ArborProof

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Toronto, Ontario · Updated September 2026

Best Tree Services in Toronto

The three highest-scoring tree companies that serve Toronto, 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.

70companies serve Toronto
32with WSIB clearance confirmed
6.4average ARB Score here

Toronto’s top 3 by ARB Score

1

Shady Lane Expert Tree Care

Serves Toronto, Richmond Hill, Markham and Vaughan

4.9 · 569 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) 830-0081Visit websiteFull profile →
17.5ARB Score

Score breakdown

Positive client experiences569 Google reviews
5
Compliance & transparencyWSIB clearance confirmed
1
Years of experience25+ years in business
6
Education & training3 ISA Certified Arborists
4.5
Local & independentFounded in Canada
1
2

Cohen & Master Tree and Shrub Services

Serves Toronto

4.2 · 401 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 416-932-0622Visit websiteFull profile →
13.5ARB Score

Score breakdown

Positive client experiences401 Google reviews
5
Compliance & transparencyWSIB clearance confirmed
1
Years of experience24 years in business
5
Education & training1 ISA Certified Arborist
1.5
Local & independentFounded in Canada
1
3

Derek's Tree Service

Serves Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville and Markham

4.9 · 151 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 905-824-3017Visit websiteFull profile →
12.5ARB Score

Score breakdown

Positive client experiences151 Google reviews
3
Compliance & transparencyWSIB clearance confirmed
1
Years of experience25+ years in business
6
Education & training1 ISA Certified Arborist
1.5
Local & independentFounded in Canada
1

Ties are broken by number of Google reviews. Derek's Tree Service and Van Dyke's Tree Care Ltd are tied at 12.5.

More companies serving Toronto

4Van Dyke's Tree Care LtdToronto · 3.6 from 35 reviewsNot verified by businessWSIB not confirmed12.55Heritage Tree Care Inc.Toronto · 5.0 from 417 reviewsNot verified by businessWSIB confirmed126STS Tree ServicesMississauga · 5.0 from 338 reviewsNot verified by businessWSIB not confirmed117CB Tree ServiceToronto · 5.0 from 337 reviewsNot verified by businessWSIB not confirmed118Davey Tree Care Services (West Toronto office)Toronto · 4.7 from 315 reviewsNot verified by businessWSIB confirmed11See all 70 companies serving Toronto on the map →
Before you cut

Toronto’s private tree rules

Permit needed across the city

In Toronto you need a City permit to cut down or damage a private tree whose trunk is 30 cm or wider, measured 1.4 m off the ground. Every tree on a City street or boulevard is protected at any size, and ravine areas have their own stricter rules.

Whole city

Private trees 30 cm and up need a permit

You need a permit to remove or injure a private tree with a trunk 30 cm or wider, measured 1.4 m off the ground. Since September 1, 2026, a stump 40 cm or wider can be used as proof the tree was protected.

Whole city

Extra protection for very large trees

Since September 1, 2026, healthy trees wider than 61 cm are 'Distinctive Trees'. The City can refuse a permit to remove or injure them.

Ravine and natural feature areas

Ravine lots: trees of any size

If your property is inside a mapped ravine or natural feature area, you need a permit to remove or injure trees there, and to change the grade. Check the City's ravine by-law map before any work.

City streets and boulevards

City trees: hands off

Any work that could harm or remove a City street tree, of any size, needs City permission. Call 311 for pruning or removal requests.

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
Which trees need a permit
30 cm measured 1.4 m off the ground (private trees); any size in ravine areas and for City street trees
Permit fee
Private-tree permit fee not shown on the City's website as of Sept 2026 (fees moved to a new schedule on Sept 1, 2026). Ravine permits from Sept 1, 2026: $87.57 per tree (not construction), $262.72 per tree (construction), $183.03/$549.08 per boundary/neighbour tree, $632.51 per grade change application.
Replacement trees
Permits require planting new trees. Cash-in-lieu is $583 per tree if there is no room to replant (a $583 per-tree planting deposit also applies). Minimum replacement size: 50 mm trunk (deciduous) or 1.75–2.5 m tall (evergreen). From Sept 1, 2026, cutting without a permit brings a diameter-based replacement of at least 5 trees per tree removed.
Common exemptions
  • Pruning done to good arborist standards
  • Trees that are 100% dead
  • Trees posing an immediate danger to people or property
  • Trees in rooftop gardens, interior courtyards, solariums or on elevated podiums
What’s changing

Rules under review

In March 2026, City Council supported lowering the private tree size from 30 cm to 20 cm 'in principle'. This is not law yet; staff report back with a plan in 2027 (Council item 2026.IE27.8, adopted March 25–26, 2026).

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 Toronto 311 (Urban Forestry); Ravine & Natural Feature Protection office 416-392-2513

311Official 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 Toronto’s top 3

We rank every company whose service area includes Toronto 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 Toronto

MississaugaMarkhamVaughanRichmond HillPickeringBrampton

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.