Fences in Woodbridge's Heritage District

Published November 1, 2026 · Rhodex

Fixing a fence you already have in Woodbridge's heritage district is usually exempt from a Heritage Permit. A new or extended fence needs one, unless it needs no Building Permit and can't be seen from the street.

A fence is the cheapest way to change how a heritage street looks, which is why the Woodbridge Heritage Conservation District Plan covers it. It is also the job homeowners assume is none of the City's business. Below is what the Plan says about repairing, extending and replacing a fence, where Vaughan's own Fence By-law comes in, and what to send the City before a crew starts.

Is your fence inside the district?

The district covers the village core rather than all of Woodbridge. It takes in most properties along Kipling Avenue between Gordon Drive and Rainbow Drive, all properties along William and James Streets and Woodbridge Avenue, and some on Abell, Cheltenham and Burwick Avenues, plus Wallace Street, Park Drive and Clarence Street. A fence in one of the newer subdivisions follows the ordinary rules. If you can't tell, email your address to CulturalHeritage@vaughan.ca.

What the Plan exempts

Section 6.2.7 lists the work that needs no Heritage Permit. Three entries matter for a fence:

"maintenance and repair of existing features (that do not alter the historic design or construction detailing, and appropriate materials ... are used)"
"fencing, patios, garden and tool sheds, gazebos, dog houses and other out buildings that do not require a Building Permit and are not visible from the street"
"gates installed for child safety that are located in such a manner as to not be visible from the public domain"

So two tests decide most cases. Is it a repair of what is already there, or something new? And if it is new, can anyone on the street or in a public space see it? A tall board fence along the back of a lot with a house in front of it is a different question from a fence along the sidewalk.

What needs a Heritage Permit

Section 8.3.1 lists "new or extended fences" among the projects that require a Heritage Permit. It also says the list is not complete and that any undertaking should be discussed with Cultural Services staff, and it asks applicants to confirm with the Building Standards Department whether a Building Permit is required. There is no fee for a Heritage Permit. In the Plan's wording a "structure" includes "fences", so putting one up counts as altering the property, not as garden tidying.

The Plan also says that even where a permit is not required, owners are encouraged to meet with Cultural Services staff to make sure the work fits the spirit of the Plan. Replacing a whole run of fence with a different style or height is where an "exempt" repair stops being a repair.

What the Plan says a heritage fence looks like

Section 7.1.14 says historic fences were wood, "most commonly in the form of the classic 'picket' fence". They were often substantial, with decorative built-up wood piers at corners and gates and heavy posts between. Pickets were often 2x2 inches, but 1x3 to 2x4 inch sizes were also used. Iron fences were also common, often on stone bases, and "stone or brick walling" bordered some properties and sometimes matched the house's detailing.

The guidance for owners is short. Where a historic fence remains, "their repair and maintenance should be encouraged". Where one can be shown to have existed through documentary research, owners "should be encouraged to replicate it". Where the detailing can't be determined, "an acceptable historic approach to the fence design suitable for the style of the building can be used". The Plan also notes that fences rot faster than the house because they sit in the ground, are exposed on all sides and suffer animal, insect and physical damage. That is why most fence work in the district is repair, and why the standard is to repair in the same material and pattern.

Vaughan's Fence By-law still applies

The heritage rules sit on top of the City's Fence By-law (189-2020), not in place of it. Two heights matter in a village lot, per the City's fence page:

A fence in a front yard and within 2.4 metres of a lot line that meets a public road: 1.2 metres at most.
A fence in a front yard but farther than 2.4 metres from that lot line: 2.0 metres at most.

A low picket fence is comfortably inside the first limit. On a corner lot the City adds that a fence may not block the sight triangle for traffic. A swimming pool needs its own Swimming Pool Enclosure permit and a fence at least 1.22 metres high. A fence taller than the by-law allows needs the City's exemption application, which costs $514 in 2026.

If the fence runs along your neighbour's line, cost-sharing is a separate matter under By-law 175-93, and the City says disagreements go to Small Claims Court or the Superior Court of Justice. Raise the heritage rules with your neighbour early, because the style you choose may need City sign-off.

What to send the City before the work

Your address, confirmed as inside or outside the district.
Photos of the existing fence from the street and from inside the yard, with the rot or damage in close-up.
A simple sketch or description of what you want: repair, extend, or replace, with the height, the material and the pattern.
Whether any part of it is visible from the street or a public space.
A question to Building Standards about whether a Building Permit applies.
Quotes that show labour plus materials and HST separately.

A written reply from Cultural Heritage staff saying exempt or Heritage Permit is worth more than a verbal yes from a contractor. Keep it with your house papers.

Quick answers

Do I need a permit to build a fence in the Woodbridge heritage district?

A new or extended fence needs a Heritage Permit unless it needs no Building Permit and can't be seen from the street. Checking costs nothing, so email Cultural Heritage staff first.

Can I repair my old fence in Woodbridge's heritage district without a permit?

Usually, yes. The Plan exempts maintenance and repair of existing features that keep the historic design and use appropriate materials. Replacing the whole run with a new style is not a repair.

What kind of fence suits a Woodbridge heritage house?

The Plan points to wood, most commonly the classic picket fence, with iron or stone and brick walling as other historic forms. Where the original is unknown, it accepts a style suited to the building.

How high can a front yard fence be in Vaughan?

Within 2.4 metres of a lot line that meets a public road, 1.2 metres, under Vaughan's Fence By-law. Elsewhere in the front yard it's 2.0 metres. The heritage rules apply on top.

Who do I ask about a fence in the Woodbridge heritage district?

Email the City of Vaughan's Cultural Heritage staff at CulturalHeritage@vaughan.ca with your address and photos. The Plan says there is no fee for a Heritage Permit.

Ask first, then fix the fence

Repairing a fence in the Woodbridge district rarely needs heritage paperwork, and a new street-facing fence almost always does. One email with photos, sent before the lumber is ordered, settles which one you have. When you know the rules that apply, Rhodex can quote the work.

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Fences in the Woodbridge Heritage District: What Needs a Permit?