Board Certified Master Arborist serving Toronto
Arborist reports and tree protection plans prepared to Toronto Urban Forestry standards. When Urban Forestry sends comments or conditions, I respond directly.
Toronto at a glance
| Protected | The rule |
|---|---|
| Private trees | 30 cm or more, measured at 1.4 m |
| Street trees | Any size, on City streets and road allowances |
| Ravine areas | Any size, inside the areas mapped in Chapter 658 |
| Distinctive trees | Healthy trees over 61 cm get extra weight in permit review. Since September 1, 2026 |
| Lower threshold | 20 cm endorsed in principle. Not in force; staff report due 2027 |
Three overlapping bylaws
Toronto’s tree protection isn’t one bylaw. It’s three that apply at the same time, each with its own application and enforcement. One infill project on a typical lot can involve all of them.
Private trees. A permit is needed to injure or remove a private tree 30 cm or more in diameter, measured at 1.4 m, and the application needs an arborist report. When a healthy tree is involved, a notice is posted on the property for at least 14 days.
Street trees. Every tree on a City street or road allowance is protected, at any size. That often includes part of what looks like a front yard, so trees owners think of as theirs are often City trees. Construction access, driveways, service connections and demolition staging are the usual conflicts.
Ravine areas. Inside the areas mapped under the ravine bylaw, trees of any size are protected through a separate permit. The maps are worth checking early, lot by lot.
What changed on September 1, 2026. Healthy trees over 61 cm are now “distinctive trees,” and the City has to weigh that when it reviews a permit to remove or injure one. Trees planted under a permit or approval are protected at any size, and replacement for trees removed without a permit now scales with size. Council has also endorsed dropping the threshold to 20 cm, but that isn’t in force.
What triggers an arborist report in Toronto?
- Infill and severances. The documentation has to cover both the retained lot and the new one.
- Additions and renovations. Rear extensions, second storeys, underpinning and garage conversions often reach the root zone of a protected tree, including trees on neighbouring lots within 6 metres.
- Laneway and garden suites. The City’s position is that a suite shouldn’t cost a healthy protected tree, so the footprint needs to work around them. See infill development.
- Rezoning, subdivision and site plan applications with protected trees on the site or within 6 metres of it.
- Committee of Adjustment and TLAB hearings, where arborist evidence becomes part of the record.
How I can help
- Arborist reports covering every protected tree, formatted to Urban Forestry’s standards
- Tree protection plans and hoarding that pass inspection
- Laneway, garden suite and severance assessments
- Construction monitoring and AirSpade root investigation
- Committee of Adjustment and TLAB support
- Early design advice, before drawings are final
For most residential projects, the report and protection plan take five to seven business days from the site visit. Larger sites, multi-tree severances and ravine lots take seven to ten. I stay on the file through Urban Forestry review, protection installation and the end of construction.
Official sources
For the full rules, go to the source. Last checked 6 October 2026.
Also working in Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton. Compare the rules side by side in the tree bylaws guide.
Common questions
Do I need an arborist report for a building permit in Toronto?
If the work could injure or remove a protected tree, yes. That means a private tree 30 cm or larger on your lot or a neighbour’s, a City street tree, or any tree in a mapped ravine area. Every building permit also needs a Tree Declaration. A short conversation will tell you which apply.
How do Toronto’s three tree bylaws interact?
They apply side by side, each with its own application. Most infill sites hit at least two. One report can cover all three if it is scoped that way from the start.
Is Toronto lowering the 30 cm threshold?
Council endorsed lowering it to 20 cm in principle in March 2026, but it isn’t in force. Staff report back in 2027. If it goes ahead, many more trees on residential lots will be regulated.
What are the fines for removing a tree without a permit in Toronto?
From $500 to $100,000 per tree. Since September 2026, replacement planting for trees removed without a permit also scales up with the size of the tree.
How much does an arborist report cost in Toronto?
It depends on the number of trees, how many bylaws are involved and the site. An addition with a few protected trees is simpler than a severance with 15 trees across three properties and a street tree conflict. I give a fixed quote after a short conversation.
Working on a project in Toronto?
Tell me what you are dealing with, and I will tell you what you need and what you can skip.