Arborist Reports & Consulting — Documentation You Can Trust.
Need an arborist report for a permit, a build, or a property deal? Our ISA Certified Arborists produce clear, professional assessments that satisfy the City of Toronto and give you real answers.
Free Report Quote
Same-day assessment. No obligation, no surprise fees.
When you need it in writing, from someone qualified.
Building permits, tree-removal applications, development projects, and property transactions often require a professional arborist report — and the City won’t accept just anyone’s opinion.
Our ISA Certified Arborists assess the trees, document their species, size, health, and protection requirements, and prepare reports that meet municipal requirements.
You get accurate, defensible documentation — and a straight answer about what you can and can’t do with the trees on your property.
You may need a report for
- A City of Toronto tree-removal permit
- A building permit or addition near trees
- A development or site-plan application
- A tree-protection plan during construction
- A property purchase or sale due-diligence
- A neighbour or boundary tree dispute
Professional, Permit-Ready Reports
Thorough assessment and clear documentation that holds up.
- ISA Certified assessmentTrees evaluated by a qualified, certified arborist.
- Species, size & health surveyAccurate inventory and condition assessment of each tree.
- Municipal-compliant reportsDocumentation prepared to meet City of Toronto requirements.
- Tree-protection plansProtection zones and measures for construction projects.
- Risk assessmentProfessional evaluation of tree hazard and stability where needed.
- Plain-English summaryA clear explanation of what it all means for your project.
Arborist Reports: The Details Homeowners Ask For
Straight answers on timing, permits, access, and what it costs you.
- What the report contains
- Species, trunk diameter at 1.4 m, height and spread, condition, structural defects, the tree protection zone, and a stated recommendation with reasons.
- What it is used for
- Toronto tree removal permit applications, tree protection plans for a building permit, insurance and legal disputes, and pre-purchase checks on a property with big trees.
- Risk assessments
- Where the question is how likely a tree is to fail and what it would hit, the assessment follows the ISA TRAQ method and says so in the report.
- Turnaround
- A site visit followed by a written report, typically within a few business days.
- Who reads it
- City of Toronto Urban Forestry for permits and ravine applications, plus building departments, insurers and lawyers.
- What it cannot do
- Guarantee an approval. A report states the facts and the professional opinion; the City decides.
What Urban Forestry is actually looking for
A permit application to remove a healthy private tree is a harder case than most owners expect. The City protects the canopy, so a report that says the owner would prefer more sun goes nowhere. What carries weight is documented condition: decay confirmed at the base, a structural defect over a target, a species and location conflict that cannot be pruned away, or a tree that is genuinely dead.
Dead is its own category. A tree that is 100% dead needs no permit at all in Toronto. A tree that is terminally diseased or imminently hazardous still goes to the City, through the exception route rather than a standard application, and that route runs on an arborist’s written evidence.
For construction, the report changes shape. It becomes a tree protection plan: which trees stay, the fenced protection zone around each one measured from the trunk, where hoarding goes, and what is not permitted inside the zone. Storing material or driving over a root zone counts as injuring the tree under the same bylaw that governs removal, and the fines are the same.
Where the City posts a public Notice of Application to remove a healthy tree, it stays on the property for no less than 14 days. Building that wait into a project schedule at the start avoids the conversation about it later.
The North York Tree Standard
The same proven four steps on every job.
Call or Request a Quote
Tell us about the tree. Emergencies answered 24/7.
Free On-Site Assessment
A certified arborist confirms the plan and gives a written price.
Safe, Insured Assessment
Carried out by an equipped, fully insured crew.
Spotless Cleanup
Everything hauled away — your yard left clean and safe.
Reports That Get Approved
A few recent North York jobs — handled safely and cleaned up completely.
Removal permit report
Owners needing City approval to remove a protected tree.
Tree-protection plan for an addition
A home addition next to mature protected trees.
Pre-purchase tree assessment
Buyers wanting trees assessed before closing.
“We needed an arborist report for our addition permit. It was thorough, professional, and the City accepted it without question. Made a stressful process simple.”
Need an arborist report?
Certified assessments and permit reports across North York & the GTA. Get a quote.
Questions Homeowners Ask Us
When do I need an arborist report?
Commonly for City tree-removal permits, building permits near trees, development applications, and tree-protection plans during construction.
Will the City of Toronto accept your report?
Yes — our reports are prepared by ISA Certified Arborists to meet municipal requirements. We do this regularly for North York permits.
How long does a report take?
Most residential reports are completed within a few business days of the site assessment, depending on scope.
Can you help with the permit application too?
We prepare the arborist documentation and can guide you through how it fits the permit process.
Do you do tree risk assessments?
Yes — professional hazard and stability assessments are part of what our certified arborists provide.
Do I need an arborist report to remove a tree in Toronto?
For a protected tree, effectively yes. The City wants documented species, size, condition and justification before it will consider a permit for a private tree 30 cm or wider, and for anything in a ravine under Chapter 658.
What is a tree protection zone?
A fenced no-go area around a tree being retained on a construction site, measured out from the trunk according to its diameter. Nothing gets stored, parked or dug inside it. Breaching the zone counts as injuring a protected tree, which carries the same penalties as removing one.
Does a report guarantee my permit gets approved?
No. It gives the City the evidence to decide on. A well-documented case for a hazardous or declining tree has a good path; a healthy tree removed for convenience is a difficult application whatever the report says.