In Winnipeg, a residential fence can be up to 4 ft (1.2 m) tall in the front yard and 6.5 ft (2.0 m) in the side and rear yards. Hedges follow the same limits. A pool fence needs to be at least 5 ft (1.5 m) tall, with self-closing gates and a lockable latch. A standard residential fence is permit-free. Most RMs around Winnipeg use the same 4 ft and 6.5 ft limits, and a few towns set their own.
Every fence we quote starts with the same question: how tall can it be? Here are the rules for Winnipeg and the RMs, towns and cities around it, taken from each municipality’s zoning by-law and checked in October 2026.
Winnipeg fence heights at a glance
| Where on the lot | Winnipeg limit |
|---|---|
| Front yard | 4 ft (1.2 m) |
| Side yards | 6.5 ft (2.0 m) |
| Rear yard | 6.5 ft (2.0 m) |
| Pool enclosure | At least 5 ft (1.5 m), up to 6.5 ft (2.0 m) |
Where the front yard ends
The 4 ft limit covers the front yard along the street. Side and rear yards allow 6.5 ft. If your house sits well back from the street, we’ll check where the line falls on your lot when we quote. Some RMs spell it out: Headingley marks the line at the front corner of the house, and Brandon uses the front wall of the house.
Corner lots
On a corner lot, Winnipeg treats the narrowest side facing a street as the front yard, whichever way the house faces. The fence along that side follows the same rules as the house next door. Steinbach uses the same approach.
Many RMs also keep a clear sight triangle at the corner so drivers and walkers can see each other. In Headingley, Springfield, Macdonald, Rosser and Winkler, the triangle runs 10 ft along each property line from the corner, and anything inside it stays under 3 ft. East St. Paul uses a 15 ft triangle. The full list is in the tables below.
Hedges count too
Winnipeg applies the same height limits to hedges, trees, shrubs, arbours and trellises that act like a fence. A cedar hedge along the front yard follows the 4 ft rule, and one along the back follows the 6.5 ft rule.
How height is measured
Winnipeg’s fence brochure shows height measured from normal ground level to the top of the fence between posts. Other municipalities set their own method:
- Headingley, Springfield, Stonewall, Winkler and Morden measure from the ground 2 ft (0.6 m) inside your property line.
- East St. Paul measures from the ground 0.5 m back of the property line.
- Ritchot and Niverville measure from the top of the fence down to where the post meets the ground. Niverville counts a retaining wall under the fence as part of its height.
- Stonewall counts lattice and other toppers in the total height.
Do you need a permit?
A standard fence at a single-family or two-family home in Winnipeg is permit-free, as long as it stays within the height limits. For three kinds of lots, check with the City first:
- Lots within 107 m of the Red, Assiniboine, La Salle or Seine rivers, or within 77 m of Sturgeon, Truro, Omand’s or Bunn’s creeks
- Lots in the floodway or floodway fringe
- Lots that back onto a stormwater retention pond
Every other municipality in this guide also lets you build a standard residential fence permit-free when it meets the height limits.
Want a taller fence?
Winnipeg’s fence brochure names a variance application as the way to go above the limits. Once the City approves a variance, we build to the approved height. For a quieter yard along a busy road, see noise reduction fencing.
Building a duplex or fourplex?
New two-family, three-unit and four-unit infill homes in Winnipeg’s R1, R2 and RMF-S districts need an opaque fence 5 to 6.5 ft tall along the side and rear property lines, with lanes left open. Front yard fences on these lots stay at 4 ft or lower.
Pool fence rules in Winnipeg
Winnipeg sets pool fence rules in its Building By-law. A backyard pool needs a fence or barrier that is:
- At least 5 ft (1.5 m) tall, and up to 6.5 ft (2.0 m)
- Fitted with self-closing gates at least 5 ft tall, with a lockable latch
- Snug to the ground, with 4 in (100 mm) or less under the fence
- Smooth on the outside, free of hand, foot and toe holds, with pickets 4 in (100 mm) apart or closer
- Chain link at 11 gauge or heavier, with mesh 2 in (50 mm) or smaller
A hot tub or swim spa with a locking cover strong enough to walk on is exempt from the fence rule. A pool or tub that holds 600 mm (24 in) or more of water needs a building permit, and the fence goes up before the pool is filled past 600 mm. Most RMs and towns around Winnipeg also ask for 5 ft, and Macdonald, Portage la Prairie and Niverville’s by-law ask for 6 ft. See pool fencing for the systems we install.
