The destruction, removal or injury of trees on public and private property may be prohibited under the Public and Private Tree By-law unless authorized by a Tree Permit.
For information on our Tree By-laws and our tree permit application process please return to our Forest Protection & Tree Permits page.
If your proposed work requires a building permit, or if you are building a swimming pool or swim spa, do not use this application form. Please visit the Pre-Building Approval Application and Pool Permits webpages.
The new application eform will require a login. You will be required to make an account that will provide you access to a portal that allows you to keep track of all your tree permits.
Get your documents ready before you begin!
At a minimum, you will be required to upload and provide:
- Information about the trees being applied for such as their size, and species name. If you are not sure how to measure the size of your tree please consult our guide to tree protection, or contact a qualified tree professional to help you.
- a sketch of where the tree(s) being applied for is (are) on the property (this can be as basic as a photographed hand sketch provided it is legible), and
- at least one photo of each tree being applied for.
Depending on what you are applying for, you may be required to upload additional documents. For example, if you are applying on behalf of the owner; if you are applying for a tree to be removed or injured that is on a property line and therefore co-owned; or if you are applying for a tree that is at high risk of failing; the City will require additional documents specific to that application type to ensure it is complete.
Important:
- If you are providing documents from a qualified tree professional, please remove all pricing ($) information from the documents before uploading.
- The preferred format for electronic documents is PDF and the preferred format for pictures are jpegs.
- There will be file size limits which are provided below based on the type of document. You will be unable to upload a file that is larger than the limit shown.
Documents Required:
| Document Name | Maximum File Size |
|---|---|
|
Owner authorization form (if applying on the owner’s behalf) |
1MB |
|
A location or sketch map of where the tree(s) are on the property with tree inventory details if details are not provided elsewhere |
4MB |
|
Photograph(s) of the full tree(s) you are applying for |
2MB |
Other Documents that may be required:
| Document Name | Maximum File Size |
|---|---|
|
An arborist report prepared by a qualified tree professional (if there is tree impact due to construction occurring) |
8MB |
|
A tree protection plan drawn to scale with tree inventory details if details are not provided elsewhere (if there us tree impact due to construction occurring) |
4MB |
|
Consent letter (if applying to remove or injure a boundary tree or a tree you do not own) |
1MB |
|
Basic risk assessment form from a qualified tree professional (if applying to have a high-risk tree or large high-risk tree part removed) |
4MB |
|
City authorization (if applying for a public tree permit) |
1MB |
|
Tree replacement plan (if removing regulated trees and you intend to plant new trees) |
4MB |
An application is not considered complete until the City of Burlington has received all required documents and permit fees. Where you are not applying for a fee-exempt tree (e.g., dead tree or a tree with a terminal condition), an application processing fee will be required to move your application forward. Payment will be online and requested when you submit your application. Have your credit card ready to proceed with payment.
Once your application is screened and reviewed by staff, additional permit fees and/or security deposits may be required. This will be identified by staff with further directions on how to make the final payment prior to issuing your tree permit. For a list of fees and securities, please visit our Forest Protection & Tree Permits page.
Please note that a completed application is not a tree permit or guarantee that a tree permit will be issued. For questions concerning the tree permit application process and/or the City Tree By-laws, contact Service Burlington through email at city@burlington.ca or by phone 905-335-7777.
Please ensure you have read the above instructions before applying for your tree permit application.