General principles
For safety and aesthetical reasons, the City of Dollard-des-Ormeaux adopted a bylaw concerning fences, whether in a residential, commercial or industrial zone.
Anyone contravening to any provision of Bylaw 623 is liable to a $50 to $2,000 fine when the offender is a natural person or to a $50 to $4,000 fine when the offender is a legal person.
Conditions
No permit is required for the installation of a fence. However, in commercial and industrial zones, prior approval by the building inspector is required.
- Concerning rear and lateral property lines, if the fence is located entirely on his land and does not touch the dividing line with his neighbour's land, the landowner may, within prescribed limits, choose the height, color and materials.
- Two neighbours may agree to build a common fence on their dividing line.
- In the event of a disagreement concerning the responsibility (common ownership) and location of the fence on the rear and lateral property lines refer to the Quebec Civil Code or call the Justice Ministry at 1-866-536-5140 or consult of the section on "Being a good neighbour” on the Ministry’s web site at:
- https://www.justice.gouv.qc.ca
- Obligations of the owner, tenant or occupant
- Any pool (existing or future) in the City, must be enclosed. In this case, the erected fence must have a height of 1.52 to 1.83 m (5 to 6 ft) and have a door that closes and locks automatically. The fence must not be higher than 10 cm (4 in) from the ground and any opening may not exceed 10 cm (4 in).
- The owner, tenant or occupant of an immovable presenting a danger to public safety must erect around the said immovable, a fence of no less than 1.5 m (5 ft) high and no more than 2.1 m (7 ft) high. The installed fence, preventing access to such an immovable, must be established within five (5) days after having been advised to do so by the building inspector or his representative.
- All fences must be maintained in good condition at all times.
General prohibitions and restrictions
- Barbed wire fences or fences of any other unsightly material are prohibited.
- No fence may be installed closer than 1.0 m (3.3 ft) from a fire hydrant.
- No fence may be erected on the front setback of a house or of any building within the land between the main façade and public road, except in certain cases.
Prohibitions and restrictions – residential zone
- No permanent fence may exceed a height of 1.83 m (6 ft.).
- On sites located at the intersection of two or more public roads (corner landsite), a fence may be erected on the property line of the secondary façade.
Prohibitions and restrictions – commercial or industrial zone
In commercial and industrial zones, a plan showing the location, design and materials of proposed fences must first be submitted to the Building Inspector (or of his representative) for approval.
- Fences are prohibited on corner lots when the Building Inspector or his representative considers them to be an obstacle to motorists' visibility and a traffic hazard.
- The height of fences must not be greater than 2.4 m (8 ft).
Exceptions
- On a corner lot (residential or other zones or in the case of commercial and industrial buildings adjacent to residential zones), a fence with openwork on its whole surface, no higher than one (1) m (3.3 ft) and parallel to the side of the building, may be erected within the front setback.
- In the case of commercial or industrial buildings adjacent to residential zones, fences may be erected within the front setback provided they do not constitute an obstacle to motorists' visibility and are not a traffic hazard.
- Restrictions concerning the maximum height of fences do not apply to fences surrounding buildings or installations owned by the municipality or by public utility companies, provided that the plans for fences to be installed by such municipality or public utility company receive the prior approval of the Planning Advisory Committee of Dollard-des-Ormeaux.
Concerned department
Urban Planning and Engineering, 514 684-1033
Municipal by-laws
These guidelines are for information only and hold no legal value. The official text written in the bylaw takes precedence.