Commercial and industrial fences
| Winnipeg zoning district | Front | Side | Rear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 4 ft | 6.5 ft | 6.5 ft |
| Commercial & institutional | 4 ft | 6.5 ft | 6.5 ft |
| Manufacturing (MMU) | 4 ft | 6.5 ft | 6.5 ft |
| Other manufacturing | 10 ft | 10 ft | 10 ft |
| Parks | 10 ft | 10 ft | 10 ft |
On manufacturing sites outside the MMU district, 2 ft of barbed wire can top a 10 ft fence for a total of 12 ft. School and park fences can reach 10 ft, and chain link at those sites is exempt from the height limit. Around Winnipeg, commercial rear yards reach 12 ft in Headingley, Springfield, Winkler and Morden, and 8 ft in West St. Paul, St. Andrews, St. Clements and Selkirk. Barbed wire and electric fences are reserved for farm, commercial and industrial properties where the local by-law allows them. See commercial chain link and high security compounds.
RMs around Winnipeg
Residential limits for the RMs that surround the city:
| RM | Front yard | Side & rear | Pool fence | Corner lots |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East St. Paul | 4 ft (1.22 m) | 6.56 ft (2.0 m) | 5 ft minimum | Clear above 3 ft within 15 ft of the corner |
| West St. Paul | 4 ft (1.22 m) | 6.5 ft (1.98 m) | 5 ft minimum | — |
| St. Andrews | 4 ft | 6.5 ft | 5 ft minimum | — |
| St. Clements | 4 ft | 6.5 ft | 5 ft minimum | — |
| Headingley | 4 ft (1.22 m) | 6.56 ft (2.0 m) | 5 ft minimum, 6.56 ft maximum | Clear above 3 ft within 10 ft of the corner |
| Springfield Oakbank, Dugald, Anola | 4 ft (1.22 m) | 6.56 ft (2.0 m) | 5 ft minimum, 6.56 ft maximum | Clear above 3 ft within 10 ft of the corner |
| Ritchot Île-des-Chênes, St. Adolphe, Ste. Agathe | 3.5 ft (1.07 m) | 6.5 ft (1.98 m)* | 5 ft minimum | 3.5 ft along the side street, or 6 ft set back 15 ft |
| Taché Lorette, Landmark, Ste. Geneviève | 4 ft (1.2 m) | 6 ft (1.8 m) | 5 ft minimum | — |
| Macdonald La Salle, Sanford, Oak Bluff, Starbuck | 4 ft (1.21 m) | 6.5 ft (1.98 m) | 6 ft, lockable | Clear above 3 ft within 10 ft of the corner |
| Rosser Grosse Isle | 4 ft (1.22 m) | 6.5 ft (2.0 m) | Manitoba Building Code | Clear above 3 ft within 10 ft of the corner |
* One section of Ritchot’s by-law lists 6 ft for side and rear yards, so we confirm with the RM before building above 6 ft.
Acreages and farms: agricultural zones in West St. Paul, St. Andrews, St. Clements and Selkirk allow fences of any height, and Rosser allows 6.5 ft in front and 10 ft at the sides and back. See farm and acreage fencing.
