{"title":"Port Moody 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/port-moody","name":"Port Moody","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 Port Moody","url":"https://www.portmoody.ca"},"short_answer":"In Port Moody an ordinary fence does not need a building permit, but Zoning Bylaw limits apply: 1.2 m maximum in a front yard and 2.0 m behind the front face of the building (up to 3.0 m next to a major road, arterial, collector road or community pathway). Barbed wire and electrified fences are banned.","aliases":["fence height port moody","fence permit port moody","how tall can my fence be","backyard fence rules"],"cost":"No building permit for an ordinary fence. A retaining wall holding soil over 1.2 m high does need one; see the building-permit-fees answer.","how_long":null,"where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Building Division","value":"604-469-4534"},{"type":"email","label":"Building Permits","value":"buildingpermits@portmoody.ca"},{"type":"phone","label":"Planning Division (zoning questions)","value":"604-469-4540"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Bylaw 2937 (section 5.2.12 Fences)","url":"https://portmoody-edocs.ghdcdn.com/v1/eDocs/PortMoody?docnumber=461917"},{"title":"Building Bylaw 3200 (PDF)","url":"https://www.portmoody.ca/eDocs/Get?docnumber=506778"},{"title":"Good Neighbour Guidelines (PDF)","url":"https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/portmoody-014-ca/media/j1ci2c54/city-of-port-moody-good-neighbour-guidelines.pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"deck-shed-garage-permit","title":"Port Moody permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-moody/deck-shed-garage-permit/"},{"slug":"building-permit","title":"Port Moody building permits: when you need one and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-moody/building-permit/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/belcarra","name":"Belcarra","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/anmore","name":"Anmore","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/anmore/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/coquitlam","name":"Coquitlam","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/coquitlam/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/new-westminster","name":"New Westminster","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-westminster/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/port-coquitlam","name":"Port Coquitlam","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-coquitlam/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/burnaby","name":"Burnaby","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burnaby/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":"No building permit for an ordinary fence: the Building Bylaw does not apply to a fence, except pool fences. A retaining wall holding soil over 1.2 m does need a permit.","short":"No building permit","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.portmoody.ca/eDocs/Get?docnumber=506778","title":"Building Bylaw, 2019, No. 3200 (consolidated) (PDF)","section":"s. 5.3(a)","quotes":["except as set out in Part 17 of this Bylaw, a fence;"]},{"url":"https://www.portmoody.ca/home-and-property/building-and-renovating/","title":"Building and Renovating, City of Port Moody","section":"FAQ","quotes":["Retaining walls are defined as walls retaining soil over 1.2m"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"height_front":{"label":"Height, front yard","value":"1.2 m maximum in a front yard (single detached, semi-detached and multi-residential zones).","short":"1.2 m","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://portmoody-edocs.ghdcdn.com/v1/eDocs/PortMoody?docnumber=461917","title":"Zoning Bylaw, 2018, No. 2937 (consolidated)","section":"s. 5.2.12(a)(i)","quotes":["Fences may be constructed in Single Detached Residential, Semi-Detached Residential, and Multi-Residential zones","a Fence sited in a Front Yard shall be a maximum of 1.2m in height"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"height_side_rear":{"label":"Height, side and rear yards","value":"2.0 m maximum for a fence behind the front face of the building. Up to 3.0 m on a side or rear property line next to a major road, arterial, collector road or community pathway.","short":"2.0 m","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://portmoody-edocs.ghdcdn.com/v1/eDocs/PortMoody?docnumber=461917","title":"Zoning Bylaw, 2018, No. 2937 (consolidated)","section":"s. 5.2.12(a)(ii)-(iii)","quotes":["a Fence sited to the rear of the front face of the Building shall be a maximum of 2.0m in height.","a fence built on a side or rear property line adjacent to a Major Road Network, Arterial road, Collector road and community pathway shall be a maximum of 3.0 metres in height."