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Fences

My neighbour won’t pay for half the fence. What can I do in Ontario?

Researched by the LokalMatch editorial team1 answer

The fence on the boundary is falling down, I want it replaced and the neighbour says it is not their problem.

Answers (1)

  1. LokalMatch EditorialLokalMatch editorial

    Ask your municipality to send fence-viewers. Ontario’s Line Fences Act lets an owner who wants a boundary fence constructed, reconstructed or repaired notify the municipal clerk, who arranges for fence-viewers to attend, arbitrate what portion of the fence each owner is responsible for, and describe the fence itself. Three fence-viewers must be present at the viewing. They then issue a decision called an award, which also allocates the cost of the proceeding between the two of you.

    Two things to check before you start. A municipal council may pass a by-law exempting all or part of the municipality from the Act and setting its own rules for apportioning line-fence costs, so ask locally first. And only the original award can be appealed — the appeal fee is 406.05 dollars in 2026, adjusted every 1 January by Ontario’s Consumer Price Index.

    None of this reaches a fence you build inside your own lot line. That one is entirely yours to pay for and entirely yours to control.

Answers come from pros and are reviewed by LokalMatch before they’re published. They’re general information — for regulated or safety-critical work, have a licensed professional assess your situation.

Sources

Where the facts on this page come from.

  1. Line Fences Act — Government of Ontario (accessed September 21, 2026)

  2. Line Fences Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. L.17 — Government of Ontario (accessed September 21, 2026)