Custom Wood Fencing for Privacy and Beauty in the Greater Toronto Area

Why Two Wood Fence Quotes Can Differ

Pressure-treated plans at $40 to $65 per foot installed across the GTA; cedar runs $55 to $85. Two quotes for the same yard can sit far apart, and it is usually one of these that explains it.

• Species — pressure-treated is the budget starting point, cedar carries a material premium and holds its look far longer without paint.
• Board profile — a standard picket run is the baseline. Board-over-board and shadowbox overlap their boards, using roughly a third more lumber for the same length. Horizontal boards need closer post spacing to stop mid-span sag.
• Post size and spacing — 6x6 posts cost more than 4x4 but resist twisting on tall privacy runs and carry gate loads without dropping.
• Concrete footings — depth below the frost line is not optional here, and post count rises with both height and gate load.
• Height — taller panels need deeper posts and more staging, so the rate climbs with it. Check your municipal maximum before pricing the height you want.
• Grade and soil — slopes, rock and the compacted clay common across Toronto, Mississauga and Brampton add $5 to $15 per foot, because posts take longer to set.
• Site access — tight side yards, stairs, decks and mature landscaping slow a crew down. Hand-digging an inaccessible run adds $8 to $15 per foot.
• Gates — priced per gate, not per foot: $350 to $600 for a single walk gate, $800 to $1,200 or more for a double or driveway gate.
• Old fence removal — taking down and hauling away what is there adds $8 to $18 per foot, plus $3 to $8 where concrete footings have to come out.
• Run length — anything under roughly 60 feet carries $5 to $10 per foot more, because mobilization, travel and disposal spread over fewer feet.

Wood Fence Costs in Context

Those figures are planning bands, not a quote for your yard. They are here so you can sanity-check a number before anyone visits — a figure landing well outside them is worth a question, in either direction.

Worked examples by fence length, plus staining and add-on pricing, are in our guide to what it costs to fence a house.

Wood Fence Styles and Use Cases

Wood fencing is one of the most flexible options for GTA homeowners because it can be built for privacy, curb appeal, pets, children, pools, and backyard design. A backyard wood fence can be configured as a backyard privacy fence or a more open decorative boundary, depending on the lot and how the yard is used. Style is what makes that possible: board-on-board privacy fencing, shadowbox fencing, horizontal wood fencing, traditional vertical board fencing, lattice-top fencing, cap-and-trim fencing, decorative picket-style fencing, and custom wood gates each shift the balance between privacy and openness.

Board-on-board and shadowbox styles are popular for privacy-focused yards. Horizontal wood fencing creates a modern look, while cap-and-trim designs add a more finished appearance.

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  Board-on-board

  Full privacy, no gaps as the boards dry and shrink

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  Shadowbox

  Privacy from both sides, and wind passes through

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  Lattice-top

  Extra height and light without a solid panel

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  Cap-and-trim

  A finished top rail and framed panel edges

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  Vertical board

  The baseline privacy run

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  Custom gates

  Walk and driveway gates, priced per gate

Wood Fence Performance in Southern Ontario

Wood fencing performs well in the Greater Toronto Area when the posts, footings, drainage, and hardware are planned properly. The biggest long-term risks are moisture, freeze-thaw movement, soil shifts, wind exposure, and rot near grade.

• Post depth, footing quality, and post spacing along the run
• Drainage around the base of posts
• Exposure to wind and open yards
• Gate weight and gate-post strength (4x4 vs 6x6 posts where the opening or gate weight calls for it)
• Board spacing and privacy expectations
• Planning the gate opening and a matching wood gate that fits the style
• Whether old posts or concrete footings need removal
• Whether pressure-treated lumber, cedar, or another wood option is preferred

Old Fence Removal and Disposal

Wood fences eventually rot, warp, or lean to the point where a fresh start makes more sense than another patch. If teardown is part of your quote, we take down the tired structure, pull the old posts, and clear the line so your new cedar or pressure-treated fence sits on properly prepared ground.

• Taking down warped or rotted wood panels
• Pulling or cutting back old posts
• Breaking out concrete footings where needed
• Clearing and grading the fence line
• Arranging access for materials and debris removal
• Weighing whether a repair or full rebuild is the smarter spend

Estate and Large-Property Wood Fencing

On larger lots and estate properties, wood fencing is about long, consistent runs and a finished look that holds up over distance. We plan estate and acreage wood fence projects around terrain, gate placement, and privacy along the property line.

• Long board-on-board and horizontal privacy runs
• Cap-and-trim and premium finished detailing
• Coordinated wood and ornamental metal where security matters
• Wide gates for driveways and equipment access
• Grade and drainage planning across the property
• Material selection for exposure and longevity

Wood Fencing as a Sound Barrier

Along busier roads and exposed lots, a solid board-on-board or tongue-and-groove wood fence can help reduce road and yard noise when it is built tall, gap-free, and properly sealed at the base. For full acoustic performance, mass and height matter, so we plan the panel style, height, and footing around the noise concern during the quote.

Wood Fences on a Shared Property Line

A wood fence sitting on the boundary between two homes involves two owners, and the quote can be shaped around that. We can price a partial run, meaning the stretch you are responsible for or the stretch that has actually failed, rather than the full perimeter.

Where both neighbours want the work done, each property is quoted separately, so each owner holds their own scope, their own price and their own invoice. Neither side has to fund the whole run and collect afterwards.

Before the site visit, the two owners should settle a short list between themselves: where the line runs and whether a survey pin has ever confirmed it, the height and style both are willing to live with, which side gets the finished face, how the cost is being split, and who is signing the work order.

How the Ontario Line Fences Act handles shared boundary fences