The fee you find on the city’s website is real. It’s just not the whole story. For most removal permits it’s manageable, but if you’re doing any construction near a protected tree, the security deposit alone can end up bigger than everything else on the file combined. Here’s what’s actually in the stack.
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 (adjusted annually): 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. If the permit gets denied or you withdraw the application, that money’s gone.
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, so getting the scope right the first time saves real time in the queue.
Tree Protection Fencing
If your construction permit is approved and you’re keeping a protected tree on site, the city will require fencing around it before any work starts. It stays up through the entire project.
The cost depends on how many trees need protection, how much perimeter is required, and what site access looks like. There’s no flat rate; it’s quoted by scope.
The Construction Security Deposit
This is the one that catches people off guard.
For any application where a protected tree is at risk of construction impact, the city may require a financial guarantee before your project proceeds. It’s typically posted as a letter of credit. The amount is based on the city’s own appraisal of the affected tree and can be substantial: on large mature trees, it’s sometimes more than every other cost in the file combined.
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.
There’s no fixed public formula for private-tree deposits. The amount is set case by case at the time of review. If you’re planning a build near a mature tree, ask about this before you finalize your project budget.
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. That payment doesn’t come back. 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 planting security deposit is different. When replanting is required as a permit condition, the city may hold approximately $583 per replacement tree as security. The deposit is held for about two years after planting, then released once the city confirms the trees have established. It’s refundable.
Same dollar basis, opposite mechanics. One’s permanent; one comes back.
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.
Monitoring is billed per visit. The number of visits is set by the permit conditions, which reflect the scope and timeline of your project. A short excavation might need a handful of visits. A multi-month build directly adjacent to a protected tree could require monitoring throughout. You can’t calculate the total at the outset; it accumulates as the project goes.
This is the component most people don’t account for at the planning stage. On longer timelines it becomes a real line item.
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 $399.77 (including HST) for the base application, then $139.72 for each additional tree. Dead or dying trees carry no fee.
- Brampton keeps it simple: $55.73 flat, regardless of how many trees are on the application.
- Markham charges a $20.50 non-refundable residential permit processing fee. Its 2026 tariff separately lists $203.50 for the first removed tree and $102 for each additional tree, with HST where applicable.
- Oakville charges $65 for the first tree in the 15 to 24 cm diameter range and $425 for each additional tree or any tree over 24 cm. There’s also a $300 refundable security deposit per replacement tree.
Deposit requirements, replanting conditions, and monitoring obligations all vary by city as well. Toronto’s figures don’t transfer to a project in Mississauga or Oakville.
The Fee Schedule Shows You One Number in a Longer List
It tells you what the application costs. It doesn’t tell you what the file costs, and on construction projects near mature trees the gap between those two numbers is real.
Our team prepares 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 can tell you in advance whether your application is likely to trigger a security deposit requirement. Contact us with your site address and the nature of the project and we’ll confirm what’s involved.