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Fence and Deck Building & Repair Experts
Ballpark ranges only, not a quote: fencing in Ontario generally runs about $40-$95/linear foot depending on material. Wood privacy fencing (Peter's own material) commonly runs $28-$60/linear foot, with high-end builds using 6x6 posts and full pressure-treated privacy boards landing $68-$75/linear foot. Chain link (Peter's other material) commonly runs $25-$38/linear foot for a 6 ft fence. A 100-linear-foot wood privacy fence often lands around $4,000-$6,500 all-in. These are wide, self-serving 2026 marketing-content ranges, not a fixed price. Your actual cost depends on length, height, terrain, gates, and material. Book a real estimate for a number you can rely on.
Fences are generally governed by municipal zoning by-laws (height and setback rules), not by an Ontario Building Code permit the way a deck or shed can be. So the question to ask is usually "does my fence comply with the local by-law," not "do I need an OBC permit." Confirm the specific process with your own municipality before building. There is one exception where a fence DOES need a building permit, not just a by-law check: a fence that encloses a swimming pool, or that replaces an existing pool enclosure. The City of Niagara Falls states this directly on its own Fences page: "You do not need a building permit to construct a fence unless you install a swimming pool or replace an existing pool enclosure." In St. Catharines, By-law No. 2014-068's own Section 9, "Swimming Pool Enclosure," s.9.1, requires a permit from the Chief Building Official once the pool holds more than 0.6 m of water. In Niagara-on-the-Lake, By-law No. 5155-19 requires a permit for a fence enclosing a pool OR a hot tub, applied for through the Town's Cloudpermit portal. Confirm the pool-enclosure requirement with your own municipality before building a fence around a pool or hot tub. In Niagara Falls, the confirmed by-law maximum is 2.5 m (about 8'2") in the rear yard and 1 m (about 3.28 ft) along the front-yard side. In St. Catharines, By-law No. 2014-068 (as amended by By-laws 2014-214, 2024-122, 2025-040, and 2025-055), s.8.2, sets a confirmed maximum of 1 metre in a required front yard and 2 metres in any other yard. In Niagara-on-the-Lake, By-law No. 4778-14 sets the same two figures, 1 metre in a front yard and 2 metres above adjoining ground level in a side or rear yard, under its own separate by-law. Check your own municipality's fence by-law, or ask us to confirm it as part of your project. Corner lots carry their own sight-triangle rules for visibility at the intersection, but it is NOT a blanket "stricter" rule in all three towns -- Niagara Falls actually PERMITS MORE height at a corner (2.5 m under s.7) than its 1 m interior front-yard rule, the opposite of stricter, while St. Catharines and Niagara-on-the-Lake do run tighter sight-triangle caps. See /fence-bylaw-guide/ for the full per-municipality figures. Before any fence post hole gets dug -- by us or by a homeowner working alone -- Ontario law requires a locate request first. The Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012 defines an "excavator" as any individual who digs or intends to dig (s.1), with no private-property exception, so Peter's crew carries the same duty on every post hole as a homeowner would on their own property. An excavator may not commence a dig without first submitting a locate request (s.10(1)); the request is free by law (s.5.1(4)), and skipping it carries a fine of up to $10,000 (s.18). Ontario One Call's own site names building a fence directly among the jobs the request covers. The City of Welland's own building page puts it plainly: "Before you dig, call 1-800-400-2255 or visit Ontario One Call to request utility locates" -- requests go through Ontario One Call's web portal (the phone line is 24/7 support, not the filing channel itself), and by One Call's own published process, infrastructure owners have up to 5 business days to complete the locate, with One Call's own caveat that the window is not guaranteed. Build that lead time into your schedule before post holes go in. Separately, and often the more consequential question for a shared boundary fence: under Ontario's Line Fences Act, a neighbour can be compelled to share the cost of a boundary fence, but ONLY if the cost-sharing is agreed, or formally noticed, IN WRITING BEFORE work begins. Build first without that written agreement or notice and you generally cannot force your neighbour to pay after the fact. Where neighbours can't agree, municipalities appoint "fence-viewers" to resolve the dispute. See ontario.ca/page/line-fences-act for the full process.
