--- title: "Silverton fence rules: permits and height limits" question: "Do I need a permit to build a fence in Silverton, and how high can it be?" place: Silverton, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/silverton category: Building, renovating and your property owner: municipal owner_body: Village of Silverton sources_read: 2026-11-08 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/fence-rules/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/fence-rules.json" --- # Silverton fence rules: permits and height limits **Question:** Do I need a permit to build a fence in Silverton, and how high can it be? **Short answer:** In Silverton you do not need an RDCK building permit for a fence, and the Village's Zoning Bylaw sets no general fence height. Keep fences off the boulevard, and keep corner sight lines clear above 0.6 m (2 ft) within 5 m of the corner. **Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Silverton, https://silverton.ca) **Cost:** No permit fee for a fence. **How long:** Not applicable; no permit is needed. **Where:** - In person: Village Office, 421 Lake Ave, Silverton, BC V0G 1S0 - Phone: Village Office, 250-358-2472 - Email: Village Office, info@silverton.ca ## Key facts - **Permit:** No building permit for a fence (RDCK), but fence height must comply with zoning. A fence may not be placed on a boulevard. - Source: [Building Permit brochure, Regional District of Central Kootenay, When is a building permit required](https://rdck.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2024-03-15-Building_Brochure_03-24.pdf) - Official wording: "Fences (fence height must comply with Regional" - Source: [Boulevard Improvement and Regulation Bylaw No. 490, 2015, s. 3(b)](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22186/) - Official wording: "No person shall place a wall, fence, tree, shrub or hedge on a Boulevard." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Height, front yard:** None set. The Village's Zoning Bylaw does not set a general fence height for front, side or rear yards. - **Height, side and rear yards:** None set. The Village's Zoning Bylaw does not set a general fence height for front, side or rear yards. - **Corner lots and sightlines:** In all zones nothing may obstruct sight above 0.6 m (2 ft) above street grade within 5 m of the intersection of the front and exterior parcel lines. - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, s. 3.29](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22147/) - Official wording: "no obstruction to the line of vision above the Height of 0.6 m (2 ft) above the established Grade of streets within 5 m of the intersection of the Front Parcel Line and Exterior Parcel Line" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Other rules:** A pool needs a building permit and an exterior pool area must be fenced at least 1.5 m (5 ft) high with a self-closing gate. A registered professional must design retaining structures over 1.2 m (4 ft). Commercial and industrial lots need 2 m screening next to R-1, P-1 or a highway. - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, s. 3.12](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22147/) - Official wording: "owner shall provide Screening having a Height of not less than 2 m (6.6 ft)" - Source: [Boulevard Improvement and Regulation Bylaw No. 490, 2015, s. 4(a)](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22186/) - Official wording: "No Person shall improve or otherwise alter, modify, landscape or place structures, objects or improvements" - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 2200, 2010, Regional District of Central Kootenay, Bylaw 2200 ss. 20.1, 20.2, 21.1](https://www.rdck.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Bylaw-No.-2383-2014.pdf) - Official wording: "No person shall commence or continue any work related to the installation, construction and Alteration of a pool unless a valid building permit has been" … "An exterior pool area must be enclosed within a fence of not less than 1.5 meters (5 ft.) in height." … "A registered professional must undertake the design and conduct field reviews of the construction of a retaining structure greater than 1.2 meters (4 ft.) in height." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, s. 3.29; Boulevard Improvement and Regulation Bylaw No. 490, 2015, s. 3(b) - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, Title](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22147/) - Official wording: "Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026" - Source: [Boulevard Improvement and Regulation Bylaw No. 490, 2015, Title](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22186/) - Official wording: "BOULEVARD IMPROVEMENT AND REGULATION BYLAW NO. 490 - 2015" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 ## How it works The RDCK does not require a building permit for a fence, but the brochure says the fence height must comply with zoning. Silverton's [Zoning Bylaw No. 563](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22147/) does not set a general fence height for front, side or rear yards, so the Village does not state one. Ask the Village Office if you are unsure. A fence may not be placed on a boulevard under the [Boulevard Improvement and Regulation Bylaw No. 490](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22186/). ## Steps 1. Confirm your property line before you build, so the fence stays on your lot and off the boulevard. 2. On a corner lot, keep anything above 0.6 m (2 ft) above street grade out of the area within 5 m of where the front and exterior parcel lines meet. 3. Check the other rules below if you are building a pool fence, a retaining wall or a commercial lot screen. ## Good to know - A pool needs a building permit, and the pool area must be fenced at least 1.5 m (5 ft) high with a self-closing gate. - A registered professional must design retaining structures over 1.2 m (4 ft). - Commercial and industrial lots need 2 m screening next to R-1, P-1 or a highway. - Corner structures that already existed and met the earlier rules are exempt from the sight-line rule. ## Official forms and pages - [Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22147/) - [Boulevard Improvement and Regulation Bylaw No. 490, 2015](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22186/) ## Related questions - [Silverton building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/building-permit.md) - [Silverton zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/zoning-lookup.md) - [Silverton permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/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) - [New Denver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-denver/fence-rules.md) - [Slocan](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/slocan/fence-rules.md) - [Kaslo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kaslo/fence-rules.md) - [Nakusp](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nakusp/fence-rules.md) - [Nelson](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nelson/fence-rules.md) - [Castlegar](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/fence-rules.md) ## Sources - [Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, Village of Silverton](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22147/) (read 2026-11-08) - [Boulevard Improvement and Regulation Bylaw No. 490, 2015, Village of Silverton](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22186/) (read 2026-11-08) - [Building Permit brochure (PDF), Regional District of Central Kootenay](https://rdck.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2024-03-15-Building_Brochure_03-24.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) - [Building Bylaw No. 2200, 2010 (PDF), Regional District of Central Kootenay](https://www.rdck.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Bylaw-No.-2383-2014.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) _Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 2 are recorded as not set. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Village of Silverton. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/fence-rules/_