London Tree Pros Guide · Permits
London has real rules about tree removal, and the fines for ignoring them are steep. This guide explains the three sets of rules that decide whether you need City permission before a tree comes down.
The City of London Tree Protection By-law regulates injuring or removing trees on private property inside the Urban Growth Boundary. The trigger is size: a trunk diameter of 50 cm or more, measured at breast height, which is 1.4 m above natural ground level. Trees at or above that size are often called distinctive trees, and removing one without a permit is an offence.
To check your tree: wrap a tape around the trunk at 1.4 m up, then divide the circumference by 3.14 to get the diameter. If the number is close to 50 cm, treat the tree as regulated and confirm with the City before booking removal.
Some parts of London are designated Tree Protection Areas, including environmentally sensitive lands and certain woodland and ravine areas. Inside a Tree Protection Area, trees of any size are regulated, not just the big ones. If your property backs onto a ravine, woodland, or environmentally significant area, assume this rule might apply and check first.
The strip of land between the sidewalk and the street is usually City owned, and so is the tree growing on it. The Boulevard Tree Protection By-law protects those trees, residents are not permitted to trim or remove them, and the City maintains them itself. If a boulevard tree looks dead or dangerous, contact the City's Forestry department and request service rather than hiring a crew to touch it.
If a tree's trunk grows on or crosses the property line between you and a neighbour, Ontario's Forestry Act treats it as common property of both owners. It cannot be removed without the written consent of all co-owners, no matter its size, and removing one without consent is an offence under the Act. A quick conversation with your neighbour, in writing, saves real trouble here.
City notices about the by-law cite fines from a minimum of $500 up to $100,000, plus possible court orders, which can include replanting requirements. Tree companies can also face consequences for cutting a regulated tree without a permit, which is why a reputable crew will ask about permit status before starting a big removal.
Exemptions and streamlined options exist for trees that are dead or an immediate hazard. Even then, for a regulated tree the safe move is to document the tree's condition with photos and contact City Forestry before removal, so there is a record that the exemption applied.
Usually not, if the tree is on your own property, its trunk is under 50 cm in diameter measured 1.4 m above the ground, and your property is not in a Tree Protection Area. If any of those do not apply, check with the City before cutting.
Wrap a tape measure around the trunk 1.4 m above natural ground level to get the circumference, then divide by 3.14. For example, a circumference of 157 cm means a diameter of about 50 cm, which is the size where London's Tree Protection By-law starts to apply on private property.
No. Boulevard trees belong to the City of London and residents are not permitted to work on them. The City maintains boulevard trees, and you can request service through the City's Forestry department.
City notices cite fines from a minimum of $500 up to $100,000, plus possible court orders. The permit check costs nothing but a phone call or email, so it is always worth doing first.
Possibly. Exemptions and streamlined options exist for dead and hazardous trees, but for a regulated tree (50 cm or larger, or in a Tree Protection Area) you should still contact City Forestry first to confirm what applies before the tree comes down.