--- title: "Salmon Arm fence rules: permits and height limits" question: "Do I need a permit to build a fence, and how high can it be?" place: Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/salmon-arm category: Building, renovating and your property owner: municipal owner_body: City of Salmon Arm sources_read: 2026-11-05 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmon-arm/fence-rules/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmon-arm/fence-rules.json" --- # Salmon Arm fence rules: permits and height limits **Question:** Do I need a permit to build a fence, and how high can it be? **Short answer:** In Salmon Arm a fence does not need a building permit unless it also acts as a retaining wall, but it must meet the Zoning Bylaw height limits. In residential zones that is 1.2 m in front and exterior side yards and 2.0 m in rear and interior side yards. **Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Salmon Arm, https://www.salmonarm.ca) **Cost:** No fee for a fence itself is listed in the documents read. **Where:** - Phone: Development Services / Building Department, 250-803-4003 ## Key facts - **Permit:** No building permit for a fence: the Building Bylaw does not apply to a fence, unless it also acts as a retaining wall. Retaining walls 1.2 m or taller need a building permit. - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 4725, s. 6.3(c), (d)](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/204) - Official wording: "(c) a fence, except where serving as a retaining wall as set out in Part 24 of this bylaw;" … "(d) a retaining wall supporting soil that is:" … "(i) less than 1.2m in height," - Source: [Application and Guide for Building Permits (PDF, updated July 2026), Guide, When is a building permit required](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/37) - Official wording: "construction of a retaining wall exceeding 1. 2m (4 ft) in" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Height, front yard:** Residential zones: 1.2 m (3.9 ft.) in front and exterior side yards. Industrial and airport zones: 1.2 m, but open mesh or chain link up to 3.0 m. Commercial, park and recreation and institutional zones: 1.2 m, but open mesh or chain link up to 2.0 m. Fences qualifying as screening under a Development Permit are excepted. - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2303 (PDF, consolidated August 2026), s. 4.12.1(b), 4.12.2(a), 4.12.3(a)](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/74) - Official wording: "Except for fence(s) and retaining wall(s) qualified as screening or landscaping pursuant to a Development Permit" … "(b) 1.2 metres (3.9 ft.) in all front and exterior side yards." … "link fencing which is permitted to a maximum height of 3.0 metres (9.8 ft.);" … "link fencing which is permitted to a maximum height of 2.0 metres (6.5 ft.);" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Height, side and rear yards:** Residential zones: 2.0 m (6.5 ft.) in rear and interior side yards, and up to within 6.0 m of a front or exterior parcel line. Industrial and airport zones: 3.0 m. Commercial, park and recreation, institutional and other zones: 2.0 m. Any zone: 2.4 m for fencing outside the required yards. - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2303 (PDF, consolidated August 2026), s. 4.12.1(a), 4.12.2(b), 4.12.3(b), 4.12.4(a), 4.12.5](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/74) - Official wording: "(a) 2.0 metres (6.5 ft.) in all rear and interior side yards and to within 6.0 metres (19.7 ft.) of a front" … "(b) 3.0 metres (9.8 ft.) for rear and interior side yards" … "(b) 2.0 metres (6.5 ft.) for rear and interior side yards." … "(a) 2.4 metres (7.8 ft.) for fencing not located in required yards." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Corner lots and sightlines:** In any zone except C-2, no fence, wall or sign higher than 1.0 m, and no hedge or planting that blocks vision, within the corner triangle formed by the parcel lines at a highway corner, measured 3.0 m (9.8 ft.) along each line from where they meet. - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2303 (PDF, consolidated August 2026), s. 4.11](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/74) - Official wording: "In any zone, except C-2, Town Centre Commercial Zone, no fence, sign, wall or structure shall be erected to a" … "height greater than 1.0 metre and no hedge, bush, shrub, tree or other growth shall be maintained or allowed to" … "The intersecting parcel lines at a highway corner and a line joining points along said parcel lines 3.0 metres (9.8 feet) from" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Other rules:** Height is measured from upper to lower finished grade (a