Cities and towns
Residential limits for cities and towns beyond the Perimeter:
| City or town | Front yard | Side & rear | Pool fence | Corner lots |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selkirk | 4 ft | 6.5 ft | 5 ft gates; enclosure to the Manitoba Building Code | Ask the Planning Division |
| Stonewall | 3.5 ft (1.07 m) | 6 ft (1.83 m) | Ask the Town | Clear above 3 ft within 3 m (9.8 ft) of the corner |
| Niverville | 3 ft (1 m) | 6 ft (2 m) | 6 ft in the by-law; 5 ft on the Town’s permit page | — |
| Steinbach | 3 ft (0.9 m) | 6.5 ft (2.0 m) | 5 ft minimum, 6.5 ft maximum | The narrowest street side is the front yard |
| Portage la Prairie | 3.2 ft (1 m) | 6.5 ft (2 m) rear | 6 ft (1.8 m) minimum, 8 ft (2.4 m) maximum | Clear above 0.7 m within 3 m of the corner |
| Brandon | 4 ft (1.2 m) | 6 ft (1.8 m) | 5 ft minimum | Clear between 0.8 m and 2.5 m within 3 m of the corner |
| Winkler | 4 ft (1.2 m) | 6.6 ft (2.0 m) | 5 ft minimum | Clear above 3 ft within 10 ft of the corner |
| Morden | 4 ft (1.2 m) | 6.5 ft (2.0 m) | 5 ft minimum | — |
On the property line
In Winnipeg, a fence can go right up to your property line on your side, and a fence you share with a neighbour can sit on the line itself. Before we build, we confirm where the line is. A Manitoba Land Surveyor’s staking certificate marks it exactly.
How we build to the rules
- We check your municipality’s limits before we quote.
- We confirm corner lots, sight triangles and setbacks before the posts go in.
- Pool gates are set to self-close and latch on every job.
- Every fence goes up straight on driven steel posts, at the height your lot allows.
Price your fence in minutes with Build & Price, or book a site visit and we’ll confirm the rules for your lot.
Sources
Checked October 15, 2026. By-laws change over time, and Winnipeg is rewriting its zoning by-law, so confirm with your municipality before you build. This guide is general information. Winnipeg’s Permits Direct Line is 204-986-5140.
- City of Winnipeg: Zoning By-law 200/2006 Table 5-17, s.194–196, Schedule AC (consolidated Sept 24, 2026)
- City of Winnipeg: Building By-law 4555/87 s.24.4 Private Pools (consolidated Apr 30, 2026)
- City of Winnipeg: Residential Fences brochure (March 2023) and Pools and Hot Tubs/Spas brochure (October 2025)
- East St. Paul: Zoning By-law 2009-04 s.51, s.66.9 (March 2026)
- West St. Paul: Zoning By-law 2/99P Table 3 (November 2025)
- St. Andrews: Zoning By-law 4066 Table 3 (November 2025)
- St. Clements: Zoning By-law 5-2002 Table 3 (March 2026)
- Red River Planning District RMs: Building by-laws pool enclosures, s.23 (June 2025)
- Selkirk: Zoning By-law 4968 Table 2, s.3.24 (December 2025)
- Headingley: Zoning By-law 3-2011 s.17.8, s.17.20 (July 2026); pool rules from the RM’s permit page
- Springfield: Zoning By-law 08-01 s.24, s.38.5, s.47 (2010 text)
- Ritchot: Zoning By-law 9-2019 s.3.25, s.5.9 (with amendments, 2026)
- Taché: Zoning By-law 08-2023 s.3.1.1 (September 2025); pool rules from the RM’s pools page
- Macdonald: Zoning By-law 10/25 Table 3-2, s.3.18, s.3.22 (2025)
- Rosser and Stonewall: South Interlake Planning District zoning by-laws Rosser 4-21 Table 6-2; Stonewall 6/16 s.5.10–5.11
- Niverville: Zoning By-law 795-18 s.3.25, s.5.14 (February 2023)
- Steinbach: Zoning By-law 2245 Table 7-1 (January 2026); pool rules from the City’s pools page
- Portage la Prairie: Zoning By-law 21-8724 s.3.25, s.8.8; heights from the district’s fences page
- Brandon: Zoning By-law 7124 s.25, s.39 (July 2024); pool rules from the City’s fences page
- Winkler: Zoning By-law 2271-21 s.2.13, s.2.15, s.4.14 (July 2026)
- Morden: Zoning By-law 08-2017 s.25.3, s.30.7; fences brochure