Local tree-rule guide
Ottawa: City trees and distinctive trees
City trees plus protected private distinctive trees.
The local rule
Permits for City trees or distinctive trees must be posted. Distinctive-tree permits are posted on the property and tree for at least seven days before removal.
For non-development private-tree removal, Ottawa publishes a 1:1 replacement requirement; infill development can require 2:1 or 3:1 replacement for distinctive trees depending on diameter.
Ottawa accepts a Tree Information Report as the permit application route.
Application details
Ottawa’s 2026 permit fees and replacement rules
- Ottawa’s current Tree Protection By-law ties the permit path to the property and project type.
- A distinctive-tree removal for an existing home is not priced or compensated the same way as an infill-development removal.
For a City-owned tree or distinctive tree not associated with infill development, the application fee is $200 per tree, capped after five trees by ownership. For infill development, the fee is $1,240 per tree, also capped after five trees. Planning Act applications include the tree-permit fee in the development application fee.
Ottawa directs applicants to submit the required Tree Information Report online. The report is prepared by an arborist and documents the tree, ownership, removal reason, protection measures and replacement information that apply to the request.
A permit for a City tree or distinctive tree must be posted visibly. Distinctive-tree permits must be posted on the property and the tree for at least seven days before removal and should remain posted for at least seven days afterward.
A distinctive tree removed in a non-development situation generally carries a 1:1 replacement requirement on the same property.
Ottawa publishes a 2:1 replacement ratio for distinctive trees 30–49 cm DBH and 3:1 for trees 50 cm or greater. If all required trees cannot fit on the property, the current cash value is $400 for each replacement tree not planted.
Where a jointly owned boundary tree is affected, the bylaw requires written consent from the other owner before the permit can be issued.
Local exceptions and conditions
Scope and protected trees
- Ottawa calls qualifying private trees 'distinctive trees' under Tree Protection By-law 2020-340.
- The City's general information identifies 30 cm DBH on private properties in the urban area that are one hectare or less, and it also protects City trees.
- The urban boundary, lot area, tree location and any development application need checking before applying that number.
- A tree outside the particular private-tree class is not automatically unregulated: a woodland, protected natural area, City-owned trunk or a tree required by a development approval may take another path.
- Ottawa's 30 cm term is distinct from Toronto's separate 2026 Distinctive Tree category.
Applications and timing
- For a standalone qualifying removal, the City asks for a Tree Information Report submitted online.
- Infill and broader development may require a Tree Conservation Report, a site plan, protection measures and compensation.
- The application must identify the tree and reason for removal; a permit may be conditional on replacement or payment.
- The City's published process does not supply a single guaranteed review time for all reports, so a demolition or excavation schedule should allow time for completeness review and any site visit.
- Filing another construction permit does not authorize the removal of a tree protected under the tree bylaw.
Enforcement and exceptions
- Ottawa publishes a separate enforcement page and invites reports of suspected cutting without a permit.
- The exact sanction depends on the offence and legal process; the service page is not a reliable basis for a one-number fine claim.
- The distinctiveness designation is a legal size and location category, not a list of commemorative specimens.
- The official bylaw and compensation schedule should be read together for any proposed exception or replacement obligation.
Dead, hazardous and ash trees
- Ottawa's bylaw also has an exemption route for a dead, hazardous or ash tree, but that is not a reason to skip the City's documentation process blindly.
- The tree information report asks for species, location and diameter, and the City can require compensation for an approved removal.
- A homeowner planning a fence or sewer repair should distinguish actual tree removal from injury to roots inside the protected area; the work description determines which staff review is needed.
Large properties and development
- Ottawa uses different paperwork when the property is larger than an ordinary infill lot.
- Its Tree Information Report path generally covers a distinctive tree on an urban property of one hectare or less.
- A Tree Conservation Report can be required for a property over one hectare or for a Planning Act site-plan, subdivision or condominium application, with the City's public guidance identifying 10 cm trees in that development context.
- An owner should not apply the 30 cm small-lot distinctive-tree trigger to every tree on a large redevelopment parcel.
- The report maps proposed removal, retained trees, protection and compensation so staff can evaluate the whole site rather than only an individual stump.
Tree reports and sequencing
- The distinction affects timing.
- A homeowner can submit a tree request for a single urban distinctive tree, while a project with grading and access routes may need its conservation report accepted before the tree permit follows.
- A building application, arborist opinion or neighbour consent cannot by itself replace the municipal decision.
- Ottawa's bylaw also defines injury to include acts that impair a protected tree, so trenching for a service connection beside a retained tree should appear on the plan.
- For an ash or dead tree, the applicant still needs to follow the documented exception or City process; label the condition and retain evidence before the tree disappears.
Before work starts
- Ownership: check the property line. Public and boundary trees may follow a different process.
- Site context: review any development approval, covenant or protected-area conditions.
- Work requirements: confirm any permit, exemption or protection requirements that apply to the planned work.
Official sources
Last verified: October 1, 2026 · Primary municipal source rechecked October 1, 2026. Rules can change; confirm with the local authority before work. How we research
Local detail review: October 1, 2026.