Duncan fence rules: permits and height limits

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

Duncan, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-05

Short answer

In the City of Duncan a residential fence may be 1.2 m high in the front or exterior side yard and 2 m in the rear or interior side yard. A building permit is not needed within those heights in single family areas, but pool fences always need one.

Key facts

Permit	No building permit for fences under 2 m in rear and side yards or under 1.2 m in the front yard setback in single family residential areas; taller fences need one, but zoning caps fences at 2 m and 1.2 m (a variance is needed). Pool fences always need a building permit.Do I Need a Building Permit?; Do I Need a Building Permit?; Zoning Bylaw No. 3166, 2017 (PDF, consolidated to August 24, 2026), sections 3.7, 3.8 and 3.15, s. 3.8.4 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Construct fences higher than 2 m in rear and side yards or higher than 1.2 m in the front yard setback Fences under 2 m in height or 1.2 m in front yard setback in single family residential areas except pool fencing Build any pool fences The maximum fence height is as follows:
Height, front yard	Residential zones: 1.2 m in the front yard or exterior side yard. Commercial zones: fences not permitted between the building's front or exterior side face and the parcel line. Community Use zones: 1.2 m. In Centennial Heights (Plan 12568) no fence in the front yard.Zoning Bylaw No. 3166, 2017 (PDF, consolidated to August 24, 2026), sections 3.7, 3.8 and 3.15, s. 3.8.4, 3.8.8 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Front Yard or Exterior Side Yard Residential 1.2 m Not permitted in either yard or no fence shall be located within any portion of the front yard
Height, side and rear yards	2 m in the rear yard or interior side yard in Residential, Commercial and Community Use zones. In any part of a parcel not defined as a yard, no fence over 2 m in Residential and Commercial zones.Zoning Bylaw No. 3166, 2017 (PDF, consolidated to August 24, 2026), sections 3.7, 3.8 and 3.15, s. 3.8.4, 3.8.7 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Rear Yard or Interior Side Yard Commercial no fence shall exceed a height of 2 m in any portion of the parcel not otherwise defined as a yard
Corner lots and sightlines	At street intersections nothing (buildings, structures or vegetation) may block the line of vision between 1 m and 3 m above grade in the corner area bounded by the parcel lines and a line joining points 6 m from where they meet.Zoning Bylaw No. 3166, 2017 (PDF, consolidated to August 24, 2026), sections 3.7, 3.8 and 3.15, s. 3.15.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording there must be no visual obstruction, either by buildings, structures or vegetation between 1 m and 3 m above grade 6 m from their
Other rules	Height is measured from the lower of natural or finished grade to the top of the fence; post caps up to 0.1 m and entrance arbours are excluded. Retaining walls count as fences. No barbed, razor or electric wire or similar deterrent materials in residential, commercial, community or park zones. Pools must be fenced 1.5 m to 1.8 m high with self-closing gates.Zoning Bylaw No. 3166, 2017 (PDF, consolidated to August 24, 2026), sections 3.7, 3.8 and 3.15, s. 3.8.1-3.8.3, 3.8.9, 3.7.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Fence height is determined by measuring vertically from either natural grade or finished grade, whichever is lower, to the highest portion of the fence Decorative fence post caps with a height not greater than 0.1 m Retaining walls, or portions thereof, are considered fences must not include barbed wire, razor wire, electric wire, ultra-barrier Swimming pools must be enclosed by a fence between 1.5 m and 1.8 m in height
Bylaw	Zoning Bylaw No. 3166, 2017, s. 3.8 (Fence Height), s. 3.7 (Swimming Pools), s. 3.15 (Visibility at Intersections)Zoning Bylaw No. 3166, 2017 (PDF, consolidated to August 24, 2026), sections 3.7, 3.8 and 3.15, s. 3.8 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording City of Duncan Zoning Bylaw No. 3166 Fence Height

How it works

The City of Duncan limits fence height in section 3.8 of the Zoning Bylaw. Height is measured from the lower of natural or finished grade to the top of the fence; decorative post caps up to 0.1 m and entrance arbours are excluded. Retaining walls count as fences.

Steps

Work out which yard the fence is in: front or exterior side yard, or rear or interior side yard.
Keep to the heights below. In single family areas the City's checklist says a fence under 2 m (1.2 m in the front yard setback) needs no building permit, except pool fences.
For anything taller, a pool fence or a retaining wall, phone Development Services at 250-746-6126 before building. Taller fences also exceed the zoning limits, so a variance would be needed.

Good to know

Residential zones: 1.2 m in the front or exterior side yard, 2 m in the rear or interior side yard. Community Use zones: 1.2 m in the front or exterior side yard. Rear and interior side yards in Commercial and Community Use zones: 2 m.
Commercial zones: fences are not permitted between the front or exterior side face of the building and the parcel line.
Pools must be fenced 1.5 m to 1.8 m high with self-closing gates, and pool fences need a building permit.
Retaining walls over 1.2 m need a building permit.
No barbed, razor or electric wire or similar materials in residential, commercial, community or park zones.
No front-yard fence is allowed in Centennial Heights (Plan 12568).
On corner lots, nothing (buildings, structures or vegetation) may block the line of sight between 1 m and 3 m above grade in the corner area, measured 6 m from where the parcel lines meet.
An unlawful fence is a $400 bylaw notice ($375 if paid early); insufficient pool fencing is $200.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

North Cowichan · Ladysmith · North Saanich · Lake Cowichan · Sidney · Central Saanich

Fence height limits in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

Zoning Bylaw No. 3166, 2017 (PDF, consolidated to August 24, 2026), sections 3.7, 3.8 and 3.15 (read 2026-11-05)
Do I Need a Building Permit? (PDF), City of Duncan (read 2026-11-05)
Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw (PDF), City of Duncan (read 2026-11-05)

Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. How answers are checked.