Building or replacing a fence in St. Catharines: the city rules to check first.

St. Catharines regulates fences on private property through a single fence by-law, and most of what it asks of a homeowner fits on a page. The limits below come from the city's current consolidated copy. Each is something you can check against your lot, or put to a contractor, before the first post goes in.

How tall the fence can be

On a residential property the by-law sets two limits:

• In the required front yard, a fence can be no more than 1 metre high.
• Anywhere else on the lot, outside the required front yard, the limit is 2 metres. The same 2 metre cap applies to a pool enclosure.
• On a non-residential property the limit is 3 metres.

How the city measures height

Height runs from the ground at the base of the fence to the top of the fence, and decorative post caps are left out. On a slope, where the height changes along the run, the by-law takes the average height at the midpoint between posts. Where your yard and your neighbour's sit at different levels, a fence on the lot line or within 0.6 metres of it is measured from the average of the two ground levels. A fence that reads 2 metres from the high side can read taller from the low side, so it is worth measuring both before settling on a panel height.

Corners and driveways

The by-law keeps two kinds of triangle clear so drivers and people on the sidewalk can see each other. On a corner lot in a residential zone, the corner triangle is measured 6.0 metres along each lot line from the corner. Beside a driveway, the triangle is measured 4.5 metres along the lot line and 4.5 metres along the edge of the driveway, and that applies to a driveway on the neighbouring property too. Inside either triangle a fence can be no more than 1 metre high and must not block the view, and a pool enclosure is not allowed there at all.

What it can be made of

The by-law rules out barbed wire, chicken wire, sharp projections and electrified fences on ordinary residential lots, along with sheet metal or corrugated metal panels outside employment zones. It also asks that every fence stay stable, upright and in good repair.

One line matters for anyone choosing wood. A fence has to be protected by paint, preservative or another weather resistant material, except for wooden fences made of cedar, redwood or treated wood. So a cedar or pressure-treated fence meets the by-law without a finish, and a stain is about how long the wood lasts and how it looks. Our guides on when to stain a new fence and staining and sealing cover that side.

Replacing an old fence

A fence that was lawfully built before the by-law came into force is treated as compliant for as long as it keeps the same height, length, width and materials, and it can be repaired as built. The by-law ties that protection to those four things staying the same. If the replacement will be taller, longer, wider or made of something different, check it against the current limits above before you order materials.

Permits, pools and variances

The city's list of projects that need a building permit does not name an ordinary fence. It does name retaining walls, decks more than 600 millimetres above ground, and swimming pools, hot tubs, ponds and related enclosures. If a fence project also involves a retaining wall or a deck, that part may need its own permit. Citizens First at 905.688.5600 can tell you whether your plan needs one.

A pool is different. Under the fence by-law, a pool with a depth of 0.6 metres or more cannot be dug or put up, and its enclosure cannot be built, without a permit from the Chief Building Official. The enclosure must be at least 1.5 metres high. Its gates must close on their own, with a self-latching device at least 1.2 metres above the ground on the pool side, and on a double gate one side must be fixed and locked shut.

If a fence you want falls outside the by-law, an owner can apply in writing for a variance. The city's building forms include a Fence Variance Application Form. The Director weighs special circumstances, hardship, sight lines and the effect on neighbours, and can grant it in full or in part, add conditions, or refuse. A refusal can be appealed to Council, whose decision is final. The fee comes from the city's rates and fees by-law and is non-refundable. The variance process does not extend to the pool enclosure rules.

Before the post holes go in

Fence posts mean digging, and the city names building a fence as one of the projects that needs a locate from Ontario One Call at least five days before the work, calling it the law. Ontario One Call's own page says the request is free and asks for it at least 5 business days ahead. Each utility then marks its buried lines so the crew can dig safely. Requests go through ontarioonecall.ca or 1.800.400.2255, and it is worth asking your installer who is placing the request and for what date.

Once the fence is up

This guide publishes no installed price for a new fence. The cost page explains how to get written quotes you can compare line by line, and the common questions page covers the neighbour-side question and how long a stain lasts on a Niagara fence.