{"title":"Sidney 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/sidney","name":"Sidney","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":"Town of Sidney","url":"https://www.sidney.ca"},"short_answer":"In Sidney a fence can be up to 1.8 m high in most yards and 1.2 m in a front or exterior side yard. The Town's guides and fee schedule treat a fence as needing a $50 building permit, but the bylaw names only a pool-fence permit, so confirm with Development Services.","aliases":["fence height sidney","fence bylaw sidney bc","pool fence sidney","fence permit sidney"],"cost":"The Town's fee schedule lists a $50 building permit for a fence. Confirm whether it applies to an ordinary fence.","how_long":"Not stated. Ask Development Services.","where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Development Services (building, planning, business licences)","value":"250-656-1725"},{"type":"in_person","label":"Town Hall","value":"2440 Sidney Avenue, Sidney, BC V8L 1Y7","note":"Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m."}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2275 (PDF)","url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2275-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf"},{"title":"Building Regulations Bylaw No. 2016 (PDF)","url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016-Building-CON.pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"building-permit","title":"Sidney building permits: when you need one and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/building-permit/"},{"slug":"building-permit-fees","title":"Sidney building permit fees","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/building-permit-fees/"},{"slug":"deck-shed-garage-permit","title":"Sidney permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/deck-shed-garage-permit/"},{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Sidney zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/zoning-lookup/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/north-saanich","name":"North Saanich","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-saanich/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/central-saanich","name":"Central Saanich","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/central-saanich/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/highlands","name":"Highlands","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/saanich","name":"Saanich","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/saanich/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/view-royal","name":"View Royal","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/langford","name":"Langford","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/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 Town's guides and fee schedule treat building a fence as needing a building permit ($50), but the bylaw's list of required permits names only a Fence Permit for a new swimming-pool fence. Confirm with Development Services (250-656-1725) for an ordinary fence.","short":"Yes, building permit ($50); confirm with Town","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016-Building-CON.pdf","title":"Building Regulations Bylaw No. 2016 (PDF, consolidated May 2022)","section":"s. 3.1.1(g); Appendix A, Permit Fees 4","quotes":["Fence Permit prior to the construction of a new fence around a swimming pool","The fee for a Building Permit for a fence shall be: $50.00","The fee for a Building Permit for a fence shall be:"]},{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/A-Homeowners-Guide-to-Building-Permits.pdf","title":"A Homeowner's Guide to Building Permits (PDF)","section":"When is a Building Permit required","quotes":["3⁄43⁄4 Change of use (i.e. establishing a home 3⁄43⁄4 Building a fence occupation, bed and breakfast, etc.) A Homeowner's Guide 1"]},{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/When-is-a-Building-Permit-Required.pdf","title":"When is a Building Permit Required? (PDF)","section":"list","quotes":["building of a fence;"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"height_front":{"label":"Height, front yard","value":"1.2 m in a front or exterior side yard. On a panhandle lot a front-yard fence or gate may be up to 1.8 m, but fencing along the panhandle follows the height limits of the abutting properties.","short":"1.2 m","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2275-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2275 (PDF, consolidated July 21, 2025)","section":"s. 6.1.b and 6.1.c","quotes":["no fence or gate in a front or exterior side yard shall exceed a","height of 1.2 metres.","On a panhandle lot, no fence or gate in a front yard shall exceed 1.8 metres, however, fencing"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"height_side_rear":{"label":"Height, side and rear yards","value":"1.8 m for a fence or gate (general limit). Fences and gates in a natural boundary setback are limited to 1.2 m. Fences and gates are not permitted in the R4 zone.","short":"1.8 m","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2275-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2275 (PDF, consolidated July 21, 2025)","section":"s. 6.1.a, 6.1.e, 6.1.i","quotes":["No fence or gate shall exceed 1.8 metres in height above grade.","no fence or gate in a natural boundary setback shall exceed","Fences and gates are not permitted in the R4 zone."