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Kawartha Lakes, Ontario · Updated September 2026

Best Tree Services in Kawartha Lakes

The three highest-scoring tree companies that serve Kawartha Lakes, ranked by ARB Score. Every company in Ontario is checked the same way, on insurance coverage, arborist credentials, experience and reviews. No company can pay to be at the top of this page.

13companies serve Kawartha Lakes
6with WSIB clearance confirmed
5.9average ARB Score here

Kawartha Lakes’s top 3 by ARB Score

1

Treescape Certified Arborists (Treescape Tree Care Professionals Limited)

Serves Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough, Ennismore, Lakefield and Buckhorn and more

4.8 · 133 Google reviewsWSIB clearance confirmed · to Nov 19, 2026
Not yet verified by the businessThese details come from our own research. Is this your business? Claim this listing
SpecializationsHighlighted: what they specialize in (up to 6)
Call 705-745-1803Visit websiteFull profile →
15ARB Score

Score breakdown

Positive client experiences133 Google reviews
3
Compliance & transparencyWSIB clearance confirmed
1
Years of experience25+ years in business
6
Education & training1 Board Certified Master Arborist
4
Local & independentFounded in Canada
1
2

Stewart Services

Serves Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough

5.0 · 113 Google reviewsWSIB clearance confirmed · to Nov 19, 2026
Not yet verified by the businessThese details come from our own research. Is this your business? Claim this listing
SpecializationsHighlighted: what they specialize in (up to 6)
Call 289-314-4470Visit websiteFull profile →
9ARB Score

Score breakdown

Positive client experiences113 Google reviews
3
Compliance & transparencyWSIB clearance confirmed
1
Years of experience15 years in business
4
Education & trainingNo arborists listed in the ISA directory
0
Local & independentFounded in Canada
1

The ISA directory is opt-in, so a company may have certified arborists we can't see. Ask.

3

MC Tree Service

Serves Kawartha Lakes

4.6 · 42 Google reviewsWSIB clearance confirmed · to Nov 19, 2026
Not yet verified by the businessThese details come from our own research. Is this your business? Claim this listing
SpecializationsHighlighted: what they specialize in (up to 6)
Call 705-439-4183Visit websiteFull profile →
8ARB Score

Score breakdown

Positive client experiences42 Google reviews
1
Compliance & transparencyWSIB clearance confirmed
1
Years of experience20 years in business
5
Education & trainingNo arborists listed in the ISA directory
0
Local & independentFounded in Canada
1

The ISA directory is opt-in, so a company may have certified arborists we can't see. Ask.

Ties are broken by number of Google reviews. MC Tree Service and Davey Tree Care Services (Muskoka North office) are tied at 8.

More companies serving Kawartha Lakes

4Davey Tree Care Services (Muskoka North office)Central Ontario/Cottage Country · 4.8 from 33 reviewsNot verified by businessWSIB confirmed85TREEWORKS Professional Tree CareCentral Ontario/Cottage Country · 4.4 from 41 reviewsNot verified by businessWSIB confirmed76TimberfellCentral Ontario/Cottage Country · 5.0 from 8 reviewsNot verified by businessWSIB not confirmed77Davey Tree Care Services (Kawartha Lakes office)Central Ontario/Cottage CountryNot verified by businessWSIB confirmed78A Perfect View Tree ServiceCentral Ontario/Cottage Country · 4.4 from 28 reviewsNot verified by businessWSIB not confirmed5See all 13 companies serving Kawartha Lakes on the map →
Before you cut

Kawartha Lakes’s private tree rules

No permit needed for private trees

Kawartha Lakes does not require a permit to remove trees on your own property. You do need a permit to cut or damage a City-owned tree, including on road and shoreline road allowances.

Whole city

No private tree permit

The City does not currently regulate removing trees on private land. A proposed private-tree by-law was narrowed and then paused.

Whole city

City-owned trees need a permit

Since September 2024, no one may damage or remove a City-owned tree without a permit. This includes road allowances, shoreline road allowances and water-access lots.

Development sites

Possible future rule for development

A draft by-law would cover trees only on land with a Planning Act application. It has not been passed.

Anywhere in Ontario

Trees on a property line

A tree whose trunk sits on the line belongs to both neighbours. Ontario’s Forestry Act says you need your neighbour’s consent before removing or injuring it.

What’s changing

Rules under review

Draft tree protection by-law limited to Planning Act development applications (latest draft Feb 5, 2025; Council direction Sept 24, 2024). Paused by staff due to tariff uncertainty; no return date set as of last City update.

Not sure if you need a permit?

Ask the municipality before any work starts. A good tree company will also check for you and tell you who applies for the permit.

City of Kawartha Lakes Customer Service (Tree By-law Administrator: treebylaw@kawarthalakes.ca)

705-324-9411 (toll-free 1-888-822-2225)Official information page →

Summary checked September 2026. It’s a plain-language guide, not legal advice. Bylaws change, so confirm with the municipality before you remove a tree.

Sources
Before you hire

What to check before you hire a tree service

Tree work is dangerous, and it’s expensive to fix when it goes wrong. Six questions worth asking any company, including the ones on this page.

  1. Ask for a WSIB clearance certificate and proof of liability insurance

    Tree work is one of the most dangerous jobs out there. We do our best on our end, but these certificates can change before we have a chance to update them. Some good companies will give them to you without you even having to ask. Bonus!

  2. Find out who will actually do the work

    You may get a Certified Arborist as your salesperson, but will the same be true of the person who works on your property? You won't know until you ask. A Certified Arborist may cost more, but it can cost a lot more if the work is done wrong and the tree dies early or your property is damaged.

  3. Get the quote in writing

    It should say exactly which trees, and whether cleanup, wood removal, stump grinding and so on are included. The more detailed the quote, the better.

  4. Ask who handles the permit

    If a bylaw applies, agree up front who applies for the permit and who pays the fee. Removing a protected tree without one usually means a fine for the property owner, not the tree company.

  5. If money is tight, try this

    See if the work can be scheduled in a slower season for a lower price. Clear obstacles (fences, gates, lawn ornaments, plants) before the crew arrives. Find someone online, such as on Facebook Marketplace, who will take the wood for free. Or change the scope of work, for example pruning only the lower half of the tree instead of the whole tree.

  6. Trees near power lines are a utility job

    If branches touch or come close to a hydro line, call your local hydro utility (the one on your electricity bill) first. Only crews the utility approves can work near power lines.

How we pick Kawartha Lakes’s top 3

We rank every company whose service area includes Kawartha Lakes by ARB Score. The score counts Google reviews, WSIB clearance, published insurance and pricing, years in business, ISA-verified arborists and Canadian ownership. We look up everything except insurance and pricing, which a company tells us itself.

Tree services near Kawartha Lakes

PeterboroughClaringtonOshawaWhitbyAjaxPickering

ARB Scores reflect public records and research on the date checked. Always confirm insurance, certification and WSIB coverage directly with a company before you hire it.