Newmarket Tree Removal Permit: Rules, Fees & Arborist Reports

Newmarket protects private trees 20 cm and larger

Newmarket’s Private Tree Protection By-law 2022-10 protects trees 20 cm or larger in diameter on private property, and extends the same protection to qualifying neighbouring trees within 6 metres of a subject site. On top of the diameter threshold, the bylaw sets a Heritage Tree category, meaning a tree designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act or recognized by the Ontario Heritage Tree Program of Trees Ontario. No one may injure or destroy a Heritage Tree unless approved under the Ontario Heritage Act and issued a Private Tree Permit.

The application fee scales with the number of trees in one submission, so batching a multi-tree removal into one application costs less.

The Private Tree Protection By-law

By-law 2022-10 applies to every tree 20 cm DBH or larger on private property, plus qualifying neighbouring trees. It sits alongside three other governing documents: the Public Tree Protection By-law 2017-59 (municipal trees), the Woodlot By-law 2007-71 (private woodlots 0.2 to 1.0 ha), and York Region’s Forest Conservation By-law (woodlands of 1 ha or more).

What Requires a Permit

• Removing or injuring any tree 20 cm+ DBH on private property
• Removing or injuring a qualifying neighbouring tree within 6 m of the subject site
• Development applications require a full Tree Inventory (OLS survey) and preservation plan

Exemptions

• Dead or dying trees (permit still required, but no arborist report needed)
• Hazardous trees (arborist report required; no fee, no replacement trees)
• Emergency removals (email notification with photos to the Town is sufficient; no permit needed)

A Heritage Tree is never exempt. Its removal needs approval under the Ontario Heritage Act as well as a Private Tree Permit.

How to Apply for a Tree Removal Permit

Step 1: Measure and Check Heritage Tree Status

Confirm diameter at 1.4 m above ground. Then check whether the tree holds a Heritage Tree designation. If it does, the Ontario Heritage Act approval comes before the permit.

Step 2: Hire an ISA or MTCU Certified Arborist

Newmarket requires an arborist report for all applications except dead or dying trees. Multi-stem trees use the RMS formula (square root of the sum of squared stem diameters) rather than a simple sum, which changes the threshold calculation on trees with several trunks.

Step 3: Complete the Tree Report Form and Submit

Every Planning Act application in Newmarket also requires the Town’s Tree Report Form, a two-part fillable document: Part 1 declares no trees over 20 cm DBH nearby, Part 2 declares trees are present and an arborist report will follow. The removal application itself is a fillable PDF emailed to planning@newmarket.ca.

Step 4: Pay the Tiered Application Fee

The application fee is tiered by the number of trees. Confirm with Newmarket for the amounts. A $105.16 per-tree review fee applies before HST.

Fees

• Application fee: tiered by the number of trees. Confirm with Newmarket for the amounts.
• Plus: $105.16 per-tree review fee, before HST

Replacement Requirements

Non-construction removals use a flat 1:1 count, minimum 60mm caliper per replacement tree. Construction-related removals use the Aggregate Inch Method, where total replacement caliper must equal total removed diameter, calculated in 60mm caliper units. Cash-in-lieu varies by permit type: none for dead or dying trees, 100% of tree value tied to a building or pool permit, and double replacement value for nuisance removal. Confirm with Newmarket for the per-tree amounts. Security deposits run 100% of the ISA-appraised tree value, or 20% for woodlands.

Working with The Arborist Group

We check every Newmarket removal for a Heritage Tree designation first, since that approval comes before the permit. Where a project involves several trees, we help structure the application to make the most of the tiered fee schedule, and we prepare both the arborist report and the Town’s required Tree Report Form so nothing holds up the submission.