London’s Fence By-law PS-6 sets a 2.13 m residential fence maximum in section 4.1. It also requires a gate at least 2.59 m wide if a fence otherwise blocks access to a parking space required by zoning. Corner and driveway visibility triangles have a much lower 0.9 m height limit. The bylaw defines those triangles by a 5.4 m distance along intersecting street lot lines at a corner, and 2.7 m at a driveway edge and the street line or sidewalk. Hedges or grouped shrubs used as a barrier count as fencing for this visibility rule. A tall corner hedge can therefore cause the same obstruction as panels.
Section 5.1 provides a different route for a privacy screen in a side or rear yard: more than 4.5 m from the street line, generally more than 1.2 m from side and rear lot lines, no more than 12 m of total length or 5 m per individual run, and a maximum 3 m above effective ground level. A screen next to a deck is not a licence for a three-metre fence around the whole lot. Draw the screen independently from the boundary fence and show its distance from the street and each line. Section 4.2 provides limited discretion for extra fence height near open space, transport corridors or commercial/industrial neighbours; an owner must obtain that decision rather than self-apply an exception.
London’s Line Fences Act procedure does not apply within the City. Section 12 of PS-6 instead uses a 1.22 m chain-link division fence as the cost-sharing benchmark if adjoining owners cannot agree on type. A premium privacy design should be agreed in writing before installation. The City also has a separate pool fence bylaw PS-5 with safety specifications, so a pool project requires its own plan. A likely compliance complaint is a solid corner fence or hedge exceeding 0.9 m inside the visibility triangle; London can order correction and its penalty schedule identifies that offence separately from a fence over 2.13 m.
Last verified: September 28, 2026. This London guide summarizes the linked municipal sources for planning; the property’s zoning, survey and any required approval decide the actual design. How we research fence rules →
