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01 / 09Fence contractors covering Toronto, Mississauga, Vaughan and the wider GTA. Wood, vinyl, aluminum and chain link installed to municipal bylaw.
A fence quote is mostly three quantities: how many linear feet, how tall, and what it is made of. After that the variables are all about the ground and the edges. Post holes in GTA clay dig differently than in sand, posts have to be set below the frost line to stop them heaving, and every gate is effectively a small piece of hardware engineering rather than another few feet of fence. Corners, ends and slope all add posts, so two properties with identical footage can carry different post counts and different prices.
The other thing that moves a quote is what is already there. Removing and disposing of an old fence is real labour, and a line that runs along a neighbour's existing structure has to be discussed before anyone digs.
Most fence contractors near you can build a straight run on flat ground. The differences show up on the parts of the job that are easy to skip:
We quote a fixed written price off a site measurement, not a phone estimate, and the quote names the material, the height, the post spacing and the gate count. That makes it comparable to any other fence company you are talking to, which is the point.
Lifespan is the question we get asked most, and the answer separates cleanly by material.
| Fence material | Why it lasts | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|
| Galvanized chain link | Nothing rots and the zinc coating protects the steel, so mesh and posts can serve for decades | None, though it gives you no privacy |
| Composite or PVC panel | Neither rots nor needs refinishing | Washing |
| Western red cedar | Natural oils resist decay, the longest-lived wood option | Re-sealing periodically, and keeping it out of standing water |
| Pressure-treated softwood | Treated against rot, next after cedar | Re-sealing periodically |
The variable people underestimate is not on that table. It is post depth, because the posts fail first almost every time.
Fencing in the GTA is priced per linear foot of finished run, so the honest answer depends on how long the run is and what it is built from. Pressure-treated cedar-look privacy fencing sits at the accessible end, western red cedar and composite panels at the upper end, and chain link below both. Four things move the number more than anything else:
Gates carry hardware and framing that a straight run does not. We measure the property, confirm the by-law height, check for utilities and access, and then put a fixed figure in writing before anyone starts. You get one price for the finished fence, not an hourly rate that drifts.
Late spring through late autumn is the easiest window in southern Ontario, because the ground is workable and post holes can be augered cleanly below the frost line. That is also the busiest window, so booking in winter or very early spring usually gets you an earlier install date and a calmer schedule. Winter installation is possible here and we do it, but frozen ground slows digging and wet clay makes backfill messier, so the crew needs more time on site for the same run. If you are replacing a failed fence, the practical answer is whichever season you are in — a leaning fence with rotted posts is a safety problem, not a seasonal one. What matters far more than the month is that posts go deep enough and concrete is allowed to set before panels are hung.
No. Two feet is above the frost line across the Greater Toronto Area, which means the post will heave every winter as the soil freezes and expands, and within a few seasons the fence leans. Our posts go well past that depth, into undisturbed soil below the frost depth for this region, and are set in concrete with the hole belled slightly at the base so frost cannot lift them.
Corner posts, gate posts and end posts take the most load and get the most attention — a gate post that moves half an inch stops the gate latching. Depth is the single cheapest thing to get right and the most expensive thing to fix, because correcting a heaved post means removing the panels around it. If a quote does not state post depth, ask what it is.
The ones we get called out to repair repeat constantly:
Every one of these is avoidable at the planning stage and costly afterwards. We confirm line, height and locates in writing before a hole gets dug.
For raw lifespan, a well-installed composite or PVC privacy fence and a galvanized chain link fence both outlast wood comfortably, because neither rots and neither needs refinishing. Composite and PVC hold their appearance with washing alone. Galvanized chain link is the quiet winner on structure — the mesh and posts can serve for decades — though it gives you no privacy. Western red cedar is the longest-lived wood option thanks to its natural oils, and pressure-treated lumber comes next.
Both will last well if they are kept out of standing water and re-sealed periodically. The variable people underestimate is installation, not material: the posts fail first, almost always. A cedar fence on properly set posts below the frost line will outlive a composite fence on shallow ones.
Fencing in the GTA is priced per linear foot of finished run, so the honest answer depends on how long the run is and what it is built from. Pressure-treated cedar-look privacy fencing sits at the accessible end, western red cedar and composite panels at the upper end, and chain link below both. Four things move the number more than anything else: the material and board pattern, the post size, how hard the ground is to dig, and how many gates you need. Gates carry hardware and framing that a straight run does not. We measure the property, confirm the bylaw height, check for utilities and access, and then put a fixed figure in writing before anyone starts. You get one price for the finished fence, not an hourly rate that drifts.
Late spring through late autumn is the easiest window in southern Ontario, because the ground is workable and post holes can be augered cleanly below the frost line. That is also the busiest window, so booking in winter or very early spring usually gets you an earlier install date and a calmer schedule. Winter installation is possible here and we do it, but frozen ground slows digging and wet clay makes backfill messier, so the crew needs more time on site for the same run. If you are replacing a failed fence, the practical answer is whichever season you are in — a leaning fence with rotted posts is a safety problem, not a seasonal one. What matters far more than the month is that posts go deep enough and concrete is allowed to set before panels are hung.
No. Two feet is above the frost line across the Greater Toronto Area, which means the post will heave every winter as the soil freezes and expands, and within a few seasons the fence leans. Our posts go well past that depth, into undisturbed soil below the frost depth for this region, and are set in concrete with the hole belled slightly at the base so frost cannot lift them. Corner posts, gate posts and end posts take the most load and get the most attention — a gate post that moves half an inch stops the gate latching. Depth is the single cheapest thing to get right and the most expensive thing to fix, because correcting a heaved post means removing the panels around it. If a quote does not state post depth, ask what it is.
The ones we get called out to repair repeat constantly. Posts set too shallow, so the first hard winter heaves them. No locate call before digging, which risks gas, hydro and irrigation lines. Building to the wrong height for the municipal bylaw, which can mean taking a finished fence back down. Guessing the property line from a hedge or an old fence instead of the survey, which turns into a neighbour dispute. Using interior-grade fasteners that bleed rust down a new cedar board within a year. And leaving the bottom rail sitting in soil or mulch, which wicks moisture straight into the lumber. Every one of these is avoidable at the planning stage and costly afterwards. We confirm line, height and locates in writing before a hole gets dug.
For raw lifespan, a well-installed composite or PVC privacy fence and a galvanized chain link fence both outlast wood comfortably, because neither rots and neither needs refinishing. Composite and PVC hold their appearance with washing alone. Galvanized chain link is the quiet winner on structure — the mesh and posts can serve for decades — though it gives you no privacy. Western red cedar is the longest-lived wood option thanks to its natural oils, and pressure-treated lumber comes next. Both will last well if they are kept out of standing water and re-sealed periodically. The variable people underestimate is installation, not material: the posts fail first, almost always. A cedar fence on properly set posts below the frost line will outlive a composite fence on shallow ones.
