---
title: "Chilliwack fence rules: permits and height limits"
question: "Do I need a permit to build a fence, and how high can it be?"
place: Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/chilliwack
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Chilliwack
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chilliwack/fence-rules/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chilliwack/fence-rules.json"
---

# Chilliwack fence rules: permits and height limits

**Question:** Do I need a permit to build a fence, and how high can it be?

**Short answer:** In Chilliwack an ordinary fence does not need a building permit, but a screening fence over 2 m or a masonry wall over 1.2 m may. The City's Zoning Bylaw sets no residential fence height limit. Pool fences must be at least 1.2 m. Call Planning to confirm.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Chilliwack, https://www.chilliwack.com)  
**Cost:** No building permit fee for an ordinary fence. Retaining walls over 1.22 m and some screening fences or masonry walls may need a permit; see the building-permit-fees answer.  
**How long:** Not applicable for an ordinary fence.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Planning Department, 604-793-2906
- Phone: Building Department, 604-793-2905
- In person: City Hall, 8550 Young Road, Chilliwack, BC V2P 8A4 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

## Key facts

- **Permit:** The Building Regulation Bylaw does not apply to a fence permitted under the Zoning Bylaw, so an ordinary fence needs no building permit. But under the Zoning Bylaw a view-obstructing screening fence may need a building permit if over 2 m high, and masonry or concrete walls over 1.2 m high may need one.
  - Source: [Building Regulation Bylaw 2003, No. 2970 (PDF, consolidated March 16, 2021), s. 15(1)](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/attachments/attachView.cfm?attachID=772)
  - Official wording: "a fence permitted to be constructed under the City’s Zoning Bylaw, in force from"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 2020, No. 5000, s. 4.09(3)(h)(iv)-(v)](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/attachments/attachView.cfm?attachID=6624)
  - Official wording: "masonry or concrete walls exceeding 1.2m in HEIGHT may require a BUILDING PERMIT" … "may require a BUILDING PERMIT if they exceed 2m in HEIGHT."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-05
- **Height, front yard:** None set. The City's Zoning Bylaw 5000 sets no maximum fence height for front, side or rear yards in residential zones.
- **Height, side and rear yards:** None set. The City's Zoning Bylaw 5000 sets no maximum fence height for front, side or rear yards in residential zones.
- **Corner lots and sightlines:** No fixed fence height for corner lots, but the Highway and Traffic Bylaw 2019, No. 4686, s. 17 says no owner or occupier of real property shall allow any obstruction to the line of vision from a highway intersection between 0.5 m and 3 m above the average height of the crown of the highway if it reduces the sight distance below the minimum in Schedule 7 (for example 45 m stopping sight distance at 40 km/h, 65 m at 50 km/h). The City reviews intersection visibility on a complaint basis.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 2020, No. 5000, s. 4.03(1)(b)](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/attachments/attachView.cfm?attachID=6624)
  - Official wording: "A HIGHWAY access or egress driveway that is within 7.5m of the point of intersection of the road"
  - Source: [Highway and Traffic Bylaw 2019, No. 4686, s. 17 and Schedule 7](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/attachments/attachView.cfm?attachID=1090)
  - Official wording: "17. No owner or occupier of real property shall allow any obstruction to the line of vision from a" … "Highway Intersection between the height of 0.5m and 3m above the average height of the" … "crown of a Highway if the obstruction reduces the sight distance to less than the minimum set"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-05
- **Other rules:** Livestock fences must not be barbed wire or electrified unless the zone permits livestock; electrified fences cannot run along lot lines next to a residential zone or a zone readily permitting public access. Security fences are allowed in all zones, with barbed wire or other potentially injurious elements at least 2 m above ground. Pool fences (pools over 9 m2 and deeper than 45 cm): at least 1.2 m high, no openings over 10 cm, gate self-closing with a locking latch; a certified safety cover may be used instead of a fence. Retaining walls over 1.22 m (4 ft) need a building permit and registered professional design (Building Regulation Bylaw s. 133-134); walls supporting soil under 4 feet on single-family parcels are exempt (s. 15(2)). The bylaws set no rule for how fence height is measured.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 2020, No. 5000, s. 4.09(1)(a)-(b)](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/attachments/attachView.cfm?attachID=6624)
  - Official wording: "fences shall not be constructed of barbed wire nor electrified, unless located in a ZONE" … "electrified fences may not be located along LOT LINES adjacent to a Residential ZONE or a" … "SECURITY FENCES are permitted in all ZONES but, barbed wire or other potentially injurious"
  - Source: [Swimming Pool Enclosure Bylaw 2011, No. 3811, s. 4(1)-(2)](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/attachments/attachView.cfm?attachID=439)
  - Official wording: "have a minimum height of 1.2m;" … "have no openings greater than 10cm; and" … "have a self-closing and locking latch; and"
  - Source: [Building Regulation Bylaw 2003, No. 2970 (PDF, consolidated March 16, 2021), s. 5 definition 'retaining wall'; ss. 133-134](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/attachments/attachView.cfm?attachID=772)
  - Official wording: "if the wall exceeds 1.22m (4ft) in height above the lesser of natural or finished" … "134. No person may construct, or structurally repair, a retaining wall without a valid and"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-05
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw 2020, No. 5000, s. 4.09 (Fencing, Landscaping, Screening); Building Regulation Bylaw 2003, No. 2970, s. 15(1) (fences) and ss. 133-134 (retaining walls); Swimming Pool Enclosure Bylaw 2011, No. 3811, s. 4; Highway and Traffic Bylaw 2019, No. 4686, s. 17 (sightlines at intersections)
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 2020, No. 5000, s. 4.09](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/attachments/attachView.cfm?attachID=6624)
  - Official wording: "4.09 FENCING, LANDSCAPING, SCREENING"
  - Source: [Building Regulation Bylaw 2003, No. 2970 (PDF, consolidated March 16, 2021), s. 15(1)](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/attachments/attachView.cfm?attachID=772)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw does not apply to:"
  - Source: [Swimming Pool Enclosure Bylaw 2011, No. 3811, s. 4](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/attachments/attachView.cfm?attachID=439)
  - Official wording: "Every owner of a swimming pool shall ensure that the swimming pool is"
  - Source: [Highway and Traffic Bylaw 2019, No. 4686, s. 17](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/attachments/attachView.cfm?attachID=1090)
  - Official wording: "17. No owner or occupier of real property shall allow any obstruction to the line of vision from a"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-05

