Our Services

Development applications for new builds, additions and laneway houses almost always require forestry approval before building and demolition permits are issued. We provide free consultations for architects, builders and homeowners at the design stage to provide solutions for your tree preservation goals. City Tree has completed hundreds of successful construction applications. We’ll keep you on time and on budget so you can get your building project underway.

Our Process:
1. Initial consultation with a certified arborist to review your project.

2. Emailed estimate for your Urban Forestry submission.

3. Site visit by the arborist to assess and inventory bylaw-protected trees.

4. Preparation of a Construction Arborist Report and Tree Preservation Plan (TPP) to your municipal specifications.

4. Report review with the client & Urban Forestry submission.

5. Most municipalities take about 4-6 weeks to review your application. Once we receive feedback from the municipal arborist, City Tree makes any final report updates at no additional cost.

Timeline:
Projects come in various shapes and sizes, but we’re able to complete 90% of reports within a week of your initial confirmation to keep your building project on time and on budget.

As Toronto and surrounding areas continue to grow, concern has mounted for our city trees. Municipalities have responded by enacting private tree protection bylaws to help preserve valuable urban tree canopy. Each municipal tree protection bylaw is a bit different, but if your tree is a hazard, is damaging property, or is showing signs of advanced decline, we’ll get you a removal permit. If you have a problem tree on your property, a City Tree Consulting Arborist can provide a free consultation to collect some info about your unique situation and provide clear expectations for the application process. Let us be your guide.

Our Process:
1. Initial consultation with a certified arborist to review your project.

2. Emailed estimate for your Urban Forestry submission.

3. Site visit by the arborist to assess your tree(s).

4. Preparation of an Arborist Report and Replanting Plan to your municipal specifications.

4. Report review with the client & Urban Forestry submission.

5. Most municipalities take about 4-6 weeks to review your application. Once we receive feedback from the municipal arborist, City Tree makes any final report updates at no additional cost.

Timeline:
We’re able to complete reports within one week of your initial confirmation.

Before construction begins on your project, some arborist field services will be required to obtain Forestry approval.

Trees to be preserved:
Tree protection hoarding installation is required for all site trees to be preserved. 2x4 frame and orange plastic snow fence is installed to maintain site line visibility near roads. Private trees are protected with plywood-clad hoarding to prevent excavated material, workers and machinery from entering a tree’s protected root zone.

Clearance pruning is required where the canopy of a tree encroaches on a proposed building or along site access routes. We partner with some of the best full-service tree care companies in the city to help complete pruning on your site.

Trees to be Injured:
Root exploration and root pruning is required where site excavation is required within the minimum tree protection (TPZ) of a site tree. We provide on-site arborist supervision and Air Spade soil excavation to expose, assess, and cleanly prune roots so trees can be preserved in safe and healthy condition.

Trees to be removed:
Tree removal and stump grinding is required where a tree is located within close proximity to the limit of excavation. We partner with some of the best tree care companies in the city to coordinate safe removal of any permitted site trees.

If you have a site with mature, high value trees, an independent arborist is your best resource for unbiased guidance. City Tree Consulting provides arborist stewardship services to help you maintain the safety, health, and long-term sustainability of your piece of the urban forest canopy.

Tree Safety and Risk Assessments:
We provide advanced tree risk assessments for mature and hazard trees with remediation and mitigation recommendations by the Arborist.

Tree Inventories and Management Plans:
Tree Inventories and Urban Forest Management Plans allow land owners and property managers with large sites to prioritize, track, and plan for the responsible long-term maintenance of their landscape.

Planting & Sustainability Planning:
Our background in landscape design and forest ecology helps inform our approach to the long-term sustainability of your site. We provide plans for forest edge restoration planting, succession planting and guidance for invasive species management.