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Merritt fence rules: permits and height limits

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

Merritt, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-05

Short answer

A fence in the City of Merritt does not need a building permit, but a retaining wall does. In residential zones a fence may be 1.25 m high in the front yard and 2.0 m at the side and rear. Barbed wire is not allowed in residential zones.

Key facts

PermitNo building permit for a fence: the Building Bylaw does not apply to a fence, except for retaining walls, which need a building permit. A retaining wall over 1.2 m must also be designed by a professional engineer.Sources differ: Building Services page says a retaining wall under 1 m needs no permit; the Building Bylaw defines a retaining wall as over 1.2 m. Bylaw followed. A Development Permit may be needed in some areas (Building Services page).City of Merritt Building Bylaw No. 2382, 2024, s. 3.3(a), s. 11.1; City of Merritt Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020, 2026 consolidation, s. 6.5.1; Building Services, Building Services page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
except as set out in Part 11 [Retaining Walls and Grades] of this bylaw, a fence;
No person may construct, or structurally repair, a retaining wall without a building permit.
Retaining walls exceeding 1.2 metres in Height must be designed and reviewed by a
- Accessory buildings under 100 sq ft - Fences, sidewalks, planters - Construction of a retaining wall less than one (1) metre in height
Height, front yardResidential zones: 1.25 m in the front yard (between the front parcel line and the front building line), and no fence facing and within 3 m of the front parcel line may exceed 1.25 m. Fences over 1.25 m there must be chain link or other transparent barrier.City of Merritt Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020, 2026 consolidation, s. 4.14.1, 4.14.5 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
1.25 metres in height where constructed between the Front Parcel Line and the
Front Building Line;
No fence facing, and constructed on or within 3 metres of the Front Parcel Line,
chain link fencing or other transparent barrier
Height, side and rear yardsResidential zones: 2.0 m. Commercial, institutional and park zones: 2.5 m (3.5 m for cemetery, park, playfield, playground or public school). Industrial zones: 2.5 m.City of Merritt Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020, 2026 consolidation, s. 4.14 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
2.0 metres in height where constructed on the Parcel other than between the
2.5 metres in height where constructed on the Parcel other than between the
3.5 metres in height for Cemetery, Park,
may not exceed 2.5 metres in height, except where this bylaw requires otherwise;
Corner lots and sightlinesFences on corner parcels must stay out of the sight triangle: nothing over 1.25 m above the street grade within the triangle formed by extending 6 m along each parcel line from the corner.City of Merritt Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020, 2026 consolidation, s. 4.14.7, 4.15 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Fences constructed on Corner Parcels must conform to the sight triangle, as per
A sight triangle on a corner Parcel must be kept free of all obstacles or obstructions
that are more than 1.25 metres in height above the established Grade of the adjoining
extending a line 6 metres
Other rulesNo barbed wire fence in residential zones; no razor wire fence in any zone. In-ground pools must be fenced at least 1.5 m high with a lockable gate, climb-resistant, not letting a 0.1 m sphere pass, and not made of hedges or plants. Retaining walls on residential parcels: 1.2 m maximum.City of Merritt Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020, 2026 consolidation, s. 4.14.6, 4.17.4, 6.5.2 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
No barbed wire fence may be constructed in any residential zone and no razor wire
Minimum of 1.5 metres in height;
Include a lockable gate;
Not allow the passage of a 0.1 metre sphere; and
Retaining walls on all residential Parcels, may not exceed a height of 1.2 metres
BylawZoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020, s. 4.14 (Fences), s. 4.15 (Visibility), s. 6.5 (Retaining Walls); Building Bylaw No. 2382, 2024, Part 11.City of Merritt Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020, 2026 consolidation, title, s. 4.14; City of Merritt Building Bylaw No. 2382, 2024, s. 3.3, Part 11 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020
Consolidated to January 2026
PART 11: RETAINING WALLS AND GRADES

How it works

Under the Building Bylaw, a City of Merritt fence needs no building permit. Retaining walls are the exception and need one. Height and placement are set by the Zoning Bylaw. A Development Permit may be needed in some areas.

Good to know

  • Front yard (residential zones): 1.25 m between the front parcel line and the front building line. No fence facing and within 3 m of the front parcel line may exceed 1.25 m. A fence over 1.25 m there must be chain link or another transparent barrier.
  • Side and rear (residential zones): 2.0 m. Commercial, institutional and park zones allow 2.5 m (3.5 m for a cemetery, park, playfield, playground or public school). Industrial zones allow 2.5 m.
  • Corner lots: nothing over 1.25 m above the street grade within the triangle formed by extending 6 m along each parcel line from the corner.
  • Not allowed: barbed wire fences in residential zones, and razor wire fences in any zone.
  • Pools: an in-ground pool must be fenced at least 1.5 m high with a lockable gate. The fence must be climb-resistant, must not let a 0.1 m sphere pass, and cannot be hedges or plants.
  • Retaining walls: a residential parcel's limit is 1.2 m, and a wall over 1.2 m must be designed by a professional engineer. A fence and retaining wall within 1.0 m of a parcel line together may not exceed 2.0 m from grade.
  • The City's Building Services page says a retaining wall under 1 m needs no permit; the bylaw uses 1.2 m. Confirm with the City.
  • The bylaw does not say how fence height is measured, and does not mention electric fences. Ask Planning at 250-378-8615.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Logan Lake · Lytton · Kamloops · Princeton · Ashcroft · Peachland

Fence height limits in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

  1. City of Merritt Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020 (PDF), 2026 consolidation (read 2026-11-05)
  2. City of Merritt Building Bylaw No. 2382, 2024 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
  3. Building Services, City of Merritt (read 2026-11-05)
  4. Contact, City of Merritt (read 2026-11-05)

Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. How answers are checked.