Free price guide · the GTA and Peel Region, Ontario
How Much Does a Fence Cost in Ontario? (2026 Price Guide)
A wood privacy fence in the GTA typically costs $55 to $120 per linear foot installed. A straight run of six-foot pressure-treated board fence on flat, open ground sits near the bottom. Cedar, a sloped or curved line, post holes through hardpan or old concrete, and gates push it up.
Fencing quotes vary more than most homeowners expect because the posts do the work. Depth, spacing and setting method are invisible once the boards go on, and they are the difference between a fence that stands for twenty years and one that leans in five.
What it costs, by tier
| Tier | Typical cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward | $55–$75per linear ftSix-foot pressure-treated board-on-board or standard panel, straight runs, level ground, clear access, one simple gate, no old fence to remove. | Six-foot pressure-treated board-on-board or standard panel, straight runs, level ground, clear access, one simple gate, no old fence to remove. |
| Typical | $75–$95per linear ftCedar boards or an upgraded style, some grade change requiring stepped or racked panels, removal and disposal of an existing fence, two gates. | Cedar boards or an upgraded style, some grade change requiring stepped or racked panels, removal and disposal of an existing fence, two gates. |
| Complex | $95–$150per linear ftPremium cedar or composite, significant slope, digging through fill or breaking out old concrete footings, custom gates with hardware, or access so tight that everything is hand-dug. | Premium cedar or composite, significant slope, digging through fill or breaking out old concrete footings, custom gates with hardware, or access so tight that everything is hand-dug. |
What moves the price
Post depth, not board quality
In Ontario posts need to go below the frost line — around 1.2m in the GTA — and be set properly. A fence with shallow posts looks identical on day one and is the single most common reason a fence fails early.
What is already in the ground
Old concrete footings, buried slabs, tree roots and construction fill all turn a fifteen-minute hole into an hour. Nobody can price this precisely before digging, and an honest quote will say how it handles the surprise.
Slope
A fence on a grade is either stepped, leaving triangular gaps at the bottom, or racked to follow the ground, which costs more. Decide which you want before you compare quotes, because the two are not the same product.
Gates
Gates are the part that gets used ten times a day and the part that sags. A properly braced gate with good hardware costs meaningfully more than a panel of the same width, and it is worth it.
Property line and neighbours
A fence on the line is normally a shared matter, and municipalities in the GTA have by-laws about height and placement. Sorting this out first is free; moving a built fence is not.
Red flags when you are hiring
None of these mean somebody is dishonest. They mean the quote in front of you has not been thought through — and that is where the trouble usually starts.
A large deposit up front, with no schedule attached to it
A deposit to cover materials is normal. A deposit that is most of the job, before anything has been ordered or booked, is the pattern behind most of the money people lose. Tie payments to stages of work you can see.
No written contract, or one with no itemised scope
You should be able to read what is included, what is not, what happens if the ground holds a surprise, and what the schedule is. "We will look after you" is not a scope.
Leftover materials from another job, offered at the door
Legitimate contractors do not sell surplus asphalt or stone door to door. This is a seasonal pattern in the GTA and it very rarely ends with work you would want.
Pressure to decide today
A price that expires this afternoon is a sales tactic, not a market condition. Good crews are busy and can tell you when they are free; they do not need you to sign before you have read it.
A price well below the ranges on this page
If the quotes you are holding sit far under $55–$120 per linear ft installed, something has been left out — usually the part you cannot see once the job is finished. Ask what the base depth is, what is being disposed of, and what happens if the ground is not what they expected. The answer tells you a lot.
A quote that does not state post depth, post spacing, or how posts are set.
No mention of a locate for underground utilities before digging — this is free and legally expected in Ontario.
Vagueness about whether the price includes removing and disposing of your existing fence.
Questions people ask
How long does a pressure-treated fence last in Ontario?
Fifteen to twenty years for the boards if the posts were set properly, and rather less if they were not. Cedar lasts longer and greys attractively, but the posts remain the limiting factor either way.
Do I need my neighbour to agree?
If the fence sits on the shared property line, in most GTA municipalities it is a shared structure and there are rules about cost-sharing and notice. Building entirely on your own side of the line avoids that, at the cost of a little of your yard. Either way it is a conversation worth having before the posts go in.
Not sure which end of that range you are at?
That is what a consultation is for. For $150 you get a written verdict on whether your project is viable, the reasoning behind it, and a realistic price range for your site — not the internet average. The fee carries forward if you go further with us.
Typical range for this project: $55–$120 per linear ft installed.