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Fence Help for Ottawa Homes, Yard by Yard
Get matched with local fence installers for wood, vinyl, chain link, ornamental and composite fences and gates. See how tall a fence can be in each part of your lot under the City's Fence By-law, what published prices look like, and what to check before anyone digs.
Free matching. No phone number needed; installers reply by email. We do not inspect, license or screen the installers we forward requests to.
Schematic plan of a residential corner lot, not to scale. Corner lots: confirm the layout with the City.
| Part of the lot | Limit | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front yard | 1 m | No fence higher than 1 m in a front yard. The gate, archway and post-cap allowances do not apply here. | Fence By-law s.5 and s.6 |
| Side yards | 213 cm | No fence higher than 213 cm. Gates may be up to 30 cm taller, an entrance archway may reach 250 cm, and decorative caps on structural posts may add up to 15 cm. On a corner lot, confirm the yard along the side street with the City. | Fence By-law s.5 and s.6 |
| Rear yard | 213 cm | No fence higher than 213 cm. Gates may be up to 30 cm taller, an entrance archway may reach 250 cm, and decorative caps on structural posts may add up to 15 cm. | Fence By-law s.5 and s.6 |
| Corner triangles | 75 cm | Two different rules meet at the corner. Fence By-law: no fence over 75 cm within a triangle measured 3 m along each lot line from the corner. Zoning: on a residential corner lot, no obstruction over 0.75 m within a triangle measured 6 m along each street; a chain link fence or other feature you can see through is not an obstruction. Confirm a corner-lot layout with the City. | Fence By-law s.4(1); Zoning By-law 2026-50 s.216 and 2008-250 s.57 |
| Driveway triangle | 75 cm | On every lot, no fence over 75 cm within a triangle measured 2 m along the lot line and the driveway, where the driveway meets the street. | Fence By-law s.4(2) |
| Road allowance | No fence | No fence may stand on City property, including the road allowance, which can be wider than it looks. geoOttawa shows approximate lines; an Ontario Land Surveyor marks the exact one. | Fence By-law s.14; City Landscaping Education Guide (March 2026); Surveyors Act s.11(1) |
Tap a part of the lot, or pick one:
Front yard: 1 m
No fence higher than 1 m in a front yard. The gate, archway and post-cap allowances do not apply here.
Fence By-law s.5 and s.6
Get quotes for a fence hereSide yards: 213 cm
No fence higher than 213 cm. Gates may be up to 30 cm taller, an entrance archway may reach 250 cm, and decorative caps on structural posts may add up to 15 cm. On a corner lot, confirm the yard along the side street with the City.
Fence By-law s.5 and s.6
Get quotes for a fence hereRear yard: 213 cm
No fence higher than 213 cm. Gates may be up to 30 cm taller, an entrance archway may reach 250 cm, and decorative caps on structural posts may add up to 15 cm.
Fence By-law s.5 and s.6
Get quotes for a fence hereCorner triangles: 75 cm
Two different rules meet at the corner. Fence By-law: no fence over 75 cm within a triangle measured 3 m along each lot line from the corner. Zoning: on a residential corner lot, no obstruction over 0.75 m within a triangle measured 6 m along each street; a chain link fence or other feature you can see through is not an obstruction. Confirm a corner-lot layout with the City.
Fence By-law s.4(1); Zoning By-law 2026-50 s.216 and 2008-250 s.57
Get quotes for a fence hereDriveway triangle: 75 cm
On every lot, no fence over 75 cm within a triangle measured 2 m along the lot line and the driveway, where the driveway meets the street.
Fence By-law s.4(2)
Get quotes for a fence hereRoad allowance: No fence
No fence may stand on City property, including the road allowance, which can be wider than it looks. geoOttawa shows approximate lines; an Ontario Land Surveyor marks the exact one.
Fence By-law s.14; City Landscaping Education Guide (March 2026); Surveyors Act s.11(1)
Height is measured from the grade at the base of the fence, or from the higher side where the ground differs. A berm does not raise the limit. (Fence By-law s.3 and the definition of grade (s.1))
Source: City of Ottawa Fence By-law No. 2003-462, as published on ottawa.ca (consolidation current to May 9, 2018).
Before Anyone Digs a Post Hole
- FreeLocate requests cost nothing, and the utility locates are free.Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012, s.5.1(4) and s.6(7)
- 5 business daysUtilities have five business days to respond, so request the locate at least that far ahead.OUI Act s.6(3); Ontario Dig Authority
- Any holeOntario Dig Authority: locates are required for any project that breaks ground, no matter the size or depth. That includes post holes.ontariodigauthority.ca
Ontario One Call is now operating as Ontario Dig Authority. Whoever digs requests the locate: the installer on a hired job, you on a do-it-yourself job.
