Fencing
Wood fencing built from the footing up
Cedar fences on footings below frost depth, laid out to hold a straight line across ground that is rarely level.
Fences fail from the ground up
Walk a fence line that has failed and the boards are seldom to blame. Posts tilt, runs bow, gates sag out of square and bottom rails settle into the soil. Each of those traces back to a footing.
Ontario ground freezes, and frozen ground heaves. A shallow post rises slightly each winter and never quite returns. After enough seasons, a fence built true is visibly crooked even though the lumber is perfectly sound.
Settled before the first board goes up
- The line. Staked and walked with you before digging, checked against a survey or landscape plan where one exists. On a shared boundary, the neighbour sees it too.
- The height. Confirmed against the by-law for your municipality and for that part of the lot. Rear, side and front limits often differ.
- The footings. Dug below frost depth, posts plumbed and braced, concrete crowned so water sheds away from the wood.
- The grade strategy. Stepped panels or a racked run that follows the slope. Choose deliberately, since it sets the look of the whole line.
- The gate. Sized, braced and hung on heavier posts. Gates take constant use and are usually the first part of a fence to give out.
Two guides go further: planning a privacy fence and deciding between repair and replacement.
Detail
The parts people notice later
Even bays
Post spacing consistent along the run, with any odd bay planned at a corner or gate instead of left at the end.
Clearance at the bottom
Boards held off the soil so end grain stays dry. Any species rots where it touches wet ground.
Post caps
Exposed end grain wicks water into the post. A cap is a small cost that slows decay considerably.
Corrosion-resistant fixings
Hot-dip galvanized or stainless. Electroplated screws react with treated lumber, streak the boards and eventually fail.
A deliberate top line
On a slope, steps or rake set to a steady rhythm. A wandering top line makes new work look tired.
Which face looks out
Decide who sees the rails before building. The choice also changes the view from your own patio.
Sequence
Fencing and hardscape as one job
Fences and ground work compete for the same space. Equipment needs a route into the yard. Post footings and paver bases share the strip along the lot line. A retaining wall may decide where a fence can stand at all.
With both in scope, the order is access first, then footings and structure, then surfaces. We build fencing alongside the stonework, on one schedule and one site access, so no second trade has to work around finished paving.
Questions
Fencing, answered
How deep do fence posts have to go?
Below the frost line, which in southern Ontario is well deeper than a panel seems to need. Frost grips a shallow footing, lifts it each winter and sets it back slightly off position in spring. A few seasons of that and the whole run wanders. Shallow footings are the most common reason an older fence leans.
Pressure-treated or cedar?
Choose pressure-treated for economy and cedar for stability and appearance. Treated softwood is strong and takes stain well once dry, but it moves more as it seasons and needs time before a finish will hold. Western red cedar stays truer, resists rot naturally and silvers evenly if left untreated, at a higher material cost. Both are sound; the trade-off is budget against tolerance for movement.
Who owns the fence between two properties?
Generally both neighbours share responsibility for a boundary fence in Ontario, and the Line Fences Act provides a process when they disagree. Most disputes are avoided by agreeing the line, the height and which side faces the rails before work starts. We can stake the line out so both households can see it before any digging.
Do I need a permit?
Check the municipal fence by-law, because height limits and sometimes materials are regulated. Limits differ between municipalities and between rear yards, side yards and street frontage. Corner lots and pool enclosures carry stricter rules. A fence over the local limit can be ordered cut down, so confirm with the municipality before ordering lumber.
Should the fence go in before or after the landscaping?
Usually after the heavy ground work, or with a gate planned for access. Excavation equipment needs a way into the yard, and a finished fence across the only route forces hand digging. When both are in scope, the fence schedule should follow the ground work.