Cambridge: questions buyers ask
Does Cambridge need a permit to remove a tree on a private lot?
Private Tree By-law 23-105 and Tree By-law 71-06 for City trees, as explained on the City's forestry page.
Sources checked October 28, 2026
The rule in Cambridge
20 cm across: the trunk size the rule names
Cambridge by-law 23-105: a City permit is needed to remove or injure 1 to 9 private trees 20 cm or more in diameter at 1.4 m above ground (10 or more need a site alteration permit); each removal requires 1 to 4 replacement trees by size, or cash-in-lieu of $607 + HST per tree.
From Cambridge by-law 23-105, checked 6 Oct 2026
- The recordTree removal
- Where to read itForestry
- The free check reads itPick “Tree and ravine limits”
What the record shows
The City's forestry page says that under the Private Tree By-law (23-105) a permit is needed to remove, cut down or injure a tree 20 centimetres (8 inches) or more in diameter on private property, measured 1.4 metres above ground level. It applies to the removal of 1 to 9 trees on all land use types, including single family residential properties; removing 10 or more needs a Site Alteration Permit. The application fee is $64.98 ($57.50 + HST), with an assessment by a qualified tree professional, and dead trees, maintenance pruning, imminent hazards and emergencies have exemption steps of their own.
Each removal brings replacement trees by size, from 1 for a tree of 20 to 30 centimetres to 4 for one over 70 centimetres, or cash-in-lieu of $607 (2026) + HST for each replacement tree not planted. Trees on City land and along City roads fall under Tree By-law 71-06. For a tree near a property boundary the application includes an adjacent property owner consent form; a rule summary doesn't say who owns a given tree.
Where to read it yourself
- Forestry: the City's page on the private and City tree by-laws, permits, fees and replacement trees
What OfferDue covers in Cambridge
Tree and ravine limits is in the free check as a summary of the City's rule, from our hand-kept table, with a link to the City's page. It is a rule for the city, not a survey of the trees on a lot.
Free check: pick “Tree and ravine limits” See the sample report
Public-record information, not legal, financial, insurance or inspection advice. Records change and can be incomplete, and this page describes the records, not any particular home. What we cover, city by city.