The property line question no contractor will ask for you
Before any fence comes down or goes up, someone needs to confirm where the property line actually is. Most homeowners skip this because they figure the old fence is close enough. Sometimes it is. Sometimes the old fence has been sitting six inches into the neighbour’s yard for twenty years and nobody knew.
In the GTA, a land survey costs $800 to $2,000 for a typical residential lot. If you’re replacing a fence along a disputed or uncertain boundary, that’s cheap insurance compared to tearing out a new fence because the position was wrong.
The City of Toronto has a Fence Bylaw that sets height and structural standards, but it doesn’t adjudicate where the fence goes. That’s a property line question, and it’s your responsibility to know the answer before you start.
What the Line Fences Act actually means for shared fences
In Ontario, a fence sitting on a shared property boundary is governed by the Line Fences Act. Both neighbours share responsibility for a boundary fence, and the cost can be split between them.
In practice it’s more complicated. The Act creates a procedure for resolving disputes if neighbours can’t agree on whether to build, repair, or replace a shared fence. It allows for “fence-viewers” – appointed officials who can arbitrate and allocate costs. In Toronto specifically, Municipal Licensing and Standards stopped accepting line fence viewing applications in May 2018. Disputes now go to civil court or to TNG Community Services, which offers free mediation to Toronto residents.
If the fence is shared and you want to replace it, talk to the neighbour first. Put the conversation in writing. If they agree to split the cost, get a signed agreement before the crew shows up. If they don’t agree, you can pay for the full replacement yourself and place the fence inside your own property line, or go through mediation. Replacing a shared fence without the neighbour’s agreement and then trying to collect half later is a fight most contractors have watched go badly.
Height limits and when a permit is required
In Toronto, the general height limit for a backyard fence is 2 metres (about 6.6 feet). Front yard fences top out lower – typically 0.9 to 1.0 metres depending on the zone. Corner lots have additional restrictions tied to sightlines at intersections.
A standard residential fence replacement in Toronto doesn’t require a building permit as long as it stays within the height limits and isn’t enclosing a pool. Pool enclosures require a permit and have to meet the provincial Pool Enclosure Act regardless of height. If your fence project is combined with a deck, addition, or other structural work, that work may trigger its own permit.
Outside Toronto, municipalities vary. Mississauga, Brampton, Markham, Vaughan, and Hamilton all have their own bylaws. The pattern is generally similar – 2m backyard, lower front – but setback rules and corner lot restrictions differ enough that a quick check with the local building department before ordering materials is worth the ten minutes.
What holds up in GTA winters
Pressure-treated wood is still the most common fence material in the GTA and the cheapest to install. Posts should be rated for ground contact (UC4A or UC4B), set below the frost line (1.2 metres minimum), and backfilled with concrete or compacted gravel. A properly built PT fence on good footings lasts 15 to 20 years. Set those posts shallow in clay soil and you’re looking at lean in three to five winters.
Cedar costs more upfront but holds up longer with less maintenance – typically 20 to 30 years before rot becomes a structural problem. The footing depth requirement is the same as for PT wood. The wood above grade is fine; post rot at the soil line is the failure point when the footing isn’t right.
Vinyl needs no painting and won’t rot, but posts still have to go below the frost line. Vinyl on shallow footings racks and leans through freeze-thaw cycles, sometimes faster than wood. Wall thickness matters more with vinyl than most contractors will say upfront – 0.135 inches or thicker holds, thinner panels don’t. Colour fades noticeably after 10 to 15 years.
Among GTA fence materials, aluminum needs the least upkeep. It won’t rot, won’t rust, and holds colour better than vinyl over a 15 to 20 year span. Aluminum fencing is a specialty at LF Builders – the post footing quality matters just as much as with any other material, but the fence above grade needs nothing beyond an occasional rinse. The catch is privacy: aluminum panels are typically semi-open (picket-style), so if privacy is the reason for the fence, aluminum isn’t the right call unless you’re using a solid or tongue-and-groove configuration.
2026 GTA price ranges
Pressure-treated wood runs $30 to $55 per linear foot installed. Cedar is $45 to $75 per linear foot. Vinyl is $45 to $85. Aluminum runs $35 to $65 per linear foot for standard residential picket; semi-privacy and privacy configurations are $75 to $120 per linear foot.
For a typical GTA backyard (100 to 150 linear feet), total project cost including post footings, gates, and removal of the old fence:
- PT wood: $4,500 to $9,000
- Cedar: $6,000 to $12,000
- Vinyl: $6,000 to $13,000
- Aluminum (standard): $5,500 to $10,000
- Aluminum (privacy): $11,000 to $18,000
Removal of the old fence adds $3 to $10 per linear foot depending on the material and how it was set. Concrete-footed wood posts take longer to pull than simple wood-in-ground installs.
What a complete quote should cover
Post footing depth and method – below frost line, concrete-footed, not just gravel or tamped soil. Whether the survey line has been confirmed or assumed. Gate count, hardware spec, and whether gate posts get additional concrete (they should). How the contractor handles the neighbour conversation on a shared fence. Removal and disposal of the old fence, with disposal priced explicitly (GTA tipping fees show up on invoices and catch people off guard). Warranty on the installation separate from the material warranty.
A quote that gives a per-foot price without specifying footing method is leaving the most important part of the job unpriced.
What are you seeing?
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