Reference
Four cities.
Four rulebooks.
Almost every property we work on sits within twenty minutes of another municipality with different rules. A tree you could take down without asking in Toronto needs a permit in Richmond Hill. Grass that is legal in Vaughan is a by-law matter in Markham. This is the whole picture in one place, so nobody has to find out the expensive way.
| Toronto | Vaughan | Markham | Richmond Hill | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tree permit needed at | 30 cm | 20 cm | 20 cm | 15 cm |
| Trunk measured at | 1.4 m | 1.4 m | 1.37 m | 1.4 m |
| Grass height limit | 20 cm | 20 cm | 15 cm | 20 cm |
| Snow onto the road | Prohibited | Prohibited | Prohibited | Prohibited |
| Governing by-law | Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 813, Article III | Vaughan Tree Protection By-law 052-2018 | Markham Tree Preservation By-law 2023-164 | Richmond Hill Tree Preservation By-law 19-25 |
Markham measures trunk diameter at 1.37 m where the other three use 1.4 m, and caps ground cover 5 cm lower than anyone else. Richmond Hill's 15 cm threshold captures effectively every mature tree on an established lot, and its by-law counts removing more than 20 percent of live tissue in a year as injury, so heavy pruning is a permit question there and nowhere else on this list.
City of Toronto
Toronto
Trees
A permit is needed to injure, destroy or remove any private tree 30 cm in diameter or more, measured 1.4 m above ground. Injury includes failing to protect a tree properly during work, so root-zone compaction and regrading count. Penalties run from $500 to $100,000 per tree.
Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 813, Article IIIGrass and ground cover
Turfgrass must be cut once growth passes 20 cm. The same by-law requires properties to be kept clear of prohibited plants, and the named list is exactly what colonises a ravine edge: dog-strangling vine, garlic mustard, common and glossy buckthorn, Japanese knotweed, phragmites, giant hogweed, purple loosestrife, poison ivy and ragweed.
Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 489Snow
No owner or occupant may move snow or ice from private property onto a road, sidewalk or laneway. Sidewalks adjoining the property must be cleared within 12 hours of snowfall ending, and driveways, steps, walks and landings within 24 hours.
Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 719What the city clears
The City mechanically clears the large majority of public sidewalks once accumulation reaches 2 cm. Below that threshold the 12-hour clearing duty sits with the owner.
The boulevard
Soft landscaping on the City boulevard needs no permit, but boulevard trees are City property and are protected at any size.
Protected areas
Inside a designated ravine or natural feature under Chapter 658 the ordinary rules are replaced entirely: every tree is protected regardless of size, altering the grade is an offence, and fill over five cubic metres or a replacement retaining wall needs approval.
Where we work here: Bathurst and Lawrence, Willowdale, Bayview Village, York Mills, Hogg's Hollow, Don Mills, Lawrence Manor, Bathurst Manor, Armour Heights, Newtonbrook, Henry Farm, Parkwoods, Downsview
City of Vaughan
Vaughan, York Region
Trees
A permit is needed to injure or destroy any private tree 20 cm in diameter or more, measured 1.4 m above grade. On a multi-stem tree the three largest stems are added together. The threshold is lower than Toronto's, which catches people who have moved up from the city.
Vaughan Tree Protection By-law 052-2018Grass and ground cover
Grass, weeds and ground cover must be cut once growth passes 20 cm, and the duty covers the adjacent boulevard as well as the property itself.
Vaughan Long Grass and Weeds By-law 125-2022Snow
No owner may place snow or ice from their property, or from the boulevard next to it, onto a highway. Owners are also responsible for keeping the adjoining sidewalk clear and treating slippery areas.
Vaughan Road Allowance By-law 126-2024What the city clears
Vaughan plows roads and sidewalks once accumulation reaches a set trigger and clears driveway windrows after the plow passes. Service levels are published each season, so the current year's thresholds are worth checking rather than assuming.
