An arborist report is a written assessment of a tree, prepared to the standard your municipality or insurance company expects. Most municipal tree permit applications in Toronto, Mississauga, and Oakville typically ask for one before the city will process your file, and insurers increasingly want documentation before and after storm damage claims. We prepare reports for single trees through full lot inventories: species, diameter measured at 1.4 metres, health and structural condition, photos, and a clear recommendation to retain, prune, or remove, with the reasoning spelled out. The most common jobs are a homeowner who needs to remove one large tree over their city's size threshold, a renovation or addition where the city wants a tree protection plan for trees near the excavation, and an insurance claim after a silver maple dropped a limb on a garage. Reports start at $300 for a straightforward single-tree assessment. We are an owner-led operation based in the west GTA, so the person who measures your tree is the person who writes the report, and if the city comes back with questions, we answer them. If you are still deciding between quotes, ask each company what their report actually includes.
What's included
- A site visit by the owner to identify the species, measure diameter at 1.4 metres, photograph the tree, and map its position relative to buildings, property lines, and any planned construction.
- A ground-level health and structural assessment covering decay, cavities, deadwood, included bark, cracks, root zone condition, and pest or disease signs such as emerald ash borer damage.
- A written condition rating and a clear recommendation to retain, prune, or remove the tree, with the reasoning laid out so a city forester or insurance adjuster can follow it.
- Formatting to match what your municipality asks for in a permit application, including diameter measurements taken the way the bylaws define them.
- Tree protection plan content for construction projects: fencing distances, root protection zones, and working restrictions for trees staying on site during a build.
- Photo documentation suitable for insurance claims, including storm damage, failed limbs, and pre-existing conditions, dated and organized so the adjuster gets what they need the first time.
- Delivery as a PDF you can attach directly to a permit application or claim, plus a plain-language summary of what it says and what we recommend.
- Follow-up support if the city or your insurer comes back with questions, so the report actually gets your file across the line.
How it works
- Call or email with the address and what the report is for: a permit, an insurance claim, or a construction project. We quote the report cost up front in writing.
- We book a site visit, usually combined with a free written quote for any tree work you are considering at the same time.
- We check which municipal requirements apply to your property, including ravine protection in Toronto, before writing a word.
- We assess and document the tree on site, then write the report, typically delivered as a PDF within a few business days.
- If the city or your insurer has follow-up questions, we respond and revise as needed until the file is settled.
What moves the price above starting at $300
- Number of trees. The starting price covers a straightforward single-tree assessment. A multi-tree inventory for a construction project or a large lot takes more field time and more writing, and is priced to that scope.
- Purpose of the report. A removal-support report is simpler than a construction tree protection plan, which needs protection zone calculations, fencing specifications, and coordination with your site plan or drawings.
- Municipal requirements. Some applications need more detail than others. Toronto ravine files, for example, involve two separate bylaw chapters and usually more documentation than a single front-yard tree situation.
- Condition complexity. A visibly dead ash is quick to document. A large silver maple with suspected internal decay takes longer to assess and describe defensibly, and that time shows up in the price.
- Access and travel. Rear-yard trees behind narrow gates, steep ravine slopes, or properties at the far edge of our west GTA service area add field time to the visit.
- Turnaround. Standard delivery is a few business days. If you need a report rushed for a closing, a hearing date, or an insurer deadline, tell us up front and we will quote accordingly.
- Revisions beyond the original scope. Responding to normal city questions is included. Substantial re-scoping, like adding trees after the site visit is done, is quoted as an addition.
Starting at $300, quoted in writing before any work starts.
On-site visit, written quote, no obligation. Usually within 24 hours of your call.
When you need this
- Your city requires a permit to remove the tree and typically asks for an arborist report with the application. In Toronto and Etobicoke that starts at 30 cm diameter, and at any size on ravine-protected land.
- Emerald ash borer has killed or is killing your ash tree and you want the condition documented before removal, for the city, your insurer, or simply your own records.
- A silver maple or other mature tree dropped a limb on a roof, fence, or vehicle and your insurance company wants documentation of the damage and the tree's condition.
- A Norway maple is declining, shedding branches, or heaving pavement, and you want a written professional opinion on whether to remove it or manage it before spending money on either.
- You are planning an addition, pool, or new build and the municipality wants a tree protection plan for trees near the excavation before your project can move ahead.
- A neighbour dispute or property sale needs a neutral written record of a boundary tree's condition, size, and location before anyone makes a decision.
