Fort St James fence rules: permits and height limits

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

Fort St James, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-08

How it works

The District of Fort St James says a new fence needs no building permit. Height limits are in section 3.6 of Zoning Bylaw No. 1101:

• Front yard: 1 metre, in all zones except industrial and highway commercial.
• Side and rear yards: 2 metres, in all zones except industrial and highway commercial.
• Industrial and commercial zones: 2.4 metres.
• Open mesh or chain-link fences at cemeteries, playgrounds, parks, playfields and schools, and in industrial and highway commercial zones, may go up to 4 metres.

Where a residential rear lot line meets the side line of a neighbouring lot, the rear fence may be no higher than the side-line limit at that point.

Steps

1. Find your property lines and your zone (see the zoning-lookup answer).
2. Keep the fence within the height limit for your yard.
3. For a retaining wall over 1.2 m (4 ft), apply for a building permit first (see the building-permit answer).
4. Call the District office (250-996-8233) if you are unsure.

Good to know

• Fence height is measured from grade. The part of a retaining wall above the ground it supports counts as a fence. If a retaining wall is on a property line, height is measured from the supported ground at average grade.
• A fence is a continuous barrier of wood, brick, stone, cement or metal and includes a gate.
• Heights are "subject to the vision clearance provisions" of the bylaw, but the bylaw does not set out any. The zoning bylaw has no stated rule for corner lots or for barbed wire, electric or pool fences. Ask the District.
• In the Natural Environment and Hazardous Conditions development permit area (within 15 m of Stuart Lake and Nahounli Creek, and slopes of 30% or more), a fence needs no development permit only if disturbance of native vegetation stays within 0.5 m of the fence.