Property Surveys for Fences
Mark Your Property Line Before the Fence Posts Go In
Fence Surveyor
Services
A property survey for a fence locates your boundary and marks it on the ground before the first post hole is dug. An Alberta Land Surveyor retraces the line from the survey monuments that define the parcel. ALSA notes that an existing fence may not accurately represent the boundary.
Section 50(3) of the Surveys Act makes it an offence to pull down, alter, deface or remove a survey monument without the Director of Surveys’ written permission. The fine is up to $10,000. ALSA advises against setting a fence post directly over or beside a marker, and suggests cantilevering the last panel.
When do you need a Fence Line Survey?
A fence survey is worth booking before any work that puts posts or panels near a boundary. These are the usual triggers.
Installing
a privacy screen or gate
Planning
a shed near the line
Building
a new backyard fence
Replacing
an aging fence
Sharing
a fence with a neighbour
Settling
a disagreement over the line
Fencing
an acreage boundary
Moving
a fence off City land
Certifications & Associations
ProtechGeo marks the boundary on the ground for a new fence, a replacement, or a fence shared with a neighbour. Our Principal Alberta Land Surveyor supervises both options below. Add the sketch when neighbours need a written record of where the line runs.
Survey Only
Stakes and flagging go in along the boundary where the fence will run, ready for you to build to.
Survey and Sketch
The same field markers come with a sketch showing the survey details. Choose it for a shared fence or a contested line.
WHY CHOOSE US?
Our Approach
Fence posts count as ground disturbance under Utility Safety Partners guidelines, at any depth. Locates are free in normal working hours and need at least 3 full business days’ notice, and USP currently warns of 5 to 10. Book the locate when you book the survey, so both are done before the first post hole.
Monuments First
We search for the survey monuments governing your parcel before marking anything, including buried ones.
Marked on Site
Stakes and flagging show where the boundary runs along the length of the planned fence.
Markers Left Clear
End posts belong back from each corner marker, so the monument stays accessible.
Heights Explained
Edmonton allows 1.3 m in front yards and 2.0 m elsewhere. Calgary's low-density districts allow 1.2 m and 2.0 m.
ALS Supervised
Our Principal Alberta Land Surveyor is responsible for every line we mark on your property.
Shared Fences
The survey and sketch option gives both neighbours the same record of where the line runs.
Ready to take the next step?
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about boundary surveys in Alberta, and how they differ from an RPR.
Do I need a survey before building a fence?
A survey is the reliable way to know where the line runs. ALSA says owners who locate their own lines from a plan almost always get the location wrong.
Can I use my Real Property Report to place the fence?
ALSA advises against using the RPR, because of the risk of misinterpretation or measurement error. A fence line survey marks the boundary on the ground for you to build to.
How high can my fence be?
In Edmonton, Zoning Bylaw 20001 allows 1.3 m in front yards and 2.0 m in other yards. A higher fence needs a development permit ($195 in 2026), which the City may refuse. In low-density residential districts, Calgary allows 1.2 m in front of the house and 2.0 m elsewhere.
Who pays for a fence between neighbours?
Alberta’s Line Fence Act splits costs equally only where the fence keeps livestock out. The Act sets no split for other fences. ALSA notes that a verbal agreement does not bind a new owner.
The old fence has been there for decades. Does that move the line?
Time alone does not move it. Alberta abolished adverse possession on 15 December 2022, so title can no longer be acquired by occupying land. A fence dating back to the original survey can still be boundary evidence, which the surveyor weighs against the monuments.
What if a survey marker sits where my post should go?
Leave it in place and build around it. ALSA suggests setting the last post two feet back from the marker and cantilevering the rest. Only an Alberta Land Surveyor may restore a disturbed monument.
Where do you provide fence line surveys?
We work in Alberta only, in Edmonton and the surrounding region, including St. Albert, Sherwood Park and Spruce Grove.
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