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St. Catharines, Ontario · Updated September 2026

Best Tree Services in St. Catharines

The three highest-scoring tree companies that serve St. Catharines, 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.

14companies serve St. Catharines
3with WSIB clearance confirmed
4.7average ARB Score here

St. Catharines’s top 3 by ARB Score

1

Buchanan Expert Tree Care

Serves St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Port Colborne, Stoney Creek and Beamsville and more

4.0 · 10 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 905-892-6579Visit websiteFull profile →
10ARB Score

Score breakdown

Positive client experiences10 Google reviews
0
Compliance & transparencyWSIB clearance confirmed
1
Years of experience15 years in business
4
Education & training1 Board Certified Master Arborist
4
Local & independentFounded in Canada
1
2

Beaver Tree Service

Serves St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Port Colborne, Beamsville and Fort Erie and more

4.9 · 131 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 905-941-2880Visit websiteFull profile →
8ARB Score

Score breakdown

Positive client experiences131 Google reviews
3
Compliance & transparencyWSIB clearance confirmed
1
Years of experience10 years in business
3
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

Matt's Landscape Services

Serves St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Vineland, Thorold and NOTL

5.0 · 26 Google reviewsWSIB clearance not confirmed
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 905-329-5263Visit websiteFull profile →
8ARB Score

Score breakdown

Positive client experiences26 Google reviews
1
Compliance & transparencyInsurance proof and prices not posted yet
0
Years of experience25+ years in business
6
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.

More companies serving St. Catharines

4Driftwood Tree ServiceNiagara · 5.0 from 190 reviewsNot verified by businessWSIB not confirmed65St. Catharines Tree ServiceNiagara · 4.5 from 86 reviewsNot verified by businessWSIB not confirmed66Safe Tree Ltd.Niagara · 5.0 from 369 reviewsNot verified by businessWSIB not confirmed57Niagara Tree Care ServicesNiagara · 5.0 from 2 reviewsNot verified by businessWSIB not confirmed58Project TreeNiagara · 5.0 from 48 reviewsNot verified by businessWSIB not confirmed4See all 14 companies serving St. Catharines on the map →
Before you cut

St. Catharines’s private tree rules

No permit needed for private trees

St. Catharines has no bylaw requiring a permit to remove a tree on your own property. You need City approval for any work on a City-owned boulevard tree, and larger woodlands are protected by Niagara Region.

Private property

No private tree permit

The City does not currently require a permit to prune or remove a tree on your own lot. Council studied a private tree bylaw around 2018–2019, but we found no sign one was passed.

City-owned trees

Permit needed for boulevard and City trees

Trees on City land, including the boulevard in front of your home, are protected by the City's Tree By-law 2017-326. You cannot trim or remove them yourself. Work needs an approved application and must be done by a contractor.

All of Niagara Region

Woodlands 1 hectare and larger

Niagara Region's Woodland Conservation By-law 2020-79 covers woodlands of 1 hectare or more. Most cutting needs a Good Forestry Practices permit, with exemptions for dead or hazardous trees and some personal use.

St. Catharines woodlands

Smaller woodlands also covered

St. Catharines is one of five municipalities that asked the Region to also regulate woodlands under 1 hectare. If your lot is part of a treed woodland, check with the Region before cutting.

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.

Size limits, fees, replacement trees and exemptions
Common exemptions
  • Regional woodland by-law exempts dead/diseased/hazardous trees, personal use meeting set criteria, building-permit work, farm practices and others.

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 St. Catharines Citizens First

905-688-5600Official 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 St. Catharines’s top 3

We rank every company whose service area includes St. Catharines 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 St. Catharines

Niagara FallsWellandBurlingtonOakvilleHamiltonToronto

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.