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

# Highlands fence rules: permits and height limits

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

**Short answer:** In the District of Highlands, the Zoning Bylaw limits a fence to 2.5 m within 10 m of any lot line, and 5 m where it is farther than that from every lot line. The bylaw and the building bylaw do not say whether a fence needs a permit, so ask the Building Official.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Highlands, https://www.highlands.ca)  
**Cost:** The District's bylaws set no fence permit fee.  
**How long:** Not stated. The bylaws set no fence permit.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Building Official / Bylaw Enforcement Officer, 250-474-1773
- Email: Building Official, cleek@highlands.ca
- In person: Municipal Hall, 1980 Millstream Road, Victoria, BC V9B 6H1

## Key facts

- **Permit:** Not confirmed. The Zoning Bylaw and Building Regulation Bylaw do not say whether a fence needs a permit.
- **Height, front yard:** No separate front-yard limit. Zoning s. 3.2(2): 2.5 m within 10 m of any lot line; 5 m where the fence is not within 10 m of any lot line. In the M1 and M2 industrial zones no fence or wall may exceed 2.4 m.
  - Source: [Highlands Zoning Bylaw No. 100, 1998, s. 3.2(2)(a), (b)](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1622)
  - Official wording: "A fence may be sited, placed or constructed on any part of a lot, and" … "shall not exceed a height of 2.5 metres where the fence is within 10 metres of any lot line," … "shall not exceed a height of 5 metres when the fence is not within 10 metres of any lot line," … "No fence or wall shall exceed a height of 2.4 meters (8 feet)."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Height, side and rear yards:** Same rule for all yards: 2.5 m within 10 m of any lot line; 5 m where the fence is not within 10 m of any lot line. In the M1 and M2 industrial zones no fence or wall may exceed 2.4 m.
  - Source: [Highlands Zoning Bylaw No. 100, 1998, s. 3.2(2)(a), (b)](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1622)
  - Official wording: "A fence may be sited, placed or constructed on any part of a lot, and" … "shall not exceed a height of 2.5 metres where the fence is within 10 metres of any lot line," … "shall not exceed a height of 5 metres when the fence is not within 10 metres of any lot line," … "No fence or wall shall exceed a height of 2.4 meters (8 feet)."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Corner lots and sightlines:** No corner-lot rule in the general fence section (s. 3.2). In the M1 and M2 industrial zones only: on a corner lot nothing may be placed or grow so as to impede vision between 0.75 m and 3.0 m above street centreline grades within a 10 m triangle at the intersection.
  - Source: [Highlands Zoning Bylaw No. 100, 1998, M1 s. 11.1.5 (j), Visibility at Intersecting Streets](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1622)
  - Official wording: "On a corner lot nothing shall be placed or allowed to grow in such a manner as to impede"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Other rules:** Height is measured from natural ground level before the fence or any land alteration. A fence excludes a retaining wall. A pool must be enclosed by a fence at least 1.5 m high with a self-closing, self-latching gate. Over-height fence: bylaw notice $200 ($160 within 14 days, $240 after 28); municipal ticket $200.
  - Source: [Highlands Zoning Bylaw No. 100, 1998, s. 3.2(2), s. 1 and s. 3.4(3)](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1622)
  - Official wording: "measured from the natural ground level of the land prior to the siting, placement or construction of" … "does not include a retaining wall." … "a fence shall be no less than 1.5m (4.9 ft) above grade and have a self-closing gate"
  - Source: [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 478, Schedule A, Appendix 10](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1635)
  - Official wording: "Exceed allowed fence height 3.2(2)(a-b) $200.00"
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 475, 2025, Schedule A, Zoning Bylaw](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1623)
  - Official wording: "Exceed allowed fence height 3.2(2)(a-b) $200.00 $160.00 $240.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Highlands Zoning Bylaw No. 100, 1998, s. 3.2(2) (fences) and s. 3.4(3) (pool fences)
  - Source: [Highlands Zoning Bylaw No. 100, 1998, Title page](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1622)
  - Official wording: "Highlands Zoning Bylaw No. 100, 1998 (consolidated)" … "Consolidated to June 15, 2026"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

Fence rules are in section 3.2 of the [Highlands Zoning Bylaw No. 100](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1622). The bylaw does not separate front, side and rear yards. One rule applies everywhere on the lot: a fence may be up to 2.5 m high within 10 m of any lot line, and up to 5 m high where it is not within 10 m of any lot line. In the M1 and M2 industrial zones no fence or wall may exceed 2.4 m. Height is measured from the natural ground level before the fence or any land alteration.

The Zoning Bylaw and Building Regulation Bylaw 192 do not say that a fence needs, or does not need, a permit. Ask the Building Official before you build.

## Steps

1. Call or email the Building Official to confirm whether your fence needs a permit.
2. Keep the fence within the height limit above, measured from natural ground.
3. If you have a pool, enclose it as described below.

## Good to know

- A fence does not include a retaining wall.
- A pool must be enclosed by a fence at least 1.5 m high with a self-closing, self-latching gate.
- There is no corner-lot rule in the general fence section. Only in the M1 and M2 industrial zones, on a corner lot, nothing may be placed or grow so as to block vision between 0.75 m and 3.0 m above street centreline grades within a 10 m triangle at the intersection.
- A fence over the height limit can bring a bylaw notice of $200 ($160 if paid within 14 days, $240 after 28 days). A municipal ticket is $200.
- The bylaws read do not mention barbed wire or electric fences.

## Official forms and pages

- [Highlands Zoning Bylaw No. 100 (PDF)](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1622)

## Related questions

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

## The same question elsewhere

- [Fence height limits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fence-rules.md)
- [Langford](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/fence-rules.md)
- [View Royal](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/fence-rules.md)
- [Central Saanich](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/central-saanich/fence-rules.md)
- [Colwood](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/fence-rules.md)
- [Esquimalt](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/esquimalt/fence-rules.md)
- [Saanich](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/saanich/fence-rules.md)

## Sources

- [Highlands Zoning Bylaw No. 100, 1998 (PDF)](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1622) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 478 (PDF)](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1635) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 475, 2025 (PDF)](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1623) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with District of Highlands. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/fence-rules/_