Understanding your Property boundaries is an integral part of home ownership.
Fences and retaining walls are an essential part of property boundaries, security, and aesthetic appeal in any community. Understanding the whereabouts of your property lines before you build can save you a lot of head headaches in the future.
The potential for building a fence or retaining wall in the wrong area is huge and using the old fence as a reference can be highly inaccurate. The simplest way to know for sure where your property lines are is to have a Land Surveyor locate and mark your property lines for you.
A second option is to use the most current and updated Real Property Report for the property. This will show the home’s property boundaries and should also provide a clear measurement from the property boundaries to the dwelling. Simply measure off the distance from the dwelling to the property lines that are shown on the Real Property Report. This will give you the whereabouts of your property lines. If you are not comfortable with this process, then definitely have a Professional Land Surveyor mark out the property lines for you.
When it comes to fence building, the City of Calgary has regulations for fence height and placement that should be followed. For instance, if you live on a corner lot, the front corner of your fence cannot exceed 0.75 meters in height. This is so that your fence will not impede traffic visibility. Be sure to check out the regulations online at the City of Calgary. Below are a few of the most common fence building regulations for the City of Calgary.
- Fences cannot exceed a height of 2m in the back yard
- Fences cannot exceed a height of 1.2m in the front yard
- Fence height at the front on a corner lot cannot exceed a height of 0.75m
- Gates cannot exceed a height of 2.5m
Be careful not to build your fence on city property. Always check your most current Real Property Report to see how much land the city owns in the front and at the back of your home. Building a fence into city property is a common mistake and can end up costing you a lot of money in the future when you sell the property.
Before purchasing a home always check the most current Real Property Report to see where the fences are located. Are they on the property line? Or do they intrude into your neighbors’ yard or onto city property? Either scenario can spell trouble for you down the road. The previous owners might have unknowingly built their fence into the neighbor’s yard, or in some cases well inside their property line, thus limiting the use of your future property. Be sure to have the current homeowners acknowledge this or make the necessary corrections before you buy.
Whether you’re building a fence yourself or hiring it out to a professional company, always be sure to locate with accuracy the property lines before you build. A little more time spent upfront will save you a lot of headaches and money in the future.
If there is any doubt about the fence location, insist that the property line be surveyed and marked out. This will eliminate any uncertainty and will save you the expense and hassle required to move the fence due to encroachments onto municipal or adjacent neighbouring properties.
For the added level of assurance and peace of mind, please contact Arc Surveys before you build a fence to have a licensed Surveyor determine your property boundaries.
Looking for more information about property lines? To read one of our articles about property line disputes, click HERE.
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Visit the link below for more information on Fence Construction within the City of Calgary.