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"corner_lots":{"label":"Corner lots and sightlines","value":"At a street corner, in the triangle formed by the lot lines 7 m from where they meet (6 m if a street is a lane), no structure other than a principal building or fence may be 1 m to 3 m above the road, and no vegetation may block that zone. Exterior side yard fences stay at 1.2 m.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2275-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2275 (PDF, consolidated July 21, 2025)","section":"s. 6.4","quotes":["6.4 Visual Clearance at Intersections","no structure other than a principal building or a fence shall be within 1 metres to 3 metres"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"other_rules":{"label":"Other rules","value":"Height is measured from grade; where fill has been placed, from the original grade below the fence. A fence on top of a retaining wall counts retaining wall plus fence toward the limit. A private swimming pool must be fully enclosed by a fence 1.2 m to 1.8 m high with a self-closing, self-locking latched gate, no climbable projections, and no more than 10 mm ground clearance.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2275-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2275 (PDF, consolidated July 21, 2025)","section":"s. 6.1.f, 6.1.g, 6.1.h","quotes":["the calculation of height shall be measured from the original grade at","the combined height of the retaining","The fence shall completely surround the swimming pool;","Gates shall be latched with a self-closing and self-locking device located at the top","not less than 1.2 metres nor more than 1.8 metres in"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Town of Sidney Zoning Bylaw No. 2275, s. 6.1 (Fencing); Building Regulations Bylaw No. 2016 for fence permits","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2275-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2275 (PDF, consolidated July 21, 2025)","section":"s. 6.1","quotes":["6.1 Fencing","Town of Sidney “Zoning Bylaw No. 2275”"]}],"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\nFence height is set by section 6.1 of the [Zoning Bylaw No. 2275](https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2275-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf):\n\n- Front or exterior side yard: 1.2 m. On a panhandle lot a front-yard fence or gate may be up to 1.8 m, but fencing along the panhandle follows the height limits of the abutting properties.\n- Side and rear yards: 1.8 m for a fence or gate. Along a property line abutting Highway 17 the limit is 1.8 m.\n- Natural boundary setback: 1.2 m.\n- Fences and gates are not permitted in the R4 zone.\n\nHeight is measured from grade; where fill has been placed, from the original grade below the fence. A fence on top of a retaining wall counts the retaining wall plus the fence toward the limit.\n\nPermit: the [Building Regulations Bylaw No. 2016](https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016-Building-CON.pdf) names only a Fence Permit for a new fence around a swimming pool, but its fee schedule lists a $50 building permit for a fence, and the Town's guides list fences as needing a permit. Confirm for an ordinary fence.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Find your property lines and your zone (see the zoning-lookup answer).\n2. Call Development Services (250-656-1725) to confirm whether your fence needs a permit and what height applies.\n3. Build to the height limit for each yard.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Corner lots: in the triangle formed by the lot lines 7 m from where they meet (6 m if a street is a lane), no structure other than a principal building or fence may be 1 m to 3 m above the road, and no vegetation may block that zone. Exterior side yard fences stay at 1.2 m.\n- A private swimming pool must be fully enclosed by a fence 1.2 m to 1.8 m high with a self-closing, self-locking latched gate, no climbable projections, and no more than 10 mm ground clearance.\n- The bylaws read set no fence material rule (barbed wire, electric).\n- The Town's guides are older and the posted Building Regulations Bylaw is consolidated to May 2022, so confirm.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2275-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2275 (PDF, consolidated July 21, 2025)","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016-Building-CON.pdf","title":"Building Regulations Bylaw No. 2016 (PDF, consolidated May 2022)","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/A-Homeowners-Guide-to-Building-Permits.pdf","title":"A Homeowner's Guide to Building Permits (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/When-is-a-Building-Permit-Required.pdf","title":"When is a Building Permit Required? (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-06"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-06","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/sidney/fence-rules/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/fence-rules.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/fence-rules.json"}}