Do You Need a Permit for a Fence in Toronto?

No, not for an ordinary fence. Toronto doesn't issue building permits for residential fences. What it has is a fence bylaw, Chapter 447 of the Municipal Code, and every fence has to meet it: how tall it can be, what it can be made of and what it can't block. Pool enclosures are the exception. They need a permit before the pool goes in.

If you want a fence the bylaw doesn't allow, like a taller one in the backyard, you apply for an exemption. It costs $200, and your Community Council decides after the neighbours are told. This year, no exemptions are being decided until early 2027.

What needs a permit and what doesn't

How tall your fence can be

Our fence height guide has the limits for 28 GTA municipalities. In Toronto, Chapter 447 sets these for house lots:

• Rear and side yard fences between house lots: 2.0 m (6 ft 7 in). A fence sold as a 6 footer is 1.83 m, so it fits
• Backing onto a road, a public walkway, an apartment building or a business: up to 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in), outside the front yard
• Front yard: 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) within 2.4 m (just under 8 ft) of the street, and 2.0 m farther back
• A privacy screen on a deck, outside the front yard and more than 2.4 m from the street: 2.0 m (6 ft 7 in) above the deck boards

The height is measured from the average ground level 1 m (3 ft 3 in) out on each side of the fence, and it applies at every point along it. On a slope, or along a retaining wall, the two sides sit at different levels, so the average is what counts. We count lattice and decorative tops as part of the height.

Driveways and corner lots

Any fence within 2.4 m (just under 8 ft) of a driveway has to be see-through, like chain link or another open style, for the first 2.4 m back from the lot line where the driveway starts. That lets drivers backing out see the sidewalk. Plants or anything else that blocks the view through it aren't allowed either.

On a corner lot, the front yard is the part facing the shorter street line. The side yard along the other street counts as backing onto a road, so a fence there can go to 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in). Within 2.4 m of a driveway it drops to 2.0 m, and the see-through rule still applies.

Pool enclosures need a permit

Any outdoor pool that can hold more than 600 mm (about 2 ft) of water needs an enclosure, and the enclosure needs a permit. Hot tubs and spas count too, unless they have a cover that locks. The steps on the City's page:

• Apply to Toronto Building for a zoning certificate
• Once it's approved, email the pool fence enclosure permit application, the zoning certificate and a zoning-approved site plan to Municipal Licensing and Standards
• Review usually takes 10 to 20 business days once the application is complete
• The City inspects the finished enclosure before the pool can be filled. Book the inspection through 311

On a house lot the enclosure has to be at least 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) high, with gates that close and latch on their own. Our pool fence guide covers the gate and climbing rules.

How a fence exemption works

An exemption lets one property keep a fence that breaks a Chapter 447 rule. The Community Council for your part of the city decides. This is how it goes:

• Send the application form, a site plan and drawings, photos and the $200 fee to your Municipal Licensing and Standards district office. The fee isn't refundable
• City staff review the application and inspect the property
• The City sends out notice of the hearing. For a backyard fence, the owners next door are notified. For a front yard fence within 2.4 m of the street, every owner within 60 m (about 200 ft) is
• You post a public notice on the property at least 10 days before the meeting
• Neighbours can attend and speak. The City suggests bringing letters of support from the owners next door
• Community Council grants the exemption, with or without conditions, or refuses it. A refused fence has to be brought into line with the bylaw

Your name and address become public as part of the application.

Timing in 2026: Community Council meetings are suspended from August to December 2026 because of the municipal election, so no exemptions are being decided this fall. The City is still taking applications and inspecting, and decisions start again in early 2027. If you want a taller fence up by spring, apply now rather than in March.

Built it first? What happens next

The City says to apply before you build. If a fence goes up over the limit and someone calls 311, a bylaw officer can inspect and issue a notice of violation. You then either fix the fence or apply for an exemption, and enforcement waits until Council decides. The City says that holds for applications sent in before January 2027, while hearings are on hold.

Old fences get some leeway. A fence that was legal when it went up before June 20, 2018, or that got an exemption, is treated as meeting the bylaw until it's replaced. The new fence has to meet today's rules. So an old 8 ft fence between two house lots comes back at 2.0 m (6 ft 7 in) unless you get an exemption.

Before the posts go in

• Utility locates: Ontario Dig Authority (formerly Ontario One Call) marks utility lines for free, with 5 business days' notice for a single address. Private lines, like a gas line to a BBQ or power to a shed, need a private locator
• Trees: digging that can injure a private tree 30 cm (about 1 ft) or more in diameter, or a City street tree of any size, needs a tree permit. The City also lists nailing a fence to a tree as injuring it
• Ravines: in ravine protected areas, digging into a slope or adding soil to it needs a permit
• The property line: the City does not decide where a shared fence goes or who pays for it. Toronto has opted out of most of the Line Fences Act, so there are no fence-viewers. Our fence line guide covers surveys and free mediation

How we handle it

At the site visit we check the height limits for your lot, the driveway and corner rules, any big trees near the fence line and whether there's a pool. If something needs a permit or an exemption, we tell you before we quote.

See our Toronto fence page for local prices and projects, or the fence cost guide to work out a budget. When you're ready, send us your address and a few photos of the fence line.

Sources: City of Toronto, Municipal Code Chapter 447, Fences, Fence exemption, Fences, When do I need a building permit and When to apply for a tree or ravine permit; Ontario Dig Authority, Locates overview. Checked October 2026.