A GTA tree permit covers more than large or heritage trees. The size threshold changes from one municipality to the next: Mississauga protects private trees from 15 cm, Toronto from 30 cm. A removal without the permit costs far more than the permit itself.
The 30 cm Rule Is Not Universal
Toronto (including Etobicoke, North York and Scarborough), Brampton and Caledon protect any tree on private property with a trunk diameter of 30 cm or more at breast height (measured at 1.4 metres above ground). Whitchurch-Stouffville applies its bylaw only inside its listed settlement areas (10 cm (Private Tree below the Mature Tree class, identified for protection on Landscape Plans with a site plan, subdivision or consent application in a Secondary Plan settlement area); 30 cm (Mature Tree in a Secondary Plan settlement area, regulated through a site plan, subdivision or consent application)). That measurement is a diameter, not a circumference. To check it, wrap a flexible tape around the trunk at the right height and divide by 3.14.
Mississauga’s threshold drops to 15 cm. Burlington sits at 20 cm inside its Urban Planning Area, excluding Halton woodland. A private tree from 15 cm to under 30 cm, outside a ravine area, needs no Chapter 813 permit in Toronto but needs a permit two kilometres away in Mississauga. Your property tax bill names the municipality your property falls under.
Toronto Has Two Overlapping Bylaws
In Toronto, Chapter 813 of the Municipal Code covers private trees 30 cm in diameter and above. A tree that Urban Forestry has confirmed in writing as 100 percent dead qualifies for an exception. A declining tree that is not completely dead still follows the permit process.
Properties in designated ravine and natural feature areas fall under a second bylaw, Chapter 658 (the Ravine and Natural Feature Protection bylaw). Under Chapter 658, trees of any size are protected, and permits are required for removal, grading, filling, or any construction that could alter the area.
If your property sits in both zones, you need approval under both. A ravine (RNFP) application needs more documentation than a standard Chapter 813 application and takes longer.
What the Permit Application Requires
Across the GTA, a permit application for tree removal on private property requires:
- A completed application form (city-specific)
- An arborist report prepared by an ISA Certified Arborist
- A site plan showing the location of the tree relative to structures and property lines
- Photographs of the tree
- The applicable permit fee
In Toronto, the fee is $145.87 per tree for a standard residential removal not tied to construction, and $436.39 per tree when the removal is part of a construction or development project (2026 fee schedule). Brampton charges a flat application fee, non-refundable, regardless of how many trees are included. Confirm with Brampton for the amount.
The reviewer weighs the arborist report most heavily. It needs to cover the tree’s species, trunk diameter, health condition, structural integrity, and the reason the removal is being requested. Toronto staff review the package as filed and tell the applicant in writing which items are missing. Review picks up again once those items arrive.
Replanting Is Part of the Approval
Urban Forestry sets the number of replacement trees as a permit condition. Chapter 813 itself sets no ratio. If your property cannot accommodate the required trees, the city can accept cash-in-lieu at $583 per tree. Reviewers push back on cash-in-lieu when planting space exists.
In Brampton, the Commissioner of Community Services sets replanting conditions case by case.
Penalties for Unauthorized Removal
Toronto’s fines range from $500 to $100,000 per tree. Brampton’s maximum fine is $100,000 per tree, with continuing offences adding a daily fine. City bylaw enforcement staff investigate complaints, review aerial imagery, and conduct site visits after the fact.
Beyond fines, the city can require you to plant replacement trees at a ratio higher than what the standard permit process would have required.
Construction Projects Face Additional Requirements
When tree removal is part of a construction or development project, the tree review is coordinated with the applicable building or planning application. Projects subject to site plan control include a tree inventory and preservation plan in that package. Smaller construction projects use the municipality’s construction-related tree permit instead.
Trees that cannot be preserved in place still require removal authorization. The preservation plan must address how retained trees will be protected during construction, including root zone protection and construction exclusion zones. For construction projects near trees, a construction arborist report is part of the permit submission.
When an Exemption Applies
Brampton, East Gwillimbury and Caledon exempt hazardous trees from the permit outright. Vaughan has no such exemption: a dead or hazardous tree of 20 cm or more needs its Dead, Hazardous or Emerald Ash Borer-Infected Tree Permit, which has no fee and needs no arborist report. Toronto exempts a 100 percent dead tree, but only after the City confirms it, unless immediate work is needed to remove a danger. Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington and Pickering still require a permit and waive or reduce the fee. Richmond Hill uses a separate Exemption Permit. Markham and Newmarket require a permit with lighter documentation. Brampton also exempts trees within two metres of an occupied building. Cities read “immediate hazard” narrowly. Leaning toward a fence does not make a tree an immediate hazard. Documentation from a certified arborist identifying the hazard before removal is the only reliable way to establish that an exemption applies, particularly if a neighbour files a complaint after the fact.
Each City Reviews Reports to Its Own Standard
The arborist report is the piece most likely to cause delays when it is incomplete or prepared to a different municipality’s standards.
If you are working on a permit application in Toronto, Brampton, or anywhere else in the GTA, we write the report to that municipality’s requirements. See our tree removal reports page, or contact us with your address.