Scarborough Tree Removal Permit: Rules, Fees & Arborist Reports

Scarborough and Toronto’s Tree Bylaws

Scarborough became part of the City of Toronto through municipal amalgamation in 1998. Scarborough properties follow the same bylaws that govern all Toronto addresses: Chapter 813 (Private Tree Bylaw) and, where applicable, Chapter 658 (Ravine and Natural Feature Protection). There is no separate Scarborough bylaw. Applications go to Toronto’s Urban Forestry department, and the same fees and thresholds apply. A tree outside the RNFP limit goes to the Scarborough district office of Tree Protection and Plan Review, on the third floor of the Scarborough Civic Centre. A tree inside the limit goes to the RNFP team, which covers the whole city. Toronto adopted bylaw amendments effective September 1, 2026, including a Distinctive Tree category for trees over 61 cm DBH. The amendments apply in Scarborough like everywhere else in the city.

The district has a large concentration of mature urban forest. Older subdivisions built between the 1950s and 1970s produced streets lined with trees that are now well past the 30 cm threshold.

Scarborough’s Ravine Areas

We check addresses near these three natural systems against the City’s RNFP map:

The Scarborough Bluffs run along Lake Ontario from Birch Cliff east to Highland Creek. The Bluffs are an active geological feature. We check every Bluffs address against the City’s RNFP map before any tree work.

Highland Creek valley cuts through the eastern part of Scarborough, from Markham Road through to Rouge Beach. We check every address that backs onto the valley or sits near its tributaries against the City’s RNFP map. This includes areas around Kingston Road, Lawrence Avenue East, and the Morningside corridor.

Rouge River corridor forms the eastern boundary of Scarborough and extends into Rouge National Urban Park. We check Rouge corridor addresses against the RNFP map the same way.

Chapter 813: Private Tree Bylaw

Chapter 813 applies to every private property in Toronto, including all of Scarborough. A tree requires a permit if its trunk measures 30 cm or more in diameter at 1.4 metres above ground. This measurement is called diameter at breast height, or DBH. See our guide to measuring DBH for the string method and a worked example.

The bylaw covers removal, injuring, and destruction of protected trees. Root cutting within a tree’s critical root zone, significant pruning, and construction activity that could damage a protected tree all fall under the bylaw’s reach.

Scarborough’s older housing stock means basement waterproofing, additions, and lot severances regularly bring homeowners into contact with Chapter 813. If a construction project will disturb soil within the tree protection zone of a protected tree, the permit requirement kicks in even if you are not planning to remove the tree. For a tree 30 to 40 cm across, the zone reaches 2.4 m from the base of the trunk. It grows by 0.6 m for each further 10 cm band, to 6.0 m at 91 to 100 cm.

Exemptions

The following situations do not require a permit under Chapter 813:

• Dead, terminally diseased, or imminently hazardous trees, once the City has confirmed the condition (s. 813-13 A)
• Emergency work certified by the City (s. 813-13 D)
• Pruning in line with good arboricultural practice to maintain tree health (s. 813-13 B)

Chapter 658: Ravine and Natural Feature Protection

Chapter 658 is the second layer of regulation, and in Scarborough it applies broadly along the Bluffs, Highland Creek, and Rouge corridors. Under RNFP rules, trees of any size are protected within designated areas. The size threshold that governs Chapter 813 does not apply here. A small ornamental tree in an RNFP zone needs a permit just as much as a large one. Replacement planting inside RNFP areas is set by tree diameter under Urban Forestry’s Tree-Based Compensation: one replacement tree for a permitted removal of a tree 19 cm or smaller, then one more for each further 10 cm band, and a steeper table for unauthorized removal. The Toronto guide has the table.

RNFP permits cover removal, grading, filling, and construction that could affect the natural landscape. The RNFP team reviews them, not the district office. The City lists a plan of survey, a site plan, an arborist report, landscape and forest restoration plans, grading plans, a geotechnical report and, where they apply, stewardship plans.

A tree inside the designated RNFP area needs a Chapter 658 permit only. A tree on the same lot outside the RNFP line falls under Chapter 813.

How to Apply for a Tree Removal Permit

Step 1: Check What Applies to Your Property

Measure the tree’s diameter at breast height to determine whether Chapter 813 applies. Then use the city’s online mapping tools to check whether your property falls within an RNFP-designated area. Scarborough addresses work with the same City of Toronto mapping portal as any other Toronto address.

Step 2: Hire an ISA Certified Arborist

Toronto requires an arborist report with every permit application. The report should cover the tree’s species, size, health condition, and the reason for removal. If the removal relates to construction, the report should also address protection measures for nearby trees.

Step 3: Submit Your Application

Applications go to Toronto’s Urban Forestry department through the city’s online permit portal or in person at the Scarborough Civic Centre counter. Toronto does not accept applications by email. Required documents include:

• Completed application form
• ISA Certified Arborist report
• Site plan showing tree locations
• Permit fee ($145.87 per tree for a standard residential removal not tied to construction; $436.39 per tree if the removal is part of a construction or development project)
• Photographs of the tree

RNFP applications need a plan of survey, a site plan, an arborist report, landscape and forest restoration plans, grading plans and a geotechnical report on soil conditions, slope stability and drainage. Stewardship plans are added where they apply.

Step 4: Await Review

A planner reviews the application, decides whether to visit the site and lists anything missing in writing. Urban Forestry then confirms in writing that it supports the application and lists the conditions, such as the signed Undertaking and Release and any cash-in-lieu. That email is not a permit. The permit issues once every condition is met. The Toronto guide covers each step. A denied application may be appealed to the applicable Community Council, whose decision is final.

Fees and Processing

Under Chapter 813, the permit fee is $145.87 per tree for a standard residential removal not tied to construction, and $436.39 per tree where the removal is part of a construction or development project, as of the City’s 2026 fee schedule. RNFP applications have their own fees from September 1, 2026: $87.57 per tree non-construction and $262.72 per tree construction.

Penalties for Unauthorized Removal

Removing a protected tree in Scarborough without a permit can result in fines from $500 to $100,000 per tree. The city’s forestry bylaw enforcement team investigates complaints. From September 1, 2026, replanting after a contravention starts at 5:1 and rises for larger trees.

Replanting Requirements

When a removal permit is approved, it comes with replacement planting conditions. Chapter 813 sets no replacement ratio. Urban Forestry sets the number of replacement trees as a permit condition, through the landscaping and replanting plan it approves. If the property cannot accommodate the required number, the City can accept cash-in-lieu at $583 per tree.

Frequently Asked Questions

My Scarborough property backs onto Highland Creek. Which permit do I need?

Each tree’s position against the City’s RNFP line decides it. A tree of any size inside the line needs a Chapter 658 permit from the RNFP team. A protected tree outside the line needs a Chapter 813 permit from the Scarborough district office. A lot that crosses the line has two files. We check the address against the map before we prepare the application.

Working with The Arborist Group

We prepare tree removal reports for Scarborough properties regularly, including sites near the Bluffs and Highland Creek where RNFP applications add complexity. If you are dealing with a mature tree near a ravine or sensitive area, contact us before filing to make sure the application is complete the first time.