Chain Link Fences

Chain link is the see-through, lower-cost option for keeping pets and children in a yard. In Ottawa it comes with one rule other materials do not have: the Fence By-law says no one may put up a chain link fence on residential property that is not vinyl or powder coated. The same applies on non-residential lot lines next to residential property. So the quote you compare should be for coated chain link.

Because it can be seen through, chain link is treated differently in one place. The City's zoning by-laws limit obstructions to 0.75 m in a 6 m sight triangle at the corner of a residential corner lot, and say a chain link fence or a similar feature that can be seen through is not an obstruction. The Fence By-law's own 3 m corner triangle and 2 m driveway triangle still cap any fence at 75 cm, chain link included.

Barbed wire, chicken wire and electric fences are not allowed on residential property in Ottawa.

Published Ontario installer pages put chain link at roughly $15 to $50 per linear foot installed, a wide spread; coating adds to the price. Ask whether the quote is for vinyl or powder-coated mesh and posts, and what height.