If you live in the City of Kitchener and you’d like to construct a fence on your property, it’s important to understand the city’s by-law with respect to fences. These regulations are found in Chapter 630 of the City of Kitchener’s municipal code.
Do I need a permit to construct a fence?
You do not need a permit to construct a fence on your property unless:
1) a swimming pool is involved. Swimming pools within the City of Kitchener must be completely enclosed in a safe manner by fence, building or wall. (Hot tubs must be adequately secured by a cover with a locking device and locked when not in use.)
2) are going to extend the fence out to the sidewalk or roadway.
How high can my fence be?
The rules are different for interior lots and corner lots.
For interior lots:
fences can be a maximum of 3 feet high in the front yard
and 8 feet high in the side and rear yards.
For corner lots fences can be a maximum of:
3 feet high in the front yard, within 5 feet of the side lot line abutting the street and within any driveway or corner visibility triangle including a neighbor’s driveway
6 feet high provided they are sent back a minimum of 5 feet from the side lot line abutting the street
8 feet high provided they are set back a minimum of 15 feet from the side lot line abutting street, in the rear yard and in the interior side yard
What if I don’t want to comply?
It is an offense to not conform to the city’s by-law. If a by-law enforcement officer receives a complaint regarding a fence violation on your property, you may be served with a notice to make modifications to your fence to bring it into compliance. If you do not comply with the notice, you may be subject to legal action. The maximum fine for noncompliance with these bylaws as $5,000.
Thanks by-law guy.
