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Fences

The following are commonly asked questions regarding building a fence on a residential lot.  For further information, contact Inspections & Licensing.

Detailed information on building a fence can be found in the Fence Brochure.

Do I need a permit to build a fence?
No permit is required to build a fence on your residential lot.

How high can I build my fence?
In a rear yard, a fence or hedge can not exceed 2 metres (6.6 feet).  A front yard fence or hedge can not exceed 0.9 metres (3 feet).

Where can I build my fence?
Your fence must be located on or within your property lines. To determine where your property lines are, use the plot plan from your Real Property Report.

What if I own a corner lot?
A corner lot is any lot that is adjacent to the intersection of:
  • two streets
  • two lanes (or alleys), or
  • a lane and a street.

Because visibility must be maintained on corner lots, guidelines for fences differ from those for interior lots. Adequate sight lines must be maintained when building a fence on a corner lot. Fences, hedges or other screening materials higher than 0.9 metres (3 feet) are not allowed in the sight line areas. Sight line areas are different based on the type of intersection your lot borders.

Please call The City of Red Deer's Engineering Department before your build your fence to verify where the City boulevard is and if there are any Municipal Reserves that will affect the placement of your fence. Fences and hedges are not permitted in these areas.

What restrictions are there on the building materials I can use?
Choose building materials that will allow you to maintain the quality of your fence.

Use of the following building materials is not permitted:
  • Electrified fences
  • Protruding sharpened spikes or broken glass
  • Barbed wire

How do I find my buried lines?
Call Alberta 1st at 1-800-242-3447 to have your buried lines flagged. There is no cost for this service.

As visibility must be maintained on a corner lot, guidelines for fences differ from those on interior lots.  Please call Inspections & Licensing for further information.

Architectural controls may be in place in some areas by the subdivision developer. Please check with your builder for these restrictions.