fence on a retaining wall, from original grade). Retaining walls in required yards: 1.2 m maximum. Pool fences: non-climbable, at least 1.2 m, with a self-closing, self-latching gate; not required for rural A-zone pools 45 m or more from the nearest property line. - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2303 (PDF, consolidated August 2026), s. 4.12, s. 2 (definition of fence)](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/74) - Official wording: "retaining wall(s) measured from upper finished grade to lower finished grade, or the combined height of a fence in" … "conjunction with a retaining wall measured from original grade shall be:" … "(c) 1.2 metres (3.9 ft.) for retaining walls located in required yards." … "FENCE means arbour, archway, gate, pagoda, screen, trellis, wall or continuous hedge, generally used as a partial or" - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 4725, s. 23.8](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/204) - Official wording: "Pool fencing is not required on rural parcels in “A” Zones, as established in the City Zoning" … "provided the pool perimeter is 45m or more from the nearest property line." … "must be enclosed within a non-climbable fence having a minimum height of 1.2m" … "only be via a self-closing and self-latching gate" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 2303, ss. 4.11 (visual clearance) and 4.12 (fences and retaining walls); retaining walls also under Building Bylaw No. 4725, Part 24. - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2303 (PDF, consolidated August 2026), s. 4.11, 4.12](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/74) - Official wording: "Fences and Retaining Walls #3545" … "TO ZONING BYLAW NO. 2303, 1995" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 ## How it works [Building Bylaw No. 4725](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/204) does not apply to a fence, so no building permit is needed, unless the fence also acts as a retaining wall. A retaining wall of 1.2 m or more needs a building permit. The [Zoning Bylaw](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/74) (sections 4.11 and 4.12) still sets height limits. ## Good to know - Residential zones: 1.2 m (3.9 ft.) in front and exterior side yards. In rear and interior side yards, and up to within 6.0 m of a front or exterior parcel line, 2.0 m (6.5 ft.). - Any zone: 2.4 m for fencing outside the required yards. - Industrial and airport zones: 1.2 m in front and exterior side yards, but open mesh or chain link up to 3.0 m; 3.0 m in other yards. Commercial, park and recreation and institutional zones: 1.2 m in front yards, but open mesh or chain link up to 2.0 m; 2.0 m in other yards. Agricultural and other zones: 1.2 m in front and exterior side yards, 2.0 m in rear and interior side yards. Fences that count as screening under a Development Permit are excepted. - Height is measured from upper to lower finished grade (a fence on a retaining wall, from original grade). - Corner lots: in any zone except C-2, no fence, wall or sign higher than 1.0 m, and no hedge or planting that blocks vision, within 3.0 m (9.8 ft.) along each parcel line from where they meet at a highway corner. - Retaining walls in required yards: 1.2 m maximum. - Pool fences: non-climbable, at least 1.2 m, with a self-closing, self-latching gate. Not required for rural A-zone pools 45 m or more from the nearest property line. - Ask Development Services about anything above these heights. ## Official forms and pages - [Zoning Bylaw No. 2303 (PDF), sections 4.11 and 4.12](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/74) - [Building Bylaw No. 4725 (PDF), section 6.3](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/204) ## Related questions - [Salmon Arm building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmon-arm/building-permit.md) - [Salmon Arm permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmon-arm/deck-shed-garage-permit.md) ## The same question elsewhere - [Fence height limits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fence-rules.md) ## Sources - [Zoning Bylaw No. 2303 (PDF, consolidated August 2026), City of Salmon Arm](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/74) (read 2026-11-05) - [Building Bylaw No. 4725 (PDF), City of Salmon Arm](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/204) (read 2026-11-05) - [Application and Guide for Building Permits (PDF, updated July 2026), City of Salmon Arm](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/37) (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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Salmon Arm. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmon-arm/fence-rules/_