Fence Installation in Richmond Hill — Wood, Vinyl, Chain Link & Pool Fences

OCM Excavation & Construction installs full residential fences across Richmond Hill — wood, vinyl, chain link, aluminum, and glass pool enclosures. We do the whole job in-house: property line layout, post holes augered to frost depth, sonotube footings, concrete-set posts, rail and panel work, and gate hardware. Because we run our own excavation and post-hole drilling crews, we don’t sub out the dig — which matters in Richmond Hill clay. Call 416-317-3090 for a site visit and a fixed quote.

Why fence installation in Richmond Hill needs local skill

Richmond Hill isn’t a place where you can drop a fence by guesswork. A few local realities shape every job we do here:

• Fence By-law 140-90 (Municipal Code Chapter 973) — rear and side-yard fences max out at 1.8 m (6 ft), and front-yard fences are capped at 1.2 m (4 ft). Corner lots have extra sight-triangle rules, so we confirm setbacks before posts go in.
• Pool Enclosure Bylaw — any body of water deeper than 0.6 m triggers a pool enclosure permit under Chapter 973. The fence must be 1.2–1.8 m tall, sit a minimum of 1.5 m from the water edge, and every gate must be self-closing and self-latching with the latch at least 1.5 m above grade.
• OBC frost depth — posts in Richmond Hill have to be set below the 1.2 m (4 ft) frost line, or the fence will heave by the second winter. We auger to depth and pour sonotube footings, not 24-inch shallow holes.
• Clay soil — most of Richmond Hill, from Bayview Hill down to Doncrest, sits on heavy clay. Clay holds water, expands when frozen, and grips an auger differently than loam. Our crews bring the right bit and the right truck.
• Mature trees — older neighbourhoods like South Richvale and Mill Pond have big silver maples and oaks. We lay out posts to stay out of the critical root zone so we don’t trigger the tree by-law or kill the tree.

Neighbourhoods we fence in Richmond Hill

We’ve built fences in nearly every pocket of Richmond Hill: Bayview Hill (large-lot estate work, glass pool enclosures, aluminum), South Richvale (cedar privacy on deep lots, careful tree-root layout), Mill Pond (heritage-character cedar and PT wood), Jefferson (vinyl and chain link on newer subdivisions), Oak Ridges (chain link and PT wood, often on sloped Moraine lots), Doncrest (vinyl privacy and aluminum), and Observatory (PT wood and chain link backing onto greenbelt). If you’re in Richmond Hill and we haven’t named your street, we still cover you — call 416-317-3090.

Types of fences we install in Richmond Hill

• Pressure-treated wood — the budget-friendly workhorse. Good for property-line privacy fences and dog runs.
• Western red cedar — privacy panels, board-on-board, lattice tops. Common in Mill Pond and South Richvale.
• Vinyl (PVC) — white or tan privacy and semi-privacy. Zero rot, zero stain, popular in Jefferson and Doncrest.
• Chain link — galvanized or black vinyl-coated, residential or commercial gauge. Good for backyards, dog enclosures, and Oak Ridges greenbelt lots.
• Aluminum — black powder-coated picket, often used as a pool-compliant enclosure or front yard decorative fence.
• Glass pool fence — semi-frameless and frameless, code-compliant under the 1.5 m water-edge setback rule.
• Composite — for clients who want zero maintenance and a high-end look.
• Gates — single walk gates, double drive gates, self-closing pool gates with magnetic latches.

Our fence installation process in Richmond Hill

1. Site visit and layout — we measure linear footage, check the property survey, and flag any encroachment risk before we quote.
2. Permits — standard residential fences in Richmond Hill don’t need a building permit, but pool enclosures and any fence tied to a pool installation require the combined Swimming Pool Site Alteration Permit (fee $673.06 plus a $3,000 refundable security deposit per current Richmond Hill schedules). We pull it on your behalf.
3. Locates — Ontario One Call is mandatory before we auger. We file the locate, wait for clearance, then dig.
4. Post layout — we string the line, mark posts at the right spacing for the fence type, and confirm gate locations.
5. Auger to 1.2 m — sonotube footings drilled below the frost line. In clay this is slower than in sand, and we plan the day around it.
6. Set posts — plumbed, braced, and concrete-set. Cure time matters; we don’t hang panels on green concrete.
7. Rails, pickets, panels — built straight, fastened with stainless or galvanized hardware that won’t streak the fence.
8. Gates and hardware — hinges, latches, drop-rods on double gates, self-closing hinges on pool gates.
9. Cleanup and walkthrough — site swept, spoil hauled, you sign off.

What affects fence cost in Richmond Hill

• Linear footage — the longest single driver of price.
• Height — a 6 ft privacy fence uses more material and longer posts than a 4 ft picket.
• Material — pressure-treated is the entry point, cedar sits mid-range, vinyl and aluminum step up, glass pool fence is the top end.
• Gate count and type — every gate adds posts, hardware, and labour.
• Terrain — sloped Oak Ridges lots may need stepped panels or racked rails; both cost more than a flat run.
• Post count — closer spacing for windy exposed lots, or extra posts for gates, raises the total.
• Site prep — old fence demo, sod removal, tree-root rerouting, or hauling clay spoil off-site.
• Permit fees — for pool-related fences, factor in the Richmond Hill pool enclosure permit costs noted above.

Want a number for your specific yard? Call 416-317-3090 or see our broader fence installation across Toronto and the GTA page. If you’re combining the fence with grading or a pool dig, our Richmond Hill excavation crew and post hole drilling service work off the same schedule.

FAQ — Fence installation in Richmond Hill

Do I need a permit for a residential fence in Richmond Hill?

For a standard property-line fence under the Chapter 973 height limits (1.8 m rear/side, 1.2 m front), no building permit is required. Pool enclosures are different — any pool with water deeper than 0.6 m triggers a combined Swimming Pool Site Alteration Permit under the same chapter. We file it for you when the fence is part of a pool job.

How deep do you set fence posts in Richmond Hill?

1.2 m (4 ft) minimum, into a sonotube footing with concrete around the post. That’s the Ontario Building Code frost depth for this area. Anything shallower will heave through Richmond Hill winters — we’ve replaced plenty of fences that were set 24 inches deep by someone trying to save an hour.

Can you build a pool fence that meets Richmond Hill bylaws?

Yes. The enclosure must be 1.2–1.8 m tall, set a minimum of 1.5 m from the water edge, with self-closing self-latching gates and the latch at least 1.5 m above grade. Chain link mesh has to be 38 mm or smaller. We build to those numbers in glass, aluminum, vinyl, or chain link.

How long does a fence install take?

Depends on linear footage, material, and the soil. A straightforward 100-foot pressure-treated privacy fence on a flat Jefferson lot is typically a few days, including post-set cure time. Clay soil, slope, or removing an old fence adds time. We give a realistic schedule before we start, not after.

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