- A storm went through and you want the damage assessed and documented the same week, while the evidence is fresh, before cleanup erases it.
Local notes for the west GTA
Whether you need a report usually depends on whether you need a permit. Toronto, including Etobicoke, requires a permit for private trees of 30 cm diameter measured 1.4 metres up, and regulates trees of any size on ravine-protected land under Chapters 813 and 658. Brampton and Hamilton regulate at 30 cm, Burlington at 20 cm, Mississauga as low as 15 cm in some zones, and Oakville at 76 cm circumference, which is about 24 cm diameter. Woodbridge, under Vaughan By-law 177-2025, is regulated at 20 cm, but that bylaw has a simplified stream for dead, hazardous, and EAB-infested trees that does not require an arborist report. Milton has no private tree permit for most residential lots and Halton Hills has no private tree bylaw yet, so reports there are mostly for insurance, construction, and Halton Region By-law 121-05, which covers woodlands of half a hectare and up and Regional Greenlands. We confirm which rules apply before we write anything.
Where we provide this service
Frequently asked questions
What is an arborist report and when do I actually need one? +
It is a written assessment of a tree covering species, size, condition, and a recommendation, prepared so a third party can act on it. The three common triggers in the west GTA are a municipal permit application, since most cities typically ask for a report before approving removal of a regulated tree, an insurance claim after storm damage or a limb failure, and construction near trees, where the city wants a protection plan before approving your project. You do not need one to get a quote from us, and you do not need one for a tree below your city's size threshold on unregulated land. Part of our job is telling you when a report would be wasted money, which happens more often than you would think, especially in Milton and Halton Hills where most residential lots have no permit requirement at all.
How much does an arborist report cost? +
Reports start at $300 for a straightforward single-tree assessment supporting a permit application or an insurance claim. The price moves up with the number of trees, the complexity of the assessment, and the purpose of the report. A multi-tree inventory for a construction project, a tree protection plan with fencing specifications and root protection zones, or a Toronto ravine file with its extra documentation all take more field time and more writing. We quote the report cost in writing before booking the visit, so you know the number before we start. And if we visit and it turns out no report is required for your situation, we tell you that instead of writing one.
Can you write an arborist report in winter, or should I wait for spring? +
We write reports year-round, and winter is often the better time to book one, since city review queues and our own schedule are both lighter than in spring. The honest caveat is that some health assessments are harder on a bare deciduous tree. Telling a dead Norway maple from a dormant one in February takes closer inspection of buds, bark, and cambium, and in a genuinely ambiguous case we will say so in the report rather than guess. Structural issues, decay, cavities, and storm damage are actually easier to see with the leaves down. If your permit timeline allows it, applying in winter often means the approval is in hand for spring work, when everyone else is just starting to call around.
Does an arborist report guarantee my permit will be approved? +
No, and be wary of anyone who says otherwise. The report documents the tree's condition and gives a professional recommendation. The decision belongs to the city. What a good report does is make sure your application is not delayed or refused for missing or unclear information, and that a legitimately hazardous or declining tree is described in the terms the city needs to justify approval. In our experience, clear documentation of a genuine problem, a dead ash, a decayed stem over a bedroom, a tree breaking up a foundation, gives an application its best chance. If the tree is healthy and the reasons for removal are preference-based, we will tell you honestly that the application may be an uphill climb before you spend money on it.
Do you also handle the permit application itself? +
Yes. Our municipal tree permit application assistance starts at $75 and covers confirming the bylaw for your address, completing the forms, assembling the documents, submitting the application, and tracking it until the city responds. Most homeowners bundle the two: we do the site visit once, measure the tree, write the report, and file the application together. That matters because the report and the application have to agree with each other, and mismatched diameters or descriptions between documents are a common reason files bounce back. If you already have a report from someone else, we can still handle just the application side.
Can you document storm damage for an insurance claim? +
Yes, and speed matters more than most people realize. Insurers want to see the damage, the failed limb or stem, and the tree's overall condition before cleanup removes the evidence. We photograph and measure everything on site, note what failed and why where the cause is visible, things like included bark, decay columns, or EAB-killed wood, and put it in a dated report your adjuster can work from. If the situation is hazardous, a cracked limb hanging over a driveway for example, we offer same-day response during business hours, and after hours you can leave a voicemail and we will call back as soon as we reopen. Documentation and cleanup can usually be handled in the same visit.