Pool Fence Installation in Toronto and the GTA
Pool enclosures built to your city's bylaw: the right height, gates that close and latch on their own, and nothing on the outside a child can climb. Finished before the pool is filled, ready for the city's inspection.
A pool fence has a different job
An ordinary fence bylaw sets the most a fence can be. A pool enclosure bylaw sets the least. Ontario has no province-wide rule for backyard pools, so every number comes from your city's own bylaw, and the city inspects the fence before the pool goes into use.
- Height: at least 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) in Toronto and most of the GTA. Ajax, Oshawa and Aurora ask for 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in)
- Gates: self-closing, with a self-latching device on the pool side near the top
- Openings: narrow enough that a child can't squeeze through, from 38 mm (1-1/2 in) to 100 mm (4 in) depending on how far apart the rails are
- Nothing to climb: no rails, braces or attachments on the outside between 100 mm (4 in) and 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) above the ground
- Bottom gap: Toronto wants the fence to start within 50 mm (2 in) of the ground
Those are Toronto's numbers. Other cities change the details, and our pool fence guide compares 16 of them. We check the bylaw for your address before we quote.
Pool fence cost in the GTA
Installed prices before HST, from our fence cost guide. Checked October 2026. Gates are extra: a walk gate runs $300 to $1,200, and on a pool it has to close and latch on its own. Taking out an old fence runs $5 to $15 per linear ft. City permit and inspection fees are set by each city, like Mississauga's 2026 inspection fee of $402.53. Pool chain link usually needs a smaller mesh than a standard yard fence, so we quote it job by job. The final number comes from photos or a site visit.
| Fence | Installed, per linear ft | 100 ft of fence |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminum picket | $80 to $200 | $8,000 to $20,000 |
| Pressure-treated wood | $70 to $100 | $7,000 to $10,000 |
| Cedar | $90 to $120 | $9,000 to $12,000 |
| Vinyl privacy | $55 to $120 | $5,500 to $12,000 |
How we build a pool fence that passes
The bylaw for your address
We confirm the height, latch, gap and opening rules for your city before we quote. Where the pool fence is also a lot line fence, it has to meet the ordinary fence height limits too, so it ends up between the pool minimum and the fence maximum.
Rails on the pool side
The outside face has to be hard to climb. On wood and vinyl fences, the rails and any bracing go on the pool side and the boards face out. Toronto also wants the fence at least 1 m (3 ft 3 in) clear of anything climbable, like an AC unit or a planter, unless the fence is 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) tall there.
A gate that latches every time
The gate hangs on its own solid post, set about 1.2 m (4 ft) deep in concrete. We adjust the hinges until it swings shut and latches on its own from fully open. A gate that sags stops latching, and a pool gate that won't latch fails inspection. Our sagging gate guide explains why.
Finished before the water
Most cities won't let a pool be filled or used until the enclosure passes inspection. We line up our dates with your pool builder's so the fence is done and ready for the inspector when the pool is.
Sources, checked October 2026: Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 447 (section 447-1.3, pool enclosures), Toronto pool fence enclosures, Mississauga 2026 pool and hot tub installation guide, Oshawa Pool Enclosure By-law 79-2006, Ajax By-law 42-2025, Aurora pool enclosure permit guide.
Aluminum, wood or vinyl around a pool
- Aluminum picket: the usual pool fence. The picket spacing is made for the rules, it doesn't rot where it meets wet ground, and you can still see the pool from the house
- Wood: full privacy from the neighbours, as long as the rails go on the pool side. Pressure-treated or cedar
- Vinyl: privacy with no stain or paint, built the same way with the smooth face out
- A mix: aluminum where you want to see the water, and a privacy fence along the lot lines
Hot tubs and swim spas follow their own rules. In Toronto, a hot tub with a solid cover that's permanently attached and locked doesn't need an enclosure. Some cities don't allow that, so we check before you plan the yard around it.
Building a deck by the pool as well?
We build decks around pools too, like this 500 sq ft deck taken right up to the wall of an above-ground pool in Richmond Hill. A deck changes where people can reach the water from, so it changes how the enclosure has to work.
If a deck and a fence are both on your list, we plan them together. The fence line, the gate and the deck stairs get set out once, against your city's pool bylaw, instead of one trade working around the other.
Pool decks, fences and gates we've built
500 sq ft pool deck built up to an above-ground pool
A 500 square foot pressure-treated deck built out around an above-ground pool in Richmond Hill, taken up to the pool wall so the pool sits in the deck rather than on the lawn, and tied into the existing deck at the house.
View project
Swim spa deck and full backyard rebuild
A full backyard rebuild in North York. About 500 square feet of composite deck framed around a swim spa, black aluminum railings, wide stairs, a stone paver patio below and new sod and planting, with the design and permit handled from the start.
View project
100 ft pressure-treated fence and gates
About 100 linear feet of pressure-treated privacy fence with matching gates, built on 6x6 posts set in concrete footings about 4 ft deep, below the frost line, with post caps.
View project
180 ft of 6 ft privacy fence with two gates
About 180 linear feet of 6 ft pressure-treated board privacy fence replacing a grey, leaning fence around a Richmond Hill backyard, with two new gates.
View projectRead before you build
Pool fence rules by city
Enclosure heights, gate latches, permits and hot tub rules.
Learn moreFence cost guide
Installed prices per linear foot by fence type, plus gates.
Learn moreAluminum vs wood fence
Privacy, price and upkeep compared, and where each one fits.
Learn moreSagging or sticking gate
Why gates drop or bind, and whether it's the post or the gate.
Learn morePool fence questions
How much does a pool fence cost in Toronto?
How tall does a pool fence have to be?
Do I need a permit for a pool fence?
Can we fill the pool before the fence is finished?
Does a hot tub need a pool fence?
Planning a pool?
Send photos of the yard, where the pool is going, the rough length of fence and your pool builder's dates. Include your survey if you have one.