Overview: Fence Contractors
Fence jobs go wrong at the property line more often than at the posts. Find the line first, from your survey plan or the metal markers at the corners, and talk to the neighbour before anything goes in the ground. Whether that neighbour shares the cost is a provincial question, and Ontario and Quebec answer it in different ways.
Then there's frost. Posts that stop short of your area's frost depth get lifted a little every winter, until the rails wave and the gate won't latch. Snow adds its own load. Drifts pile against a solid fence, and a plough can throw packed snow hard enough to snap a panel.
Height limits, corner sight lines and pool enclosures are set locally, usually by municipal bylaw. Get the bylaw before you pick a style, because a fence that fails inspection gets built twice.
Our listings show what each fence contractor states on its own website. Pick your province, then your city, to reach crews that dig post holes in your area.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find out where the boundary runs?
From your survey. Look for a survey plan in your purchase papers, then find the metal markers at the corners. If they're missing or the neighbour disputes the line, hire a land surveyor licensed in your province to set it. In Ontario, fence-viewers can settle who builds and pays for a line fence, but they have no say over where the boundary runs. An old hedge proves nothing.
How deep do fence posts need to go?
Below the frost depth for your area, which your municipal building department can tell you. Anything shallower gets jacked up a bit each winter. Before the auger comes out, get buried utilities marked. In Ontario that's a legal duty and the locates cost nothing, but the request must go in at least five business days ahead for a single property. Gate posts go deeper and heavier than the rest.
Can I make my neighbour pay for half the fence?
Sometimes, if it sits on the shared line. In Ontario, unless your municipality has opted out, either owner can ask for fence-viewers under the Line Fences Act. They decide the type of fence and split the work and cost. That process won't help if you built the fence first and billed later. In Quebec, the Civil Code lets you require your neighbour to share a dividing fence, but if they refuse, get a court order before you build.
Which fencing material suits which job?
Cedar and pressure treated wood are the usual picks, because both handle the cold and repair easily. Vinyl never needs stain, but it gets brittle in a deep freeze and a cracked panel means a new panel. Chain link is the cheap way to hold a dog in a big yard, and snow blows through it. Along a busy road, expect plough spray and salt to age anything faster.
Why does my gate sag and drag?
Usually the hinge post has moved. Frost lifts a shallow post unevenly, and a heavy gate on a light post leans a little more every season. The other cause is a frame with no diagonal brace, which slowly sags out of square. A deeper, heavier hinge post and a braced frame fix it. Moving the latch only hides the problem until spring.
What does a pool fence have to do?
Keep a child out. Quebec has a province-wide regulation on residential pool safety that reaches even inflatable pools deep enough to count. It usually calls for an enclosure with a gate that closes and latches on its own, and it keeps pumps and other climbable equipment away from the fence. Older pools are being brought under it too. Elsewhere, your municipal bylaw sets the details, and municipalities in Quebec can go further.