## How it works

The City of Chilliwack's [Building Regulation Bylaw](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/attachments/attachView.cfm?attachID=772) does not apply to a fence permitted under the Zoning Bylaw, so an ordinary fence needs no building permit. The Zoning Bylaw adds that a view-obstructing screening fence over 2 m high, or a masonry or concrete wall over 1.2 m high, may need one. These screening rules mainly cover required screening, such as between commercial and residential zones.

The City's Zoning Bylaw 5000 sets no maximum fence height for front, side or rear yards in residential zones, and no bylaw says how height is measured. Call Planning to confirm before you build.

## Steps

1. Find your property lines first, since a fence on the wrong side can lead to a dispute.
2. Call Planning (604-793-2906) to confirm height limits for your zone.
3. For a retaining wall over 1.22 m (4 feet), or a pool enclosure, ask the Building Department (604-793-2905). Retaining walls over 1.22 m need a building permit and a registered professional's design.

## Good to know

- Swimming pool fences (pools over 9 m² and deeper than 45 cm) must be at least 1.2 m high with no openings over 10 cm. Gates must be 1.2 m high and self-closing with a locking latch. A certified safety cover may be used instead of a fence.
- Livestock fences must not be barbed wire or electrified unless the zone permits livestock. Security fences are allowed in all zones, with barbed wire or similar elements at least 2 m above ground.
- Corner lots have no fixed fence height, but the Highway and Traffic Bylaw bars anything that blocks the line of sight at an intersection between 0.5 m and 3 m above the road if it cuts sight distance below the bylaw minimum (for example 45 m at 40 km/h). The City checks this on a complaint basis.
- Retaining structures under 1.22 m, and walls supporting soil under 4 feet on single-family lots, are exempt from the Building Regulation Bylaw.
- Under the Community Standards Bylaw, deteriorated fences can count as an unsightly property.

## Official forms and pages

- [Building Regulation Bylaw 2970 (PDF)](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/attachments/attachView.cfm?attachID=772)
- [Swimming Pool Enclosure Bylaw 3811 (PDF)](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/attachments/attachView.cfm?attachID=439)
- [Zoning Bylaw 2020, No. 5000](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/page.cfm?id=377)
- [Highway and Traffic Bylaw 4686 (PDF)](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/attachments/attachView.cfm?attachID=1090)

## Related questions

- [Chilliwack permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chilliwack/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Chilliwack zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chilliwack/zoning-lookup.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Fence height limits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fence-rules.md)
- [Harrison Hot Springs](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/harrison-hot-springs/fence-rules.md)
- [Kent](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kent/fence-rules.md)
- [Abbotsford](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/abbotsford/fence-rules.md)
- [Mission](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mission/fence-rules.md)
- [Hope](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hope/fence-rules.md)
- [Township of Langley](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langley-township/fence-rules.md)

## Sources

- [Building Regulation Bylaw 2003, No. 2970 (PDF, consolidated March 16, 2021)](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/attachments/attachView.cfm?attachID=772) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Zoning Bylaw 2020, No. 5000 (PDF)](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/attachments/attachView.cfm?attachID=6624) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Swimming Pool Enclosure Bylaw 2011, No. 3811 (PDF)](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/attachments/attachView.cfm?attachID=439) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Highway and Traffic Bylaw 2019, No. 4686 (PDF)](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/attachments/attachView.cfm?attachID=1090) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Property Maintenance, City of Chilliwack](https://www.chilliwack.com/main/page.cfm?id=2952) (read 2026-11-05)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 2 are recorded as not set. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Chilliwack. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chilliwack/fence-rules/_