and removal justifications that address the specific questions Urban Forestry raises on severance applications.
Construction Monitoring. Scheduled site visits to verify protection measures, document compliance with permit conditions, and provide arborist oversight when work occurs near retained trees.
AirSpade Root Investigation. When construction must encroach on a tree protection zone, non-destructive root excavation to verify root locations and inform the preservation strategy. I carry dedicated AirSpade equipment for this work.
Committee of Adjustment and TLAB Support. Arborist documentation and evidence prepared for CoA and TLAB hearings, where tree preservation arguments are increasingly relevant to variance and consent decisions.
Early Design Consultation. Pre-design advisory for architects, builders, and homeowners before drawings are finalized. On infill and addition projects in Toronto, understanding where the tree constraints fall before the foundation is designed prevents the expensive redesigns that happen when Urban Forestry review surfaces conflicts the design did not account for.
Turnaround and Process
For most residential infill and addition projects in Toronto, turnaround on the arborist report and tree protection plan is five to seven business days from the site visit. Larger sites, multi-tree severance projects, or sites with ravine designations may take seven to ten business days.
I manage the arboricultural side of your application from initial site visit through Urban Forestry review, comment resolution, protection installation, and construction completion. When Urban Forestry issues comments, I respond directly with revised documentation or additional information. The goal is to resolve their requirements efficiently without adding weeks to your approval timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
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If there are trees 30 cm DBH or larger on your property, or on adjacent properties within 6 metres of the property line, and your proposed construction falls within the zone of influence of those trees, yes. Toronto requires arborist documentation as part of the permit application. If your project also affects City-owned street trees or is within a designated ravine area, additional requirements apply under separate bylaws. A brief conversation will clarify exactly which requirements apply to your project.
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Most infill development sites in Toronto are affected by at least two bylaws simultaneously. The Private Tree By-law covers regulated trees on your property and neighbours' properties. The Street Tree By-law covers any City-owned trees on the boulevard or road allowance near your site. The Ravine By-law applies if your property is in or adjacent to a designated ravine. Each bylaw has its own application process, but a single arborist report can address all three if it is prepared with that scope from the start. I assess which bylaws apply as a standard part of every Toronto project.
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Fines range from $500 to $100,000 per tree. Each tree removed without a valid permit is a separate offence. The City actively enforces the bylaw and has issued fines well into the tens of thousands in documented cases. Stop-work orders are also common when construction violates tree protection conditions. It is not worth the risk.
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Toronto is currently reviewing Chapter 813 with a proposed reduction from 30 cm to 20 cm. Public consultation has taken place but the change has not been enacted as of spring 2026. If the threshold is reduced, significantly more trees on residential properties will become regulated, and projects that currently do not require arborist involvement may begin to require it. I will update this page when the change is confirmed.
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Toronto requires two types of deposits. A Tree Protection Guarantee Deposit covers the appraised value of City-owned trees plus removal and replacement costs. For mature trees, this can exceed $11,000 per tree. A Tree Planting Guarantee Deposit covers replacement planting and is held for two years after planting to ensure the replacement trees survive. Both deposits are returned once the City confirms compliance with all permit conditions.
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Fees depend on the number of trees, the number of bylaws involved, and the complexity of the site. A straightforward addition project with a few regulated trees is less involved than a lot severance with 15 trees across three properties and a street tree conflict. I provide a fixed quote after an initial conversation about your project. No surprises.
Working on a project in Toronto?
Tell me what you are dealing with. I will tell you what you need, and what you do not.