Local tree-rule guide
New Tecumseth tree rules
New Tecumseth’s tree controls depend strongly on public ownership, designated/heritage status and whether removal is part of a development application.
The local rule
The Town’s rules define protected trees to include Town trees, designated significant or heritage trees, and trees at least 20 cm DBH where they are part of a development application.
For an ordinary private tree that is not development-related and is not designated or significant, the Town’s technical flow does not impose the same development permit process.
Development-related trees at the protected size can require an arborist report, tree-protection measures and approval through the development process.
Town-owned trees have their own permit and maintenance rules; private ownership should be confirmed before any work near the road allowance.
Local exceptions and conditions
The development trigger matters
- New Tecumseth’s 20 cm DBH threshold is tied to the development context rather than functioning as a universal private-yard removal threshold.
- If a property is under a development application, identify every potentially protected tree early and integrate retention, removal and protection into the submission.
- An arborist report can be required to assess condition, impacts and tree-protection zones around retained trees.
- Do not wait until grading or building layout is final to ask which trees can be removed; tree retention can materially affect the site design.
Ordinary private trees and special status
- The Town’s technical guidance distinguishes ordinary private trees outside development from designated significant or heritage trees.
- A tree with special status can remain protected even when there is no active development application, so check designation history and any prior approval conditions.
- For a routine private-yard tree with no development or protected status, confirm ownership and any site-specific restrictions before removal rather than automatically applying the 20 cm development threshold.
- Boundary-tree consent remains a private ownership issue even where the Town does not require the development permit path.
Town trees
- Town-owned trees are protected and use the municipal tree-permit/forestry process.
- A boulevard tree may visually appear to belong to the front yard; verify the legal boundary before pruning roots, removing limbs or installing a driveway.
- Construction close to a Town tree can also need protection measures even if the trunk will remain.
- Contact the Town before work if ownership is uncertain or the proposed construction enters the root zone of a municipal tree.
How to prepare a development file
- Have the current site plan, tree inventory, DBH measurements and proposed grading/building footprint ready for the arborist and Town reviewer.
- Identify which trees are proposed for retention and show protection zones that will survive construction access and excavation.
- Where removal is proposed, document the reason and any replacement or compensation approach required by the approval.
- The checker remains conservative because a 20 cm tree can be regulated in one New Tecumseth context and outside that specific trigger in another.
Before work starts
- Ownership: confirm whether the trunk is private, shared or on public land before authorizing work.
- Site context: check development approvals, environmental controls, easements and any prior tree-retention conditions that apply to this property.
- Work requirements: obtain the current permit, certificate, exemption or written municipal confirmation before the contractor starts.
- Keep the record: retain photos, measurements, professional reports and the municipal decision with the property file.
Official sources
Last verified: October 7, 2026. Rules, maps and application procedures can change; confirm with the local authority before work. How we research