Fencing and decking installation needs no trade licence anywhere in Canada, which makes it one of the easiest construction trades to enter on your own account. The two things that catch new installers are not licensing: they are the legal duty to get a utility locate before you dig any post hole, and the property-line trap, where a fence built even slightly over the boundary becomes an expensive dispute. Decks add a third issue, because most decks above a certain height or attached to the house need a building permit. Do those three things right, sort your insurance, and the trade is genuinely accessible.
Licensing: none for the trade, but the rules around it matter
You do not need a Certificate of Qualification or a trade ticket to build fences or decks in English Canada (Quebec aside; see below). What you do need is the business done properly and an awareness of the rules that do bite:
- Business registration (a sole proprietorship at minimum) and a Business Number from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
- Commercial general liability (CGL) insurance. Carry it; clients and condo or strata boards will ask for proof, and a deck failure is a serious liability.
- Building permits for decks. Most municipalities require a building permit for a deck above a set height (often around 600 mm / 24 inches off the ground), for any deck attached to the house, and for guards and stairs, which must meet the building code (guard heights, baluster spacing and footing depth below the frost line). Fences usually need a permit only above a height set by the local bylaw, or near a pool (see the pool barrier rules).
In Quebec, the contracting entity generally needs an RBQ licence for construction work, and competency can fall under the Commission de la construction du Quebec (CCQ); confirm the Quebec route before you work there.
The locate before you dig: the rule that is the law
This is the single most important habit in the trade, because digging a post hole is digging, and the law treats it that way:
- Call or click before you dig. Before you break ground for any post, you must request a free utility locate. In Ontario this is Ontario One Call (1-800-400-2255); every province has an equivalent, and ClickBeforeYouDig.com covers the country. The service is free and the request is the law, with no exemption for the size of the job.
- Give enough notice. A minimum of about three full working days is the standard advance notice, so book the locate before you book the dig.
- Private lines are not covered. One Call locates the utility's lines to the property, but private buried lines (the run between a house and a garage, a buried gas line to a barbecue, irrigation, low-voltage lighting) are NOT covered, so you must have those located or marked separately.
- The consequence. Hitting a gas or electrical line because you skipped the locate is a serious incident with criminal and civil exposure, and your insurer may deny the claim. There is no good reason to skip a free, legally required step.
The property-line trap
The second classic mistake is building on or over the boundary:
- A fence built over the property line, even by a few centimetres, can be ordered removed at your client's cost, and the dispute lands on you if you sited it.
- Do not rely on an existing fence, hedge or "where the old one was" as the boundary. Where the line matters, the safe move is a current survey (a Surveyor's Real Property Report or equivalent), and get the client to confirm the line in writing.
- Shared (line) fences may be governed by a local line-fences or division-fences bylaw or act, which can split the cost between neighbours; flag this to the client rather than refereeing it yourself.
Kit and start-up costs (estimates, CAD)
This is a low-barrier trade on tools, with the truck and the auger as the main spend. Indicative ranges, so confirm current prices:
- Post-hole auger (gas one- or two-person, or a skid-steer auger attachment): roughly $400 to $2,500, or rent at first.
- Saws (circular, mitre), drills and impact drivers: roughly $1,000 to $3,000.
- Levels, string lines, post levels and hand tools: roughly $500 to $1,500.
- Compactor or tamper and concrete tools for setting posts: roughly $500 to $1,500.
- PPE: roughly $500.
- CGL insurance: roughly $2,000 to $4,000 per year.
- A truck and trailer: roughly $15,000 to $35,000 used.
A realistic first-year operating estimate lands around $20,000 to $40,000.
What you can charge (estimates, not fixed rates)
There is no single published national rate table, and fencing and decking pricing depends on material, terrain and access, so treat these as indicative ranges, not fixed figures:
- Fence installation: commonly priced per linear foot installed, varying widely by material (pressure-treated wood, chain link, vinyl, aluminium, composite) and ground conditions.
- Deck building: commonly priced per square foot installed, varying widely with material (pressure-treated, cedar, composite) and structural complexity; a mid-size deck is frequently a five-figure project.
- Labour-only hourly rates for carpentry-style work: roughly $50 to $90 per hour.
Price the material, the ground and the access, not just the hour, and confirm your numbers against local competitors.
Common mistakes
- Digging without a locate. It is free, it is the law, and hitting a line is a criminal and civil exposure your insurer may not cover.
- Trusting the old fence as the boundary. Build off a current survey where the line matters, and get the client to confirm it in writing.
- Skipping the deck permit. A deck above the trigger height, attached to the house, or with guards and stairs almost always needs a permit and a code-compliant footing below the frost line.
- Forgetting GST/HST. Once your taxable revenue passes $30,000 over four consecutive quarters (or in a single quarter), you must register for GST/HST within 29 days of the effective date.
Know someone who needs this?
Keep reading
Was this guide useful?
Didn't find what you were looking for?
Spotted something wrong or out of date? Email us at hello@kilnguides.co.uk.
In crisis? 988 Suicide Crisis Helpline (call or text 988) ·