Price a Fence Run
Add up the sides, gates and removal, and see the band that published installer pricing gives for each material.
0 feet of fence
Enter the lengths above.
- Fence–
- Gates–
- Removal and disposal–
Ranges from published Ontario installer pricing, 2025–26; yours will differ. Not a quote.
Get quotes for this| Item | Published range |
|---|---|
| Pressure-treated wood | $30 to $65 per linear foot |
| Cedar | $45 to $85 per linear foot |
| Vinyl | $45 to $90 per linear foot |
| Coated chain link | $15 to $50 per linear foot |
| Composite | $55 to $95+ per linear foot |
| Ornamental aluminum | Published prices vary too widely to quote a range. |
| Walk gate | $500 to $1,500 each |
| Driveway gate | $800 to $2,200 each |
| Old fence removal and disposal | $5 to $15 per linear foot |
No Building Code or by-law number exists for fence posts; installers commonly set posts below frost, so ask yours how deep the quote assumes.
Sharing a Fence With a Neighbour
Talk to your neighbour first.
- Ontario's Line Fences Act lets an owner ask the municipality's fence-viewers to decide how the work on a boundary fence is shared.
- By default, each owner builds half, or one builds and the other pays half the cost, unless the fence-viewers find that unjust.
- Ottawa appoints fence-viewers under its Delegation of Authority By-law. Ask the City whether the process applies to your property and what it costs.
- It does not cover a fence one owner has already built alone and then wants the other to pay for.
- Where the line is, is not something fence-viewers or the City decide: the municipal guide to the Act calls it a civil matter, and only an Ontario Land Surveyor can survey a boundary.
Sources: Line Fences Act, R.S.O. 1990 c. L.17; AMCTO, A Guide to the Line Fences Act (2024 update); City of Ottawa Delegation of Authority By-law 2025-69 s.45. We do not settle disputes.
Fence Jobs We Match
Pool fences and pool enclosures have their own by-law and permit; ottawapoolinstallation.ca covers them.
- Wood & Cedar Fences $30 to $85 per linear foot
- Vinyl Fences $45 to $90 per linear foot
- Chain Link Fences $15 to $50 per linear foot
- Aluminum & Ornamental Fences Prices vary too widely to quote
- Composite Fences $55 to $95 per linear foot
- Fence Gates $500 to $2,200 per gate
- Fence Repair Too few published prices to quote
- Fence Replacement & Removal $5 to $15 per linear foot (removal)
Fencing IQ
Plain answers to Ottawa fence questions: heights, corner lots, materials, gates, locates, neighbours and costs.
- Costs & PricingBallpark for fencing a corner lot backyard in Hunt Club?
- Costs & PricingIs composite fencing worth the higher price in Riverside South?
- Costs & PricingDoes removing my old fence add much to an Alta Vista quote?
- Costs & PricingDriveway gate on my Ottawa fence: what does it add to the quote?
- Costs & PricingBudgeting for a new wood fence around a Stittsville backyard?
- Costs & PricingMy quote says $9,000 for a backyard fence in Orleans, too high?
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a fence be in Ottawa?
Under the City's Fence By-law (No. 2003-462, as published on ottawa.ca), a residential fence may be up to 1 m in the front yard and 213 cm in any other yard. In side and rear yards, gates may be up to 30 cm taller, entrance archways may reach 250 cm, and decorative caps on structural posts may add 15 cm. Height is measured from the grade at the base of the fence, or from the higher side where the ground differs.
Is a building permit required for a fence in Ottawa?
No, unless the fence encloses a pool. The City's list of projects that do not need a building permit includes fences that do not enclose a pool. Pool enclosures follow the Pool Enclosure By-law and need their own permit; ottawapoolinstallation.ca covers them. The fence still has to meet the Fence By-law, and in a heritage district, check with the City's heritage planners first.
What does a new fence cost per foot in Ottawa?
Fences are priced per linear foot installed. In published Ontario installer pricing for 2025–26: pressure-treated wood about $30 to $65, cedar about $45 to $85, vinyl about $45 to $90, coated chain link roughly $15 to $50, and composite about $55 to $95 or more. Ornamental aluminum varies too widely to quote. These are published figures, not rates, so get at least two written quotes for the same height and style.
Does Ottawa license fence contractors?
No. The City's hardscaping contractor licence specifically does not apply to installing fences, and we found no Ontario licence or trade certificate for fence installers. If the same company pours a concrete pad or builds a retaining wall, that part is hardscaping, and the City licenses it separately.
Get Matched Free
Tell us about your fence and we send it to local Ottawa fence installers