The Ranking
Our top 5 fence companies in Winnipeg
A Winnipeg fence is only as good as its posts. The city sits on heavy Red River clay that holds water, and winter frost reaches roughly four feet down, so a post set too shallow gets lifted a little every spring until panels lean and gates stop latching. The companies on this list disagree about the fix, which is useful to know before you compare quotes. Wallace + Wallace drives steel posts 36 to 42 inches deep without concrete and says frost pushes concrete piles up over time. All Seasons sets wood posts at least 40 inches deep on gravel and packs them in limestone. Lawn 'N' Order sets every post in concrete three to four feet down. Total Yard Works favours hybrid fences with metal posts and wood or composite boards. Ask each company which method it uses on your soil and put the post depth in the written quote. Wind matters as well: a solid six foot privacy fence on an open prairie lot takes a real load in a summer storm, so post spacing, rail size and gate posts count for more than board style.
The common materials here are pressure treated pine and cedar for privacy fences, chain link for pets and budgets, vinyl for low upkeep, ornamental steel or aluminum for front yards, and composite infill on metal frames. Some newer subdivisions have developer guidelines on fence style or colour, so check your purchase documents before you choose.
The City of Winnipeg does not require a building permit for a standard residential fence. Its residential fence guide sets the maximum height at 2.0 metres (6 feet 6 inches) in rear and side yards and 1.2 metres (4 feet) in front yards, measured to the top of the fence between posts, and on a corner lot the narrower street side counts as the front. Barbed wire and electric fences are not allowed in residential areas, hedges planted as a fence follow the same rules, and anything taller needs a variance. A fence around a private pool must be at least 1.5 metres (5 feet) high and follows the City's separate pool and hot tub rules. A fence may sit on your side of the property line, or on the line itself if you and your neighbour agree to share it. The City points homeowners to a Manitoba land surveyor's staking certificate to find the line, and most fence companies, including Wallace + Wallace, say they will not mark it for you.
Before any post hole goes in, request a locate through Click Before You Dig MB at clickbeforeyoudigmb.com or 1-800-940-3447. Manitoba Hydro says to do this before digging deeper than about 15 centimetres, and it will contact you within three business days with a locate date. Many contractors book the locate themselves, so confirm it in writing.
Manitoba has no provincial licence for fence contractors. The practical checks are a WCB Manitoba clearance letter, which shows the company's workers are covered if someone is hurt on your property, a certificate of liability insurance, and a written quote that lists the material grade, post depth and setting method, gate hardware, removal of the old fence and the warranty.
