How tall can my fence be? Do I need a fence around my pool?
In the City of Markham, Ontario, max height rear side: 1.8 m (6 ft.); permit required: True; pool enclosure: Minimum 1.2 m (4 ft.), maximum 1.8 m (6 ft.); self-closing device and lockable self-latching device on all gates; gates locked when pool not in active use; sight triangle: On a corner lot, no Enclosure shall be erected at a lesser distance from the street line on which adjoining residential lots front than the depth of the front yard required for a dwelling on the adjoining lot. Source: By-law 2015-96, A By-law to Regulate the Enclosures for Privately-Owned Outdoor Pools within the City of Markham; By-law 277-97, A By-law for Prescribing the Height and Description of Lawful Fences in the Town of Markham, verified 2026-08-28.
By-law 2015-96, A By-law to Regulate the Enclosures for Privately-Owned Outdoor Pools within the City of Markham
adopted bylaw
max height rear side
1.8 m (6 ft.)
Schedule "A", item ii: "Maximum Height of Fences And Gates: 1.8 m (6 ft.)"
permit required
True
s. 4.2
pool enclosure
Minimum 1.2 m (4 ft.), maximum 1.8 m (6 ft.); self-closing device and lockable self-latching device on all gates; gates locked when pool not in active use
s. 7.1; Schedule "A" items i–ii; s. 9.1
sight triangle
On a corner lot, no Enclosure shall be erected at a lesser distance from the street line on which adjoining residential lots front than the depth of the front yard required for a dwelling on the adjoining lot
s. 4.12
prohibited materials
Barbed wire, sharp projections, or devices designed to conduct electric current through enclosure
s. 4.9
scout note
Requires privately-owned outdoor pools to be enclosed; minimum fence and gate height 1.2m, self-latching gate required.
By-law 277-97, A By-law for Prescribing the Height and Description of Lawful Fences in the Town of Markham
adopted bylaw
max height rear side
1.80 metres (6 feet)
s. 4.6
max height front
1.20 metres (4 feet)
s. 4.1
prohibited materials
barbed wire or other barbed or sharp materials; fence used as electrical conductor
s. 6.1; s. 6.2
scout note
Maximum fence heights in residential zones: front yard 1.20m (4 ft), exterior/flankage yard 1.20m, interior side yard 1.80m (6 ft) and rear yard 1.80m (with the top 0.3m of a solid rear fence to be open lattice). Fences on commercial, industrial and institutional property, and on residential lots abutting them, may reach 3.04m (10 ft) in a rear or side