Fences near you

The right material depends on the fence's job: privacy, keeping a dog in, curb appeal or passing a pool inspection. How long it lasts depends on how the material copes with moisture at ground level, salt spray near the street and the weight of snow pushed against it.

A fence that strays over the line can lead to a dispute, a forced removal or a problem when the house is sold, and old fences, hedges and the edge of the lawn are poor guides to the real boundary. A survey plan, or in Quebec a certificate of location, shows the lot's dimensions, but it does not put markers on the ground. If the corners are not clearly marked, hire a land surveyor to find and stake them: in Quebec, a member of the Ordre des arpenteurs-géomètres du Québec; in Ontario, an Ontario Land Surveyor.

A fence on the line is shared in practice, so talk to the neighbour first and put the agreement in writing: position, material, height, which side faces whom, and how the cost and upkeep are split. In most of Ontario, the Line Fences Act offers a dispute process in which fence-viewers appointed by the municipality decide how the work on a boundary fence is shared, though a council may exempt its municipality by bylaw. In Quebec, the Civil Code lets an owner fence their land at their own expense, and also ask the neighbour to share in a fence on the dividing line.

Fence rules are municipal, and in Montreal they vary from one borough to the next. In Toronto, Municipal Code Chapter 447 sets a maximum of 1.2 metres for most fences in the front yard of a residential lot and 2.0 metres for most fences elsewhere, with different limits for fences on decks and next to some roads. Any fence within 2.4 metres of a driveway must be of open construction, such as chain link, for at least 2.4 metres from the lot line where the driveway begins. An owner who wants a fence that doesn't comply can apply to the local Community Council for an exemption.

In Montreal's Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough, for example, a fence may be up to 0.90 metres high in the front yard and 2 metres high at the rear and along the side lines, and a permit is needed in heritage areas and for any fence that encloses a pool. Other boroughs and suburbs set their own heights, corner sight lines and approved materials, so check your borough's page or call its permit office before ordering materials.

A fence that surrounds a pool, or forms part of its enclosure, is a safety barrier first: it must meet stricter pool rules on height, openings, climbing and gates, and often needs its own permit. The pool contractors page explains them.

Wet soil expands as it freezes and grips whatever is buried in it. A post that is set too shallow, sits in concrete that flares wider at the surface than at the bottom, or stands in trapped water can be jacked up a little every winter, until the top line waves, panels rack and gates stop latching. The right depth depends on your region's frost penetration, the soil and the fence height, so ask each contractor to describe their footing method in the quote.

The gate is the only part of a fence that moves, which is why it usually fails first. A good installer sizes the opening for what must pass through it, from a lawn mower and a snowblower to a trailer, and braces the frame so it doesn't sag.

Fences usually give warning before they fail: a post that moves when you push it, boards splitting at the bottom, a gate you have to lift to latch. Replacing a few posts or panels makes sense while the rest is sound, but once rot or rust has spread along the whole run, a new fence is usually the better investment.