Fence Replacement & Removal

Replacing a fence starts with taking the old one out. Published Ontario installer pages say posts set in concrete cost more to pull. The new fence is new erection under Ottawa's Fence By-law, so it has to meet today's limits of 1 m in a front yard and 213 cm in a side or rear yard, even if the old one did not.

Where the new fence goes matters as much as what it is made of. The City's guide says to check property lines before installing a new fence or replacing an old one, so that it is on your property and allowed there. No fence may stand on City property, including the road allowance; in one Ottawa case reported by CBC in 2024, the City removed a fence it said was on its right of way and billed the owners. geoOttawa shows approximate lines, and only an Ontario Land Surveyor can mark the boundary.

If the old fence sits on the line with a neighbour, talk first. The municipal guide to Ontario's Line Fences Act says a municipality cannot decide where the boundary between two properties is; that is a civil matter for the owners.

Published Ontario installer pages put removal and disposal of an old fence at roughly $5 to $15 per linear foot, on top of the new fence's per-foot price. If you haul it yourself, the City's Trail Waste Facility lists residential garbage at $172.70 per tonne above 250 kg, minimum $43.20.