Replant or Pay Cash-in-Lieu: How GTA Tree Replacement Rules Work

When a GTA municipality approves your tree removal permit, the approval almost always comes with a condition: replace what you removed, or pay the city to plant trees elsewhere. The formula for calculating that obligation differs significantly from one city to the next.

The Logic Behind Replacement Requirements

Tree replacement conditions exist because most bylaws frame urban canopy as a shared resource. Removing a protected tree reduces it. The permit process is not just administrative clearance; it is the city’s mechanism for deciding whether the loss is justified and, if it is, how to offset it.

The two outcomes are on-site replanting (you plant replacement trees at your own property) and cash-in-lieu (you pay the city per tree, and the city plants elsewhere in the municipality). Cities generally prefer on-site replanting. Cash-in-lieu is the fallback when a property cannot physically accommodate the required number of trees.

Toronto: 1 Tree Per 10 cm of Diameter

Toronto’s Chapter 813 bylaw ties the replacement requirement directly to the size of the removed tree. For every 10 cm of trunk diameter (measured at breast height), one replacement tree is required. A tree with a 30 cm diameter creates an obligation for 3 replacements. A tree at 50 cm requires 5.

If the property cannot accommodate that number, the city may accept a cash-in-lieu payment of $583 per tree. That figure is set under the Municipal Code’s fees and charges schedule.

The city has become increasingly reluctant to accept cash-in-lieu on applications where staff determine that planting space exists on the property. Applicants who propose cash-in-lieu as a convenience rather than a genuine site constraint can expect pushback during the review. Your arborist report and replanting plan need to explain, specifically, why on-site planting at the required ratio is not feasible.

Properties in Toronto’s ravine and natural feature areas (RNFP zones) face stricter review overall. Replacement conditions in those applications are typically more involved than a standard Chapter 813 file.

Mississauga: 1 Tree Per 15 cm of Diameter, Plus a Security Deposit

Mississauga uses a similar DBH-based formula but with a finer interval: one replacement tree for every 15 cm of trunk diameter removed. A 45 cm tree requires 3 replacements; a 60 cm tree requires 4.

Mississauga also requires a security deposit to confirm that replacement obligations are met. The deposit is returned once the city confirms the replacement trees are established. If on-site planting cannot accommodate the full requirement, the city accepts cash-in-lieu; the rate is set through the city’s fees and charges bylaw and is updated periodically. For the current figure, see the Mississauga permit guide.

One practical note: Mississauga’s protected diameter threshold is 15 cm, the lowest in the GTA. Trees that would not trigger a permit in Toronto or Brampton can generate a replacement obligation in Mississauga.

Vaughan: Tiered Ratios by Tree Size

Vaughan uses a tiered replacement schedule rather than a continuous formula. The number of required replacement trees depends on the size bracket the removed tree falls into:

• 20-30 cm diameter: 1 replacement tree
• 31-40 cm diameter: 2 replacement trees
• 41-50 cm diameter: 3 replacement trees
• Over 50 cm diameter: 4 replacement trees

Replacements must be completed within 12 months of permit issuance. Vaughan also runs a subsidized tree program (Greening Vaughan) that offers reduced-cost native trees and shrubs, which can be a practical way to meet the replanting condition.

Oakville: 1 Per 10 cm, With a Refundable Deposit

Oakville’s formula matches Toronto’s at 1 replacement tree per 10 cm of DBH removed. A 30 cm tree requires 3 replacements. Where Oakville differs is in the deposit structure: a refundable $300 security deposit is required per replacement tree. The deposit is returned once the trees are confirmed as established on the property.

If on-site planting is not feasible, cash-in-lieu applies. Oakville directs those funds to its public tree planting program.

Markham: Construction Removals Use Escalating Ratios

Markham’s replacement rules are more aggressive for construction-related removals and increase with tree size:

• 20-40 cm diameter: 2 replacement trees per tree removed
• 40-60 cm: 3 replacements
• 60-80 cm: 4 replacements
• Over 80 cm: 5 replacements

If the property cannot accommodate the required replacements, Markham accepts cash-in-lieu at $600 per tree. That amount funds public tree planting within the city.

Unauthorized removal in Markham carries a separate penalty ratio of 6:1, significantly higher than the permitted removal rate. The city investigates complaints and can require retroactive planting.

Brampton: No Fixed Formula

Brampton is the outlier in the region. Its Tree Preservation By-law 317-2012 does not specify a fixed replacement ratio. Replanting conditions are set case-by-case by the Commissioner of Community Services, based on the specific circumstances of the removal. This means the obligation on one application can look quite different from a comparable application on the next street. The variability makes it harder to anticipate costs at the outset.

Where Replacement Trees Must Go

Across the GTA, the default expectation is that replacement trees are planted on the same property from which the removed tree came. Cities may specify planting locations during the permit review, particularly if the property has constrained space or setback conflicts.

Species selection matters. Most municipalities prefer or require native or locally appropriate species. Toronto’s Urban Forestry staff may reject replacement proposals for non-native or invasive cultivars. Common approved choices include native oaks, maples, serviceberry, and tulip tree, though availability and site conditions shape what is practical. Your arborist report should include a replanting plan with specific species recommendations and planting locations; a vague note that “replacement trees will be planted” is not sufficient for most reviewers.

Off-site planting on public land is occasionally permitted, but it requires city agreement and is typically treated as an exception.

The Arborist Report Must Cover the Replanting Plan

The replacement condition is part of the permit, not something addressed separately after approval. A tree removal permit report that only covers the removed tree’s condition and the reason for removal will generate a follow-up request from city staff asking for the replanting plan. That adds time to the review.

The replanting plan needs to specify the number of trees required (calculated against the applicable formula), the proposed species, planting locations on a site plan, and, if cash-in-lieu is being proposed, the reason on-site planting is not feasible.

If you are uncertain which report type your project requires, the arborist report selection guide covers the distinction between removal reports and construction impact assessments, which use a different process entirely.

Summary of GTA Replacement Formulas

Fees and rates are set through municipal fee schedules and are updated periodically. Confirm the current figure with the relevant city or through the permit guides linked above before relying on any specific number.