Wood privacy fencing costs less per foot upfront and gives full, natural-looking privacy, but like any exterior wood in Ontario's climate it needs periodic re-staining or sealing to hold up over the years. Chain link costs less again per foot, needs essentially no annual finishing, and is a durable, low-maintenance boundary option, but it does not provide privacy the way a solid wood fence does. Peter builds both wood privacy and chain-link fencing; vinyl and ornamental/metal fencing are not part of his current lane, so if you are set on one of those materials, ask directly and we will tell you honestly whether that is a fit. The right choice usually comes down to whether privacy or budget-plus-low-maintenance matters more for your property.
Ballpark, fencing in Ontario runs about $40-$95/linear foot depending on material. Wood privacy typically runs $28-$60/linear foot (up to $68-$75/linear foot for a high-end 6x6-post full-privacy build), and chain link typically runs $25-$38/linear foot. A 100-foot wood privacy fence often lands around $4,000-$6,500 all-in. These are wide ranges, not a quote. Book an estimate for a number specific to your property.
Under Ontario's Line Fences Act, a neighbour CAN be compelled to share the cost of a boundary fence, but only if the cost-sharing is agreed, or formally noticed, IN WRITING BEFORE work begins. If you build first without that written agreement or notice, you generally cannot force your neighbour to pay afterward. Where neighbours disagree, the municipality appoints "fence-viewers" to resolve it. See ontario.ca/page/line-fences-act for the full process.
In Niagara Falls, the confirmed maximum is 2.5 m (about 8'2") in the rear yard and 1 m (about 3.28 ft) along the front-yard side. In St. Catharines, By-law No. 2014-068 (as amended by By-laws 2014-214, 2024-122, 2025-040, and 2025-055), s.8.2, sets a confirmed maximum of 1 metre in a required front yard and 2 metres in any other yard. In Niagara-on-the-Lake, By-law No. 4778-14 sets the same two figures, 1 metre in a front yard and 2 metres above adjoining ground level in a side or rear yard, under its own separate by-law. Corner lots carry their own sight-triangle rules, but it is not a blanket "stricter" rule everywhere -- Niagara Falls actually permits MORE height at a corner (2.5 m under s.7) than its 1 m interior front-yard rule. See /fence-bylaw-guide/ for the full per-municipality sight-triangle figures.
Generally fences are governed by municipal zoning by-laws (height and setback rules), not by an Ontario Building Code permit the way a deck or shed can be. One exception: if the fence encloses a swimming pool or hot tub, or replaces an existing pool enclosure, a building permit generally IS required -- Niagara Falls, St. Catharines (By-law No. 2014-068, s.9.1), and Niagara-on-the-Lake (By-law No. 5155-19, which also covers hot tubs) each require one. Outside the pool case, the practical question is usually "does my fence comply with the local by-law," and that's worth confirming with your own municipality before building.
Yes -- and this applies to homeowners and contractors alike. The Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012 defines an "excavator" as any individual who digs or intends to dig (s.1), with no private-property exception, and an excavator may not commence a dig without first submitting a locate request (s.10(1)). The request is free by law (s.5.1(4)); skipping it carries a fine of up to $10,000 (s.18). Ontario One Call's own site names building a fence directly among the jobs the request covers. The City of Welland's own building page states it directly: "Before you dig, call 1-800-400-2255 or visit Ontario One Call to request utility locates." Requests go through Ontario One Call's web portal; by its own published process, infrastructure owners have up to 5 business days to complete the locate, though One Call itself states that window is not guaranteed. Build that lead time into your schedule before post holes go in.
Wood privacy fencing costs more per foot but gives full, natural privacy and needs periodic re-staining. Chain link costs less, needs almost no upkeep, and is very durable, but does not provide privacy. Peter builds both: the right call usually comes down to whether privacy or budget-plus-low-maintenance matters more for your property.
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