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"corner_lots":{"label":"Corner lots and sightlines","value":"No landscaping, building or structure may obstruct the line of vision between 0.6 m and 3.0 m above grade within the corner sight triangle at a street intersection (3.0 m along one street to 25.0 m along the other). Zoning Bylaw s. 5.3.1.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://portmoody-edocs.ghdcdn.com/v1/eDocs/PortMoody?docnumber=461917","title":"Zoning Bylaw, 2018, No. 2937 (consolidated)","section":"s. 5.3.1 Visibility at Intersections","quotes":["There shall be no obstruction to the line of vision by landscaping,","the Heights of 0.6m and 3.0m above"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"other_rules":{"label":"Other rules","value":"Barbed wire, razor wire, electrified or similar materials are banned in all zones. Light industrial fences max 3.1 m; general industrial no limit. Pool fences must be at least 1.2 m with no openings over 100 mm and a self-closing, self-latching gate.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://portmoody-edocs.ghdcdn.com/v1/eDocs/PortMoody?docnumber=461917","title":"Zoning Bylaw, 2018, No. 2937 (consolidated)","section":"s. 5.2.12(b)-(d)","quotes":["Barbed wire, razor wire, electrified, or similar materials are prohibited for Fences in all zones.","in Light Industrial zones, a Fence shall be a maximum of 3.1m in height"]},{"url":"https://www.portmoody.ca/eDocs/Get?docnumber=506778","title":"Building Bylaw, 2019, No. 3200 (consolidated) (PDF)","section":"s. 17.2-17.3","quotes":["having a minimum height of 1.2m and no openings greater than 100mm at their greatest dimension.","self-closing and self-latching gate"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"City of Port Moody Zoning Bylaw, 2018, No. 2937, s. 5.2.12 (fences); Building Bylaw, 2019, No. 3200, Part 17 (pool fences)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://portmoody-edocs.ghdcdn.com/v1/eDocs/PortMoody?docnumber=461917","title":"Zoning Bylaw, 2018, No. 2937 (consolidated)","section":"s. 5.2.12","quotes":["City of Port Moody Zoning Bylaw, 2018, No. 2937"]},{"url":"https://www.portmoody.ca/eDocs/Get?docnumber=506778","title":"Building Bylaw, 2019, No. 3200 (consolidated) (PDF)","section":"Part 17","quotes":["City of Port Moody Building Bylaw, 2019, No. 3200"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":6,"matched":6,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe [Building Bylaw 3200](https://www.portmoody.ca/eDocs/Get?docnumber=506778) does not apply to a fence, except a pool fence, so an ordinary fence needs no building permit. A retaining wall holding soil over 1.2 m does. The [Zoning Bylaw 2937](https://portmoody-edocs.ghdcdn.com/v1/eDocs/PortMoody?docnumber=461917) (section 5.2.12) still sets height limits in single detached, semi-detached and multi-residential zones:\n\n- Front yard: 1.2 m maximum.\n- Behind the front face of the building: 2.0 m maximum.\n- On a side or rear property line next to a major road, arterial, collector road or community pathway: up to 3.0 m.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Barbed wire, razor wire, electrified or similar materials are banned in all zones.\n- Industrial zones differ: light industrial fences are 3.1 m maximum; general industrial has no limit.\n- Pool fences must be at least 1.2 m with no openings over 100 mm and a self-closing, self-latching gate.\n- Corner lots: no landscaping, building or structure may block the line of vision between 0.6 m and 3.0 m above grade within the corner sight triangle at a street intersection (3.0 m along one street to 25.0 m along the other), under Zoning s. 5.3.1.\n- In single detached zones, landscape walls are limited to 1.2 m at an interior side lot line, and retaining walls have setback rules (Zoning s. 5.2.11).\n- Confirm your property line before building (see property-lines). Questions: Planning, 604-469-4540.","sources":[{"url":"https://portmoody-edocs.ghdcdn.com/v1/eDocs/PortMoody?docnumber=461917","title":"Zoning Bylaw, 2018, No. 2937 (consolidated)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.portmoody.ca/eDocs/Get?docnumber=506778","title":"Building Bylaw, 2019, No. 3200 (consolidated) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.portmoody.ca/home-and-property/building-and-renovating/","title":"Building and Renovating, City of Port Moody","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.portmoody.ca/business-development-and-planning/zoning/","title":"Zoning, City of Port Moody","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 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-moody/fence-rules/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-moody/fence-rules.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-moody/fence-rules.json"}}