How to Find Your Property Line Before Building a Fence or Deck

Why Guessing Costs Real Money

You want a new fence or a new deck. You think you know where your lot ends. Most homeowners do. Many of them are wrong by half a metre or more.

Here is the hard truth. If your fence sits even 30 cm over the line, your neighbour can ask you to move it. That means pulling posts out of concrete, buying new material, and paying for the same work twice. We have seen small line disputes sour a whole street. Checking first costs little. Guessing can cost thousands.

Start With the Papers You Already Have

The first place to look is the closing package from when you bought your house. Ask your real estate lawyer if you cannot find it. Many packages include a survey called an SRPR.

An SRPR is a Surveyor's Real Property Report. It is a legal document prepared by a licensed Ontario Land Surveyor. It shows your lot boundaries and every visible structure on or near them. If your SRPR is recent and nothing big has changed, it is often all you need for planning a fence or a new deck.

No luck at home? Your town may have old surveys on file from past permit applications. One phone call to the municipality can save you a lot of money.

Look for the Iron Survey Bars

Surveyors mark lot corners with iron bars driven into the ground. On many lots they are still there, hiding a few centimetres under the grass.

• Check the corners. Look where your lot meets the street and where it meets the rear neighbour.
• Use a metal detector. Even a cheap one finds a buried bar in minutes.
• Match bars to a document. A bar only proves something when it lines up with a real survey.
• Never move one. Pulling out or shifting a survey monument is an offence in Canada.

Two bars on the same side? A string line between them gives you a working idea of the boundary. It is not a legal opinion, but it keeps your planning honest.

When Only a Surveyor Will Do

Here is the part many people miss. Only a licensed Ontario Land Surveyor can legally locate and mark your boundary. Not a fence company, and not us either. If your survey is missing or decades old, or your neighbour disagrees with the line, order a new SRPR. You can find a licensed professional through the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors.

Budget for it. A new SRPR for a standard residential lot in southern Ontario usually costs about $1,800 to $3,500 plus tax. That sounds like a lot until you compare it with rebuilding 60 feet of fence on the right side of the line.

Talk to Your Neighbour Before You Dig

A boundary fence affects two families. Walk over, show your survey, and explain your plan before the first post goes in. Most disputes start with a surprise, not with the fence itself. Some neighbours will even share the cost of a fence on the line. If you cannot agree, keep the whole fence a few centimetres inside your own property. It is the simplest peace treaty we know. For height limits and other rules, see our guide to fence rules in Ontario. And remember, rules can change, so check with your municipality before you build.

Ready to Build Without the Guesswork?

On our fence jobs we always ask for your survey first. We review it with you, measure from the marks it shows, and keep the fence on the safe side of the line. If the boundary is unclear, we tell you honestly and suggest a surveyor before we dig.

Planning a project in Oakville, Burlington or the surrounding area? Look at our fence installation service, try the online cost calculator for a quick number, or request a free estimate. We will help you build it right the first time.