What does Oakville's tree by-law cover on a private lot?

The Town's page says the by-law applies to all private property in Oakville, except woodlands and greenlands governed by Halton Region's Tree By-law 121-05, and requires a permit to remove any tree 15 centimetres or more in diameter at breast height (measured at 1.37 metres), any tree that an approved site plan requires to be kept or planted, and trees planted through the Town's partnership program for larger replacement street trees. A Town inspector visits first to assess the tree's ownership, health and location and the lot's tree canopy before and after removal.

The Town says healthy trees removed above 15 centimetres must be replaced with new trees, and its procedure says dead trees with a high-risk rating and invasive buckthorn are approved without a permit fee or replacement condition, and that no fee is required for ash trees. The 2026 fees schedule lists $65 for a first tree of 15 to 24 centimetres and $425 for a second such tree or a first tree over 24 centimetres. A rule summary says what the by-law covers; it doesn't say who owns a given tree or how wide its trunk is.

• Private Tree Protection By-law: the Town's summary of which trees need a permit
• Private Tree Protection Procedure: how the Town assesses an application, replacement and exemptions
• Tree Protection and Tree Canopy Preservation Policy: names By-law 2017-038 and the Region's By-law 121-05
• 2026 rates and fees schedule: the Town's 2026 fees, tree protection section (PDF)

Tree and ravine limits is in the free check as a summary of the Town's rule, from our hand-kept table, with a link to the Town's page. It is a rule for the town, not a survey of the trees on a lot.

Free check: pick “Tree and ravine limits” See the sample report