The application fee on the city’s website is one cost of several. On a construction file near a protected tree, the security deposit can be bigger than everything else combined.
The Permit Application Fee
The city charges per tree, and the fee isn’t refundable whether your application is approved or not.
As of the 2026 fee schedule: for a standard private-tree removal with no construction involved, it’s $145.87 per tree. If your work is construction-related, that jumps to $436.39 per tree. Boundary or neighbour-tree applications cost $304.51 for non-construction and $913.58 for construction applications.
You pay when you file, through the online portal, and the receipt says application fees are non-refundable. If the permit gets denied, that money’s gone. Staff refund it when the file belongs to another office, such as a ravine tree filed with a district office.
The fee you pay at filing is not always the final number. Staff confirm each tree’s category during review. If they find a boundary or neighbour tree, or the work is construction, they bill the difference. Every tree on a construction application pays the construction fee, including trees in poor condition. That balance and any cash-in-lieu are due before the permit issues. Staff take payment by a booked credit card phone call, at a Tree Protection and Plan Review counter, by certified cheque, money order or bank draft, or by wire transfer.
The Arborist Report
You can’t file without one. What goes in it depends on what you’re doing.
A removal application needs an assessment of the tree’s species, trunk diameter, health, and grounds for removal. The current offer for an arborist report for tree removal from ARG starts at $200 (excluding HST) for up to three trees. The standard rate is $250. For how that compares across the region, see our breakdown of arborist report costs in the GTA.
A construction application is more involved. You need a construction impact assessment, documentation of the tree protection zone, and a preservation plan describing how the tree gets protected during the project. A construction arborist report starts at $550 (excluding HST). These files also go through more detailed city review than a straightforward removal.
Tree Protection Fencing
If you’re keeping a protected tree on a construction site, the hoarding goes up before the tree permit issues, and Urban Forestry approves it from photos or a site visit. It stays up until all work near the tree is finished, and it comes down only after the planner confirms in writing.
The cost depends on how many trees need protection, how much perimeter is required, and what site access looks like. There is no flat rate. It is quoted by scope.
The Construction Security Deposit
The City can require a tree protection guarantee when work can affect a City-owned street tree. The amount equals the appraised value of the tree plus removal and replacement costs. The City calculates the value from diameter, species, condition and location using the CTLA/ISA appraisal method. It accepts debit, credit card, money order, certified cheque, bank draft or a letter of credit payable to the Treasurer, City of Toronto.
The guarantee is held through construction. Once the work is done and the city confirms the tree survived and all permit conditions were met, the money is returned. It’s not a fee. But it does have to be tied up for the duration of your project.
Cash-in-Lieu and the Planting Security Deposit
These two items share the same dollar figure but work in opposite directions.
Cash-in-lieu is a one-way, non-refundable payment of $583 per tree. It applies when your removal permit is approved but the city decides on-site replanting isn’t physically feasible. The conditions under which the city accepts cash-in-lieu rather than requiring replanting are covered in the replant or cash-in-lieu post.
The tree planting guarantee is different. The $583 per tree guarantee deposit applies to trees planted on a City street or inside a Ravine Protected Area, not to ordinary private-property replanting. For private trees, the replacement condition is secured by a signed and witnessed Undertaking and Release. A street-tree guarantee is released two years after planting, once the trees show healthy, vigorous growth. A guarantee inside a Ravine Protected Area is released once the City confirms the trees are planted. It’s refundable. Once the work is complete and the conditions are met, file the Guarantee Deposit Refund Request with photos. Staff inspect the site or review the photos, then the refund goes out.
Construction-Phase Monitoring
Permit conditions on construction files routinely require periodic arborist site visits during the build. The arborist checks that tree protection measures are still in place and produces documentation for the city record.
The permit conditions set the number of visits from the scope and timeline of your project. Our construction supervision starts at $145 per hour with a three-hour minimum.
Other GTA Cities Set Their Own Fees
Toronto’s numbers don’t carry over to other municipalities. The dollar amounts differ, and so does the underlying structure.
- Mississauga charges a base application fee, then a smaller fee for each additional tree. Dead or dying trees carry no fee. See Mississauga’s permit guide for the amounts.
- Brampton charges a flat fee, regardless of how many trees are on the application. Confirm with Brampton for the amount.
- Markham charges a non-refundable residential permit processing fee, and its 2026 tariff separately lists a fee for the first removed tree and a lower fee for each additional tree. See Markham’s permit guide for the amounts.
- Oakville charges one fee for the first tree in the 15 to 24 cm diameter range and a higher fee for each additional tree or any tree over 24 cm. There’s also a refundable security deposit per replacement tree. See Oakville’s permit guide for the amounts.
We prepare construction arborist reports for Toronto and GTA building permit applications. We scope the file before the site visit so the report covers what city reviewers need to see, and we tell you in advance whether your application triggers a security deposit. Contact us with your site address and the nature of the project and we’ll confirm what’s involved.