Has your neighbour made some additions to their fence? Here’s what you need to know.

There is some good news for Regina residents who may be experiencing some unsightly fence additions.

Some people around the city have noticed new additions popping up on neighbouring fences. Bedsheets, lattice, and parts of pergolas have been attached to fences to extend the height of the yard divisions.
The City of Regina’s manager of bylaw enforcement Andrea McNeil-Wilson said this is fine to do, provided the fence with the addition is not already six feet tall.

According to the Community Standards Bylaw, which regulates the height of fences in Regina, fences in rear and side yards cannot exceed 1.83 metres or six feet, while front yard fences can be no higher than 1.22 metres.

“Those limits are in place just to provide privacy for residents, but also to sort of maintain that neighbourhood aesthetic and to not sort of have this fortress of fences,” McNeil-Wilson said.

Any additional structures attached to the fence – whether they be pieces of wood, sheets or other material – that increase the height of the fence beyond six feet in the side and back yards is in violation of the Community Standards Bylaw.

“If it has been attached to the existing fence … then it has to be at that six-foot level; no taller,” McNeil-Wilson explained. “We would consider that part of the fence because it is physically attached.”

“However, if someone erects a separate structure that is adjacent to the fence but is not attached to the fence, that falls under a different bylaw.”

A Regina resident had a taller addition made to her fence made by her neighbours. (Submitted)

Additionally, any structures not attached to the fence itself but within the parameters of a resident’s yard do not fall under the restrictions enforced by the Community Standards Bylaw.

Residents concerned about unsightly additions blocking their view can report their complaints to Service Regina. From there, McNeil-Wilson said her staff will look into the history of the fence and determine whether a previous variance may have been granted to allow for the addition.

A bylaw change saw fence height regulation move from being under Regina’s Zoning Bylaw to the Community Standards Bylaw in 2019.

McNeil-Wilson said there are some instances where variance or relaxation of the bylaws is warranted. After examining the zoning history of a fence, bylaw enforcement staff will head out to personally evaluate whether an infraction has taken place by observing any fence additions for themselves.

“We educate ourselves first to go out and figure out the circumstances that may exist and then we’ll go out to determine if there is a violation, if there’s a risk to public safety … and assess each complaint that we receive on a case-by-case basis,” McNeil-Wilson explained.

“Then we would work with the homeowner to try and achieve compliance.”

McNeil-Wilson said the bylaw enforcement team asks homeowners and Regina residents to educate themselves on the rules and regulations in place for fences and fence heights within the city before making any additions or changes to their fences.

“Even if you’re just putting up a fence that is within regulation height, it doesn’t hurt to reach out and just be a good neighbour and talk to your neighbour about what’s going on,” McNeil-Wilson said.