Toronto fence permits & approvals · Reformity Inc.Fence Permit Drawings in Toronto
No, not for a standard fence: Toronto's Fence By-law (Municipal Code Chapter 447) sets height and material limits but requires a permit only for pool enclosures. A fence over the limits needs a Community Council exemption, a fence on the City boulevard needs Transportation Services approval, and a front fence in a heritage district can need a heritage permit.
We prepare your fence drawings, and when a permit, variance or heritage approval is needed, we submit the application to the City of Toronto for you.
Do you need a permit?
Fence permit rules in Toronto.
Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, East York and York all follow Chapter 447. Most rear and side yard fences top out at 2.0 m and front-yard fences within 2.4 m of the street at 1.2 m, measured from the average grade 1 m either side of the fence, which matters on sloping ravine-edge lots. Near a driveway, the first 2.4 m must be see-through. Part of what looks like a front lawn can be City boulevard, where Chapter 743 applies instead. A standard fence needs no permit, so our drawing is a layout for your approval; for an exemption or heritage application it becomes the site plan.
Covers all of Toronto, including North York, Etobicoke, Scarborough, East York, York.
Checked against the City of Toronto's own by-laws and pages in November 2026. Rules change, so we confirm them for your address before we draw.
Standard fences: no permit
Chapter 447's only permit is for pool enclosures. It bans sheet or corrugated metal, electric fences except on livestock farms, and barbed or chicken wire except high on fences allowed over 2.5 m. Temporary fencing generally isn't allowed, except snow fence from November 15 to April 15.
Toronto Municipal Code Ch. 447, §447-1.2A and 1.3B (PDF)Height limits by location
Rear and side yards: 2.0 m, or 2.5 m away from driveways where it abuts a road, public walkway, or multi-residential or non-residential lot. Front yard: 1.2 m within 2.4 m of the street, 2.0 m farther back. Unroofed decks: 2.0 m above the deck.
Toronto Municipal Code Ch. 447, §447-1.2B, Table 1 (PDF)See-through near driveways
Any fence within 2.4 m of a driveway must be chain-link or equivalent open construction for at least 2.4 m from the lot line where the driveway begins, so drivers can see the boulevard and street. Plants and objects can't block the view.
Toronto Municipal Code Ch. 447, §447-1.2C and D (PDF)Taller fence: exemption
A fence that doesn't comply needs a site-specific exemption from your Community Council. The City Clerk notifies adjoining owners for a rear-yard fence, or owners within 60 m for a front-yard fence near the street; you post a site notice at least 10 days ahead.
Toronto Municipal Code Ch. 447, §447-1.5B (PDF)Heritage district fences
In heritage districts such as Cabbagetown, Rosedale and Riverdale, new work visible from the street needs a heritage permit meeting the district plan; some plans set front-fence guidelines. In Teiaiagon-Baby Point, fences, pools and deck footings in its archaeological area need one even out of view.
City of Toronto: Heritage Conservation Districts
What the city asks for
The Toronto application.
Issued by: No permit for a standard fence. Fence exemptions: City of Toronto Municipal Licensing & Standards district offices accept applications and report to the local Community Council, which decides. Heritage districts: City Planning, Heritage Planning. Fences on the City boulevard: Transportation Services.. We put the package together, submit it and keep you posted.
Documents
- Exemption: completed Fence Exemption Application signed by the owner, with agent details if we apply for you
- Exemption: site plan and drawings
- Exemption: fence location, materials, reason, and dimensions including height, column depth and each section's length
- Exemption: photographs
- Exemption: the non-refundable application fee
- Heritage: application form, site plan or sketch, drawings and specifications with materials, colours and dimensions, and recent photos
- Boulevard fence: scaled metric drawings with distances to the sidewalk and street line, site details and a cross-section
How it goes
- 1We measure the lot and check the Chapter 447 height for each run, driveway sight lines, where your lot line meets the boulevard, and heritage and ravine status.
- 2We draw a layout for your approval with the fence line, section heights and gates. A standard fence needs no City submission.
- 3For extra height, we prepare the exemption site plan, drawings and photos; you sign the form, and it goes to your Municipal Licensing & Standards district office in person or by mail.
- 4When the City sends the meeting notice, you post it on the property at least 10 days ahead; neighbours can speak at Community Council.
- 5In a heritage district we send drawings and specifications to Heritage Planning first; on the boulevard we get Transportation Services approval before digging.
- Processing time
- No City timeline for a standard fence, since no permit is needed. Exemptions: no processing time published; Community Council meetings are suspended from August to December 2026 for the municipal election, so the City is accepting and inspecting applications but decisions resume in early 2027. Heritage permits: the City says most are approved within a week, and the Ontario Heritage Act requires a decision within 90 days of the notice of complete application.
- Inspections
- None for a standard fence. Bylaw enforcement officers can inspect any fence for compliance with Chapter 447 and issue a Notice of Violation; the owner can then apply for an exemption by the date on the notice. Exemption applications are reviewed and inspected by Municipal Licensing & Standards before the Community Council decision.
Pool enclosure fence — sheet 1 — Elevation, board-on-board section and post-footing detail. From a real Reformity permit drawing set, client details removed. Click to enlarge.
Pool enclosure fence — sheet 3
Fence permit drawing
Permit drawings included
We prepare and submit your permit drawings.
Fence layout, elevation and post-footing details drawn to the City of Toronto's rules, and submitted with the pool enclosure, variance or heritage application when one is needed.
- Dimensions to your lot lines
- Materials, sizes and spacing
- Footing and base sections
- Code notes for the inspector
Fencing · real projects
Recent fencing jobs in Toronto.
Real Reformity jobs from our project files. Customer addresses are never published.
Toronto fence permit FAQ
Quick answers.
Only where Chapter 447 allows it, such as up to 2.5 m where a fence outside the front yard (and away from driveways) abuts a road, public walkway, or a multi-residential or non-residential property, or with a site-specific exemption from your Community Council. Community Council meetings are suspended from August to December 2026 for the municipal election: the City is still accepting and inspecting applications, but decisions resume in early 2027. If you've had a Notice of Violation, applying before January 2027 pauses enforcement until a decision.
Only within the City's rules, because the boulevard is part of the public street. Chapter 743 allows fences under 0.9 m (measured from the road surface) there as permitted encroachments, with no fee, if they don't block sight lines or driveways and stay in front of your own lot. Taller fences need Transportation Services approval: up to 1.2 m in front and 1.8 m in a flankage yard, but no more than 1.0 m for a solid fence within 70 m of an intersection or 3 m of a driveway next to a sidewalk. The City says any work in the right of way needs a permit before it starts.
Not a City ravine permit for the fence itself. Chapter 658 exempts a fence built to the fence and zoning by-laws from its fill and grading permit, as long as the uphill side is kept clear of refuse and fill. Injuring or removing any tree in a ravine-protected area still needs a permit, and private trees 30 cm or more in diameter (measured 1.4 m up) are protected citywide, so we plan post locations around them. The TRCA also regulates development in and near river and stream valleys, so we check valley lots against its rules too.
Send the form on this page or call 437-241-6287. We reply within one business day, visit to measure, prepare the drawings for the City of Toronto, submit the application and give you a fixed written price for the work.
Let us handle the Toronto permit.
We measure, draw it to the City of Toronto's rules, submit the application and build to the approved plan. One business-day reply.
More in Toronto
Guide: Do You Need a Fence Permit in the GTA? City-by-City Guide (2026)
Fence Permit Drawings in other cities