Fence permits are municipal, not federal. Every Canadian city has its own bylaw, but the patterns repeat. Residential rear/side yard fences under 1.8 m / 6′ usually don't need a permit in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Halifax, and most mid-sized cities. Over 1.8 m, corner-lot daylight triangles, and pool perimeter always require permits.
Toronto — Bylaw 447-1985 (as amended): rear/side ≤2.0 m, front ≤1.2 m without permit. Corner-lot daylight triangle reduces front yard height further. Pool enclosure permit + inspection separately, under Bylaw 447-2024.
Montreal — Each borough has its own bylaw layered on top of city-wide zoning. Plateau has different rules than Westmount than Saint-Laurent. Plateau caps fence at 1.8 m rear, 1.2 m front. Pool: Règlement piscine résidentielle (provincial) requires permit and inspection always.
Vancouver — Bylaw 3575 (Zoning and Development): 1.8 m rear/side, 1.2 m front without permit. Pool enclosure under Building Bylaw, requires permit + occupancy inspection.
Calgary — Land Use Bylaw 1P2007: 2.0 m rear/side, 1.2 m front without permit. Pool enclosure under 8M2017 requires permit.
Edmonton — Zoning Bylaw 12800: 1.85 m rear/side, 1.2 m front. Pool under 18900 requires permit + inspection.
Ottawa — Fence Bylaw 2003-462: 2.0 m rear/side, 1.0 m front. Pool fence under 2005-281 always permitted.
Heritage districts — Westmount HCD, Toronto Heritage Conservation Districts (HCDs cover Cabbagetown, Old Town, Casa Loma area), Victoria's Beacon Hill, Quebec City's Old Quebec all have heritage design review on top of municipal bylaw. Specific picket profile, colour, and material requirements typical.
What happens if you skip the permit: municipal order to remove or modify, fines, and on a property sale the title search may surface the missing permit and complicate closing.
Permit-pulling as part of Fenced.ca install: in our 48-city service area, our install crews handle permit applications as part of full-install jobs. The permit fee passes through at cost; the application labour is included.
Frequently asked questions
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