Tree rules in Gatineau: permits, protected trees and fees

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It describes the city's tree page, its front yard tree programme page, zoning by-law 532-2020 (administrative compilation dated September 2, 2026) and the administration by-law for planning by-laws 501-2005 (compilation dated September 2, 2026), all as read on October 9, 2026. The city's own notice on both compilations says they have no legal or official value and that the by-laws as adopted govern. The city publishes in French; this page gives the content in English in our own words. Amounts are Canadian dollars. The wider list of cities is on the guide to tree permits in Canadian cities.

Which trees and when a certificate is needed

The city page says anyone who wants to fell a tree on their property must hold a certificate of authorisation from the city, issued before the felling starts. The felling rules apply to broadleaf and conifer trees with a diameter at breast height of 10 cm or more, measured 1.3 m above the ground. Article 363.2 of the zoning by-law opens by saying tree felling is prohibited and then lists the only types allowed. The city page adds that some wooded areas of interest and some sites, such as shore lots, corner lots, flood zones, landslide zones and heritage zones, can carry stricter rules, and points to the city's geoportal map.

The city page says a request goes in by calling 311 or filing an online 311 request, giving the number, location and species of the trees and the reason. For felling tied to a construction project it asks for a site plan showing the trees to keep, the trees to fell and the replacement trees. Article 70 of the administration by-law asks for the species and diameter of each tree and the reasons. It asks for a site plan for the construction-related reasons, and for a signed written opinion from a forestry specialist when the request covers 11 trees or more and does not fall under those construction-related reasons.

Reasons the zoning by-law allows

A dead tree.
A tree with an incurable disease, or one infested by an insect that threatens its survival or another tree's.
A dangerous tree. The city page defines it as a tree with imminent danger from an irreversible structural deficiency that seriously threatens people or property.
A tree that damages property, or that causes an unreasonable nuisance. The by-law says normal inconveniences such as falling twigs, leaves, flowers or fruit, surface roots, insects, shade, natural smells, sap, honeydew or pollen are not a nuisance.
A tree that harms the growth and health of neighbouring trees of higher functional, aesthetic and environmental value.
A tree inside the footprint of a planned work that the by-laws allow, or inside set bands: 3 m around the foundation walls of a planned main building or extension, 1 m around an existing main building, a planned outbuilding, a planned parking space, a planned driveway or a planned pool, 1 m beside a private service connection, and 0.5 m beside a planned fence.
A tree in a planned street right of way, a tree in the way of a septic system, groundwater intake or geothermal system when no other location works, and a tree blocking equipment for a soil study or soil clean-up.

Article 364.1 adds rules for conservation woods marked on the by-law's wooded-area map: sanitary or health cutting is allowed, and felling for a permitted work is allowed up to 200 square metres of wood per lot and at most 10 percent of the trees over 10 cm. Articles 365 and 366 cover other mapped woods.

Fees and fines

Item	What the by-law says
Certificate fee for a dead, diseased, dangerous, damaging or nuisance tree, or one harming neighbouring trees	No fee (table 113 of by-law 501-2005)
Felling for another reason	CA$110 per tree, to a maximum of CA$5,515
Clearing more than one hectare	CA$5,515 per hectare
Fine for felling against the planning by-laws	CA$500, plus CA$100 to CA$200 per tree felled on under one hectare, up to CA$5,000; on one hectare or more, CA$5,000 to CA$15,000 per hectare cleared, plus the per-tree amount. Repeat fines are doubled
Fine for missing required planting	CA$150 to CA$300 per missing tree for a person, CA$300 to CA$600 for a corporation. Repeat fines are doubled

Planting, replacement and pruning

The city page says the lot must carry at least 1 tree per 250 square metres, up to 15 trees, with a minimum of 1 tree on smaller lots, and that trees already on the lot that meet the by-law count. Planted trees go more than 1.5 m from a fire hydrant, street light, street paving, sidewalk or curb, and planting on city street right of way is banned. A new broadleaf needs a trunk of at least 6 cm measured 15 cm above the ground and a conifer needs a height of at least 2 m.

A felled tree must be replaced when the lot falls short of the minimum tree count or when the felling is for an outbuilding, other accessory structure, pool or fence. The replacement must be at least 2.5 m tall for a broadleaf and 1.5 m for a conifer. For a certificate issued between September 1 and April 30, replacement is due before June 30 that follows. For one issued between May 1 and August 30, it is due before October 30 that follows.

The city page lists pruning limits: no removal of more than 50 percent of the living branches, no topping, no pruning that shortens a tree's life or kills it, and the natural shape must be kept. It says the work follows the recommendations of the Bureau de normalisation du Quebec. For front yards, the city's programme page says residential lots need at least 1 tree per 15 linear metres of lot width in the front yard, with an exception when the main building is less than 2 m from the lot line or a utility easement.

Protection during works

Before work that could harm trees, the city page says the trees to keep must be marked and fenced at least 1.2 m high, with no traffic inside a radius of 1.5 m for a tree under 25 cm in diameter and 2.5 m for a tree of 25 cm or more. Where a fence is not possible, it asks for trunk protection and a 20 cm layer of non-compacting material on a geotextile. It bars storing machinery or materials in the protected area and asks for a clean cut of damaged roots over 1.5 cm across. Where fill over 10 cm is added around a tree, it asks for a well of at least 3 m across, or 6 m when any tree is 25 cm or more.