{"title":"Greenwood fence rules: permits and height limits","question":"Do I need a permit to build a fence, and how high can it be?","slug":"fence-rules","place":{"path":"ca/bc/greenwood","name":"Greenwood","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"building-and-renovating","name":"Building, renovating and your property"},"owner":"municipal","owner_label":"Municipal","owner_body":{"name":"City of Greenwood","url":"https://www.greenwoodcity.com"},"short_answer":"Greenwood's Zoning Bylaw limits solid screening, such as a fence, wall or hedge, to 1.3 metres (4 feet) closer to a street than the building setbacks allow. Open fencing has no height or location limit. The bylaw does not mention a fence permit; ask City Hall.","aliases":["fence height greenwood","fence bylaw greenwood bc","backyard fence rules greenwood"],"cost":"No fence permit or fee is stated by the City.","how_long":null,"where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Greenwood City Hall","value":"250-445-6644"},{"type":"email","label":"Greenwood City Hall","value":"reception@greenwoodcity.ca"},{"type":"phone","label":"RDKB building permits","value":"250-442-2708"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997 (PDF)","url":"https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf"}],"related":[],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/grand-forks","name":"Grand Forks","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/grand-forks/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/osoyoos","name":"Osoyoos","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/osoyoos/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/rossland","name":"Rossland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rossland/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/oliver","name":"Oliver","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oliver/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/warfield","name":"Warfield","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/warfield/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/trail","name":"Trail","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/trail/fence-rules/"}],"topic":{"title":"Fence height limits in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fence-rules/"},"facts":{"permit":{"label":"Permit","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_published","note":"The Zoning Bylaw does not say whether a fence needs a permit.","sources":[]},"height_front":{"label":"Height, front yard","value":"Screening (fences, walls, hedges) 2 m (6.5 ft) or less is limited to 1.3 m (4 ft) when closer to any street than the required building setbacks for the zone. Open fencing is not restricted as to height or location.","short":"1.3 m screening (open fencing no limit)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997 (PDF), City of Greenwood","section":"s. 305(1), (3)","quotes":["screening shall be limited to a","maximum height of 1.3 metres (4 feet) when sited closer to any street than the required","Open fencing shall not be restricted as to height or location."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"height_side_rear":{"label":"Height, side and rear yards","value":"Screening 2 m (6.5 ft) or less may be sited on any portion of a lot (subject to the 1.3 m limit near a street). Screening over 2 m must meet the building setbacks of the zone. Open fencing is not restricted.","short":"2 m screening; open fencing no limit","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997 (PDF), City of Greenwood","section":"s. 305(1)-(3)","quotes":["screening which is 2 metres (6.5 feet) or less in height may","be sited on any portion of a lot","Screening greater than 2 metres (6.5 feet) in height shall be sited in accordance with the","Open fencing shall not be restricted as to height or location."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"corner_lots":{"label":"Corner lots and sightlines","value":null,"status":"none","note":"The Zoning Bylaw does not give a separate rule for corner lots.","sources":[{"url":"https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997 (PDF), City of Greenwood"}]},"other_rules":{"label":"Other rules","value":"Zoning Bylaw s. 305 regulates 'screening', defined as a fence, wall, berm, vegetative barrier or similar buffer. No rules on barbed wire, electric fences, retaining walls or pool fences were found in the bylaw.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997 (PDF), City of Greenwood","section":"s. 103","quotes":["\"FENCE\" means a linear structure which provides a separating, protective or confining barrier;","\"SCREENING\" means a fence, wall, berm, vegetative barrier or similar buffer, and any"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997, s. 305 (Screening and Fences)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997 (PDF), City of Greenwood","section":"s. 305","quotes":["305.   Screening and Fences"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":4,"matched":4,"none":1,"unknown":1},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\n[Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997](https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf) section 305 regulates \"screening\", defined as a fence, wall, berm, vegetative barrier or similar buffer.\n\n- Screening 2 metres (6.5 feet) or less may go on any part of a lot, but it is limited to 1.3 metres (4 feet) when it is closer to a street than the required building setbacks for the zone.\n- Screening over 2 metres must meet the building setbacks of the zone.\n- Open fencing is not restricted as to height or location.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Check your lot's zone and setbacks with City Hall at 250-445-6644.\n2. Ask City Hall and the RDKB (250-442-2708) whether your fence needs a permit. The bylaw does not say.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- The bylaw does not give a separate rule for corner lots.\n- No rules on barbed wire, electric fences, retaining walls or pool fences were found in the bylaw.","sources":[{"url":"https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997 (PDF), City of Greenwood","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.greenwoodcity.com/services/forms-permits/","title":"Forms & Permits, City of Greenwood","accessed":"2026-11-05"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-05","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 1 is recorded as not set; 1 could not be confirmed."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/greenwood/fence-rules/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/greenwood/fence-rules.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/greenwood/fence-rules.json"}}