Replacing a rotten wood gate in Gloucester?

A replacement walk gate in a side or rear yard runs about $500 to $1,500 for a pedestrian gate, installed, based on published 2025–26 Ontario installer pricing. If the posts are set in concrete and need to be pulled and reset, that adds to the cost; ask the installer to quote post work as a separate line.

The City of Ottawa Fence By-law, as published on ottawa.ca, limits a fence in a side or rear yard to 213 cm (about 7 feet), and a gate there may exceed that limit by up to 30 cm. A gate in a front yard does not get that 30 cm allowance; the front yard limit is 1 m.

If new gate posts go in, the Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012 requires a locate request before any digging, including a single post hole; it is free, and Ontario Dig Authority asks for it at least 5 business days ahead. Ontario Dig Authority does not mark lines itself; each utility sends its own locator. Ask the installer who will submit the request, and ask about any private lines on your property, such as a line running to a garage or shed, because we found no statement either way on whether those are marked.

On the quote itself, ask the installer to break out these items in writing: the gate size and style, the number of posts and how they are set, removal and disposal of the old gate and any concrete, and whether the existing fence posts are sound enough to hang a new gate from. Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2002, if the agreement is made somewhere other than the installer's place of business, it must be in writing and you have 10 days to cancel after receiving that written copy. If the quote includes an estimate, the final charge cannot exceed it by more than 10 per cent.

The Fence By-law, as published on ottawa.ca, says the finished side of a gate must face the public street and neighbouring properties. Cedar, redwood and treated wood are excepted from the requirement to protect the surface with paint or preservatives; any other wood must be protected.

Before you sign, ask the installer to confirm in writing whether the existing posts can stay or need replacing, so you know whether the job is a gate swap or includes new posts.