{"title":"Keremeos fence rules: permits and height limits","question":"Do I need a permit to build a fence in Keremeos, and how high can it be?","slug":"fence-rules","place":{"path":"ca/bc/keremeos","name":"Keremeos","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":"Village of Keremeos","url":"https://www.keremeos.ca/home"},"short_answer":"In Keremeos a fence does not need a building permit, but the Zoning Bylaw limits its height: 1.3 m in the front setback and 1.9 m in side and rear yards, with exceptions in some zones. Retaining walls do need a building permit.","aliases":["fence height keremeos","fence permit keremeos","backyard fence rules keremeos"],"cost":"No fence permit fee is stated; a retaining wall needs a building permit (see the building-permit-fees answer).","how_long":"Not applicable for a fence.","where":[{"type":"in_person","label":"Village Office","value":"702 4th Street, Keremeos, BC V0X 1N0","note":"Monday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. per the contact page."},{"type":"phone","label":"Village Office","value":"250-499-2711"},{"type":"email","label":"Village Office","value":"info@keremeos.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), Village of Keremeos","url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/"},{"title":"Building Bylaw No. 835, 2019 (PDF)","url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/4584/"}],"related":[{"slug":"building-permit","title":"Keremeos building permits: when you need one and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/building-permit/"},{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Keremeos zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/zoning-lookup/"},{"slug":"deck-shed-garage-permit","title":"Keremeos permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/deck-shed-garage-permit/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/oliver","name":"Oliver","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oliver/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/osoyoos","name":"Osoyoos","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/osoyoos/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/penticton","name":"Penticton","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/penticton/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/summerland","name":"Summerland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/summerland/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/princeton","name":"Princeton","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/peachland","name":"Peachland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/peachland/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":"The Building Bylaw does not apply to a fence, except for retaining walls (Part 12), so a fence itself does not need a building permit. Zoning height limits still apply.","short":"No building permit","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/4584/","title":"Building Bylaw No. 835, 2019 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Keremeos","section":"s. 4.3(a)","quotes":["Except as set out in PART 12: (Retaining Walls) of this bylaw, a fence;"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"height_front":{"label":"Height, front yard","value":"1.3 m in the front setback. Exceptions: 1.9 m in the AG and RSM zones; 3.0 m in the M1 zone.","short":"1.3 m","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), Village of Keremeos","section":"s. 6.5.2","quotes":["No fence shall exceed 1.9 metres in height to the rear of a front setback, or 1.3","metres in height in the front setback except:","in the RSM Zone all fences may be up to 1.9 metres in height;"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"height_side_rear":{"label":"Height, side and rear yards","value":"1.9 m to the rear of the front setback (side and rear yards). Exceptions: AG zone fences up to 1.9 m, with deer fences of see-through material not limited; M1 zone up to 3.0 m.","short":"1.9 m","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), Village of Keremeos","section":"s. 6.5.2","quotes":["No fence shall exceed 1.9 metres in height to the rear of a front setback, or 1.3","deer fences shall not be limited in height, provided such fences are constructed of","in the M1 Zone all fences may be up to 3.0 metres in height."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"corner_lots":{"label":"Corner lots and sightlines","value":"On a corner site at a highway intersection, nothing (fence, hedge, planting, tree, sign or other structure) within 6.0 m of the corner of the site may be higher than 1.0 m above the centre of the intersection (the \"sight triangle\").","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), Village of Keremeos","section":"s. 6.5.3","quotes":["On a corner site contiguous to a highway intersection no fence, hedge, planting,","metres from the corner of the site at the intersection of the streets, as shown in","above the established elevation of the centre point of the intersection."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"other_rules":{"label":"Other rules","value":"Height is measured from average grade within 1.0 m of both sides of the fence. Commercial and industrial parcels next to a residential zone need screening or a landscape buffer. Pool fences: at least 1.22 m high, openings no more than 100 mm (Building Bylaw s. 15.3). Retaining walls need a building permit (s. 12.1).","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), Village of Keremeos","section":"s. 6.5.1, 6.6","quotes":["The height of a fence shall be determined by a measurement from the average","Screening or landscape buffers are required for all Commercial and Industrial zoned"]},{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/4584/","title":"Building Bylaw No. 835, 2019 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Keremeos","section":"s. 15.3, 12.1","quotes":["A swimming pool, must be enclosed within a fence constructed without footholds or grips that","no openings greater than 100 mm at their greatest dimension.","12.1 No person may construct, or structurally repair, a retaining wall without a building permit."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Zoning Bylaw No. 851, s. 6.5 (Fence Heights)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), Village of Keremeos","section":"s. 6.5","quotes":["Village of Keremeos Zoning Bylaw No. 851","Fence Heights"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":6,"matched":6,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nUnder [Building Bylaw No. 835](https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/4584/) a fence is outside the bylaw, so it needs no building permit. Height is set by section 6.5 of the [Zoning Bylaw No. 851](https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/). Height is measured from average grade within 1.0 m of both sides of the fence.\n\n- **Front setback:** 1.3 m. In the AG and RSM zones it is 1.9 m, and in the M1 zone 3.0 m.\n- **Side and rear yards (behind the front setback):** 1.9 m. In the AG zone fences up to 1.9 m are allowed, and deer fences of see-through material are not limited. In the M1 zone the limit is 3.0 m.\n- **Corner lots:** at a highway intersection, nothing within 6.0 m of the corner of the site (fence, hedge, planting, tree, sign or other structure) may be higher than 1.0 m above the centre of the intersection.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Check your zone and the height limits in the Zoning Bylaw, or call the Village Office.\n2. Keep to the corner sight-triangle rule if you are on a corner.\n3. If you are building a retaining wall, apply for a building permit first (see the building-permit answer).\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Commercial and industrial parcels next to a residential zone need screening or a landscape buffer.\n- Pool fences must be at least 1.22 m high with openings no more than 100 mm (Building Bylaw s. 15.3).\n- The zoning text does not mention barbed wire or electric fences. Ask the Village Office.","sources":[{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), Village of Keremeos","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/4584/","title":"Building Bylaw No. 835, 2019 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Keremeos","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.keremeos.ca/contact","title":"Contact, Village of Keremeos","accessed":"2026-11-08"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-08","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/fence-rules/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/fence-rules.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/fence-rules.json"}}