---
title: "Golden fence rules: permits and height limits"
question: "Do I need a permit to build a fence, and how high can it be?"
place: Golden, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/golden
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: Town of Golden
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/golden/fence-rules/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/golden/fence-rules.json"
---

# Golden 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 Golden you do not need a building permit for a fence, but it must meet the Zoning Bylaw. In a residential front yard the limit is 1.0 m; in other residential yards it is 2.0 m. Over-height fences can get a $100 bylaw notice.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Town of Golden, https://www.golden.ca)  
**Cost:** No permit fee. A fence over the permitted height or made of prohibited materials is a $100 bylaw notice ($80 if paid within 14 days, $120 after 28 days).  
**How long:** No permit is needed, so there is no wait.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Planning and Development, 250-344-2271
- Email: Director of Planning & Development, planner@golden.ca
- In person: Town Hall, 810 9th Ave. South, Golden, BC

## Key facts

- **Permit:** No building permit is needed for a fence: the Building Regulation Bylaw does not apply to fences. Fences must still meet the zoning rules on height and materials.
  - Source: [Building Regulation Bylaw No. 1299, 2012, s. 4.2](https://golden.civicweb.net/document/63302/)
  - Official wording: "this Bylaw does not apply to"
  - Source: [Building Permit Application Guideline 2026](https://www.golden.ca/sites/default/files/2026-03/BP%20Application-Guideline%20general%202026.pdf)
  - Official wording: "exterior siding, landscaping, sidewalks and fences and building under 10m2 floor"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Height, front yard:** 1.0 m in the front yard of a residential zone.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1294, 2011, s. 6.4(2)(c)](https://www.golden.ca/sites/default/files/2022-01/Bylaw-No-1294%2C-2011-ToG-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "not exceed .0 m within a Front Yard Area of a residenti al Zone"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Height, side and rear yards:** 2.0 m in non-industrial zones (this covers residential side and rear yards); 3.0 m in industrial zones. Not allowed in the front yard of a commercial or industrial lot.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1294, 2011, s. 6.4(2)(d), (e); 6.4(1)(b)](https://www.golden.ca/sites/default/files/2022-01/Bylaw-No-1294%2C-2011-ToG-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "not exceed 2.0 mn a non-industnalZote" … "not exceed 3.0 m in an industrial Zone." … "not be within a Front Yard Area on a commercial or industrial Lot;"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Corner lots and sightlines:** No obstruction to visibility in the corner visibility triangle (6.0 m along each street lot line from the corner where two minor streets meet). A fence or landscaping over 1.0 m high counts as an obstruction; fences may not exceed 1.0 m there.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1294, 2011, s. 6.3 and 6.4(2)(b)](https://www.golden.ca/sites/default/files/2022-01/Bylaw-No-1294%2C-2011-ToG-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "a Fence or Landscaping is considered to be an obstruction if over 1.0 m in height." … "not exceed 1.0 m within a Corner Visibility Triangle" … "connecting them 6.0 m, measured along the Street Lot Lines, from their point of"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Other rules:** Height is measured from natural or approved grade to the highest part. Fences must match the main building in quality, design and materials; hedges count as fences; no razor wire; no barbed wire in non-industrial zones. A pool at ground level needs a fence at least 1.5 m high with a self-closing, lockable gate (the building bylaw says 1.8 m).
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1294, 2011, s. 6.4](https://www.golden.ca/sites/default/files/2022-01/Bylaw-No-1294%2C-2011-ToG-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "to the highest part of the Fence;" … "be consistent with the Principat Building tnregard to quality of construction," … "not consist of razor wtre;" … "not consist of barbedwire within a non-indusúialZone" … "d. if at Natural Grade or Approved Grade be enclosed by a minimum 1.5 m high" … "have at any opening within the required Fencing a self-closinggate that is lockable"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Town of Golden Zoning Bylaw No. 1294, 2011, s. 6.4 (Fences) and s. 6.3 (Corner Visibility)
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1294, 2011, s. 6.4](https://www.golden.ca/sites/default/files/2022-01/Bylaw-No-1294%2C-2011-ToG-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Zoning Bylaw No. 1294,2011" … "6.4 Fences"
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw, Schedule O](https://golden.civicweb.net/document/129117/)
  - Official wording: "6.4 (1) Prohibited fence materials $100.00 $80.00 $120.00" … "6.4 (2) Fence exceeds permitted height $100.00 $80.00 $120.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The Town's [Building Regulation Bylaw](<https://golden.civicweb.net/document/63302/>) does not apply to fences, so no building permit is needed. Fences must still meet the height and material rules in section 6.4 of the [Zoning Bylaw No. 1294, 2011](<https://www.golden.ca/sites/default/files/2022-01/Bylaw-No-1294%2C-2011-ToG-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf>).

Height limits:

- Front yard of a residential zone: 1.0 m.
- Non-industrial zones (this covers residential side and rear yards): 2.0 m. The bylaw gives no separate side and rear limits.
- Industrial zones: 3.0 m.
- Front yard of a commercial or industrial lot: fences are not allowed.

Height is measured from natural or approved grade to the highest part of the fence.

## Steps

1. Find your zone (see the zoning-lookup answer).
2. Keep the fence within the height limit for your yard.
3. On a corner lot, keep a fence or landscaping clear of the corner visibility triangle (6.0 m along each street lot line from the corner where two minor streets meet). Over 1.0 m high counts as an obstruction there, so fences may not exceed 1.0 m.
4. Match the main building in quality, design and materials. Hedges count as fences.

## Good to know

- Razor wire is not allowed, and barbed wire is not allowed in non-industrial zones.
- A pool at ground level needs a fence at least 1.5 m high with a self-closing, lockable gate (the building bylaw says 1.8 m). Confirm with the Building Official; the pool itself needs a building permit.
- Retaining structures over 1.5 m high need a building permit.
- The posted zoning bylaw is the original 2011 text and does not include later amendments, so confirm limits with Development Services.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1294, 2011 (PDF)](https://www.golden.ca/sites/default/files/2022-01/Bylaw-No-1294%2C-2011-ToG-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
- [Building Permit Application Guideline 2026 (PDF)](https://www.golden.ca/sites/default/files/2026-03/BP%20Application-Guideline%20general%202026.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Golden building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/golden/building-permit.md)
- [Golden zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/golden/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Golden permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/golden/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Golden bylaw fines and how tickets work](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/golden/bylaw-fines.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Fence height limits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fence-rules.md)
- [Revelstoke](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/revelstoke/fence-rules.md)
- [Radium Hot Springs](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/radium-hot-springs/fence-rules.md)
- [Invermere](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/invermere/fence-rules.md)
- [Nakusp](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nakusp/fence-rules.md)
- [New Denver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-denver/fence-rules.md)
- [Sicamous](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sicamous/fence-rules.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1294, 2011 (PDF)](https://www.golden.ca/sites/default/files/2022-01/Bylaw-No-1294%2C-2011-ToG-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Regulation Bylaw No. 1299, 2012 (PDF)](https://golden.civicweb.net/document/63302/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Permit Application Guideline 2026 (PDF)](https://www.golden.ca/sites/default/files/2026-03/BP%20Application-Guideline%20general%202026.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw, Schedule O (PDF)](https://golden.civicweb.net/document/129117/) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Town of Golden. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/golden/fence-rules/_