Where a municipal tree permit is required, the application goes to the city and the property owner normally pays the fee. Regional woodland rules and development applications follow their own processes. Understanding which rules apply before you call anyone can prevent delays.
Confirm the Tree Falls Under the Bylaw
Before you prepare anything, measure the trunk. Most GTA bylaws protect trees at or above a minimum diameter measured at breast height (DBH), which is 1.4 metres above ground. Wrap a flexible tape around the trunk at that height and divide the circumference by 3.14 to get the diameter. See our DBH measuring guide for the multi-stem and leaning-trunk cases.
The threshold varies by city:
- Toronto and Brampton: 30 cm DBH
- Mississauga: 15 cm DBH
- Burlington: 20 cm DBH
A tree that clears the bar in one municipality may be unprotected two kilometres away. If you are near a municipal boundary or your property straddles two jurisdictions, check both.
Understand Which Permit Type Applies
Municipalities that require individual-tree permits commonly distinguish between healthy trees and dead or dying trees, and the distinction can affect both the paperwork and the fee.
For a healthy tree, the city typically requires a written justification: construction impact, disease risk, or property development. The full fee applies, and the arborist report needs to address why removal is warranted rather than alternatives like pruning or root management.
For a dead or declining tree, the process is usually lighter. Mississauga charges no permit fee for dead or dying trees. In Toronto, a tree confirmed in writing by Urban Forestry as 100 percent dead can qualify for an exception. A declining tree that is not completely dead still follows the permit process. Do not treat an exception as self-administered. Get the municipality’s required confirmation before removal.
If the tree poses an immediate safety hazard (a broken scaffold limb, a trunk that has partially failed), some bylaws allow emergency removal without advance approval, but you will generally need to notify the city and document the hazard after the fact. Do not assume the hazard exemption applies without checking your city’s bylaw first.
Get an ISA Certified Arborist Report
Many GTA tree removal permit applications require an arborist report prepared by an ISA Certified Arborist. Check the applicable municipal or regional process before commissioning one. Where a report is required, it is the document the reviewer weighs most heavily, and missing information can generate a request for revisions.
A complete report covers:
- Species identification and trunk diameter at breast height
- Health condition rating (typically Good, Fair, Poor, or Dead)
- Structural integrity assessment
- The reason removal is proposed
- A replanting plan that meets the specific city’s replacement ratio
For construction-related removals, the report must also address how trees remaining on the property will be protected during the work. That is a different document type (a construction impact report), not just a longer version of the removal report. See which report type you need if your situation involves an active build.
The report is the piece most likely to cause delays when it is incomplete or written to the wrong municipality’s standards. Toronto’s reviewers have specific expectations that differ from Mississauga’s or Brampton’s. Our tree removal reports are written to each city’s requirements, which reduces the chance of a follow-up request.
Locate Your Tree Number on the Permit Portal
When you submit through an online portal, the city assigns each tree on the application a unique tree number. In Toronto, the application goes through the city’s Forest and Environmental Permit System (FEPS) at secure.toronto.ca. Each tree you are seeking to remove gets its own line item with a corresponding tree number.
This tree number matters after approval. The permit, if granted, is issued per tree. If you later add a tree to the removal scope, you need to amend the application and pay the fee again. The removal contractor and the arborist reference the same tree numbers throughout, so the site plan and the report need to use consistent identifiers.
Mississauga and Brampton use their own municipal portals. The portal link for each city is in the corresponding permit guide: Toronto permit guide, Mississauga permit guide, Brampton permit guide.
Assemble the Application Package
Once the arborist report is ready, the package for most GTA municipalities includes:
- Completed application form (city-specific)
- ISA Certified Arborist report
- Site plan showing each tree’s location relative to structures and property lines
- Photographs of the tree (exterior, any visible defects)
- The permit fee
Submit everything together. Most cities will not begin their review until the package is complete. Submitting the form without the arborist report and expecting to add it later costs you time.
Pay the Fee at Submission
The applicant pays the municipal fee at submission. A property owner, contractor, developer, or another party may privately agree who ultimately bears that cost. The municipality’s payment requirement and any private reimbursement are separate.
Current fees grounded from city permit guides:
- Toronto: $145.87 per tree for non-construction removals; $436.39 per tree for construction-related removals (Chapter 813 applications, 2026 fee schedule; Toronto adjusts annually)
- Brampton: $55.73 flat per application, non-refundable (not per-tree)
- Mississauga: $399.77 (including HST) for the first healthy tree; $139.72 per additional healthy tree; no fee for dead or dying trees
RNFP applications in Toronto (Ravine and Natural Feature Protection areas under Chapter 658) follow a separate fee schedule. Properties along the Don Valley, Humber River corridor, and Highland Creek frequently require approval under both Chapter 813 and Chapter 658. If your property falls in an RNFP zone, confirm the additional fee and the extended processing time with the city before you submit.
Wait for the City Review
Review times vary by municipality, season, application type, and whether revisions are requested. Toronto does not publish a standard review time in its current application guidance. Use a municipality’s published service target only where one exists, and do not treat it as an approval guarantee.
The city may conduct a site visit during review. Staff will verify the tree’s location, condition, and whether the arborist report matches what they observe on site. If they request additional information, the clock effectively resets on the outstanding items.
Approval Comes with Conditions
A permit approval is rarely unconditional. Toronto requires replacement planting at a ratio of one tree for every 10 cm of DBH removed. A 40 cm tree requires four replacements. If your property cannot accommodate the required number, the city may accept cash-in-lieu at $583 per replacement tree, though city reviewers have become more reluctant to approve cash-in-lieu when planting space exists.
Brampton sets replanting conditions on a case-by-case basis through the Commissioner of Community Services, so the obligation can vary significantly between applications. Mississauga’s formula is one replacement per 15 cm of diameter, with a security deposit required to confirm the obligation is met.
Do not remove the tree until you have the permit in hand. The fine for unauthorized removal in Toronto runs from a minimum of $500 to a maximum of $100,000 per tree. Brampton’s maximum is $100,000 with an additional $10,000 per day for continuing offences. Beyond fines, the city can order replanting at a ratio more onerous than what the standard permit process would have imposed.