Aluminum & Ornamental Fences

Ornamental aluminum and wrought-iron fences are open, picket-style fences, used across the front of a house, around a garden or along a side yard. In a front yard in Ottawa, any fence is limited to 1 m, measured from the grade at the base. Side and rear yards allow 213 cm, and there a gate 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. Those extras are written for side and rear yards only.

The by-law's coating rule matters for iron: fences must be protected by paint, preservatives or another weather-resistant material, and only cedar, redwood and treated wood are excepted. Graffiti has to be removed or the surface refinished. Sharp tops count as well: the by-law bans fences built wholly or partly of barbed or sharp material on residential property, so ask about the top profile of a spear-style design.

We found no Ontario licence or trade certificate for fence installers. If the same company also pours a concrete pad or builds a retaining wall, that part is hardscaping, which the City licenses separately.

Published prices for ornamental aluminum vary too widely to quote a range, and we found only one source for wrought iron. Get quotes on the same style, height and gate count.