How tall can my fence be? Do I need a fence around my pool?
In the Town of Lincoln, Ontario, permit required: True; pool enclosure: Fence minimum 1.2 m height enclosing pool; gate with self-latching lock at top and inside, kept closed and locked when pool unsupervised.; prohibited materials: Barbed wire; any facility for projecting electric current.; max height rear side: 2 m (any zone other than Industrial or Commercial); 3 m (Industrial or Commercial Zone). Source: Swimming Pool Fence By-law 05-95; Zoning By-law 2022-50 – Fencing (Section 3.12), verified 2026-08-28.
Swimming Pool Fence By-law 05-95
adopted bylaw
permit required
True
s. 2(b)(iii) "The Chief Building Official issues a permit certifying the approval"
pool enclosure
Fence minimum 1.2 m height enclosing pool; gate with self-latching lock at top and inside, kept closed and locked when pool unsupervised.
s. 3(a) "fence extending from the ground measured vertically to a height of not less than 1.2 metres"; s. 3(b)(i) "self-latching devices located and arranged at the top and inside of the gate"
prohibited materials
Barbed wire; any facility for projecting electric current.
s. 3(b)(ii) "Is not to contain barbed wire or any facility for projecting electric current"
scout note
Every privately owned outdoor pool must be enclosed by a fence and self-closing gate at least 1.2 m high before water may be placed in the pool; permit required prior to construction.
2 m (any zone other than Industrial or Commercial); 3 m (Industrial or Commercial Zone)
s. 3.12(b) 'maximum height of 2 metres'; s. 3.12(a) 'maximum height of 3 metres'
sight triangle
no structure over 1 m in height permitted within 3 m of front lot line in Residential Zone
s. 3.10 Note 3
scout note
Fences and freestanding/decorative walls (excluding pool fences) capped at 2 m in most zones, 3 m in Industrial or Commercial zones, subject to yard-location rules.