The boulevard
An encroachment on the road allowance is allowed without a permit only if it sits more than 30 cm from a sidewalk and 100 cm from a curb. Anything closer, or anything projecting from private property over public land, needs a permit.
Where we work here: Beverley Glen, Brownridge, Uplands, The Chabad Gate pocket, The Promenade area, Patterson, Thornhill
City of Markham
Markham, York Region
Trees
A permit is needed for any private tree 20 cm in diameter or more, and Markham measures at 1.37 m rather than the 1.4 m used elsewhere. The by-law applies regardless of the tree's health or risk level, so a declining tree still needs the permit.
Markham Tree Preservation By-law 2023-164Grass and ground cover
Ground cover must be kept under 15 cm, the lowest limit of any municipality on this corridor, and the same limit applies to the abutting boulevard.
Markham By-law 2017-27Snow
Depositing snow or ice on the travelled portion of the road is prohibited without a permit, and so is moving it onto a boulevard that is not contiguous with the property it came from. Nothing may be placed within 1.2 m of a fire hydrant.
Markham Road Occupancy By-law 2018-109What the city clears
Markham clears driveway windrows only for residents registered in its assistance program, which is limited to people with disabilities and elderly residents. Everyone else clears their own windrow.
The boulevard
This is the strictest boulevard regime on the corridor. Landscaping or grade alteration in the boulevard requires a Road Occupancy Permit, and fences, posts, lighting, irrigation components, rocks and decorative retaining walls are prohibited there without authorisation.
City of Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill, York Region
Trees
The lowest threshold on this corridor: a permit is needed for any private tree 15 cm in diameter or more. Injury is defined to include removing more than 20 percent of live tissue in a twelve-month period, and any encroachment into the tree protection zone. On an established lot almost every mature tree is captured.
Richmond Hill Tree Preservation By-law 19-25Grass and ground cover
Grass must be kept under 20 cm, including the adjoining boulevard. Ornamental grasses inside a defined garden are exempt, as are designated natural growth areas.
Richmond Hill Grass and Weeds By-law 31-19Snow
No person may place snow or ice on a highway. Snow must be removed within a set window after each snowfall ends, and in a way that does not damage the sidewalk.
Richmond Hill Municipal Code Chapter 801What the city clears
Richmond Hill clears driveway windrows city-wide rather than by registration, which is a real difference from Markham for anyone comparing service on either side of a boundary.
The boulevard
Underground irrigation and low herbaceous planting are allowed on the boulevard without a permit, provided the planting sits at least 1.5 m from the curb and stays under 15 cm. Hedges and shrubs there need a permit.
Where we work here: Richvale
Applies everywhere on this corridor
Three rules that ignore municipal boundaries.
Conservation authority. All four municipalities sit inside the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority's jurisdiction. Inside a regulated area, landscaping counts as development activity under Ontario Regulation 41/24 the moment it involves regrading, importing or removing soil, adding a retaining wall, or building a patio larger than 15 square metres. Widening a driveway is caught too. A deck or patio at or under 15 square metres, and a rail or chain-link fence, generally are not.
Bathurst north of Steeles. Bathurst north of Steeles is York Regional Road 38, which means the boulevard in front of a Bathurst-fronting property belongs to the Region, not the local city. Fences, planting, ornaments and driveway entrance work in that strip need a Regional encroachment or entrance permit, and a lot of people find that out after the fact.
Woodlands over 0.2 hectares. York Region, not the local municipality, regulates treed areas over roughly 0.2 hectares under its Forest Conservation By-law. On a large or woodlot-backing property that is a separate approval from the city tree permit.
Provincial law. Ontario's Highway Traffic Act prohibits depositing snow or ice on a roadway without written permission from the road authority, which applies across every municipality on this corridor regardless of the local by-law.
Not sure which applies
Send me your postal code.
It tells me which city you are in, which thresholds apply, and whether your address sits inside a protected area, before anyone quotes anything.