---
title: "Slocan fence rules: permits and height limits"
question: "Do I need a permit to build a fence in Slocan, and how high can it be?"
place: Slocan, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/slocan
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: Village of Slocan
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/slocan/fence-rules/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/slocan/fence-rules.json"
---

# Slocan fence rules: permits and height limits

**Question:** Do I need a permit to build a fence in Slocan, and how high can it be?

**Short answer:** In Slocan you do not need a building permit for a fence, but its height must follow the Zoning Bylaw. In the R-1, R-2, R-3, C-2 and C-3 zones the maximum is 2.0 m. Pool fences are part of the pool permit and must be at least 1.5 m high.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Slocan, https://www.slocancity.com)  
**Cost:** No building permit fee for a fence.  
**How long:** Not applicable; no permit is needed.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Village Office, 250-355-2277 (Monday to Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (confirm by phone))

## Key facts

- **Permit:** No building permit for a fence, but fence height must follow the Zoning Bylaw.
  - Source: [Building Permits, Building Permits page](https://www.slocancity.com/building-permits/)
  - Official wording: "Fences (fence height must comply with the Village of Slocan’s Zoning Bylaw where applicable)"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Height, front yard:** 2.0 m maximum in the R-1, R-2, R-3, C-2 and C-3 zones. The bylaw sets no separate front-yard limit and lets fences be sited on any portion of a lot.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 633, 2013 (PDF, consolidated Feb. 10, 2025), s. 4.11 (Amendment Bylaw 691, 2021)](http://www.slocancity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/633-Zoning-Bylaw-2013-CONSOLIDATED-Updated-Feb.-10-25.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Landscape screens or fences shall not exceed a height of 2.0 metres within the R-1, R-2, R-" … "Landscape screens or fences may be sited on any portion of a lot."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Height, side and rear yards:** 2.0 m maximum in the R-1, R-2, R-3, C-2 and C-3 zones (same limit for all yards).
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 633, 2013 (PDF, consolidated Feb. 10, 2025), s. 4.11](http://www.slocancity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/633-Zoning-Bylaw-2013-CONSOLIDATED-Updated-Feb.-10-25.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Landscape screens or fences shall not exceed a height of 2.0 metres within the R-1, R-2, R-"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Corner lots and sightlines:** At a street corner, no structure or vegetation over 0.9 m high within the sight triangle formed by the lot lines and a line joining points 6.0 m from where they meet.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 633, 2013 (PDF, consolidated Feb. 10, 2025), s. 4.10](http://www.slocancity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/633-Zoning-Bylaw-2013-CONSOLIDATED-Updated-Feb.-10-25.pdf)
  - Official wording: "no structure or vegetation exceeding 0.9" … "6.0m from their"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Other rules:** Pool fence at least 1.5 m high. In C-1, M-1 and M-2 zones shipping containers and outdoor industrial storage must be screened by a landscape screen or tight board fence at least 2.0 m high. Retaining structures over 1.2 m need a registered professional.
  - Source: [RDCK Building Bylaw No. 2200, 2010 (PDF, consolidated for convenience), s. 20.2](https://www.rdck.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Building-Consol-1.pdf)
  - Official wording: "An exterior pool area must be enclosed within a fence of not less than 1.5 meters"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 633, 2013 (PDF, consolidated Feb. 10, 2025), s. 4.11(3)](http://www.slocancity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/633-Zoning-Bylaw-2013-CONSOLIDATED-Updated-Feb.-10-25.pdf)
  - Official wording: "tight board" … "fence with a height not less than 2.0 metres."
  - Source: [RDCK Building Bylaw No. 2200, 2010 (PDF, consolidated for convenience), s. 21.1](https://www.rdck.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Building-Consol-1.pdf)
  - Official wording: "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. 633, 2013, s. 4.11 (fences) and s. 4.10 (clear vision); pool fences: RDCK Building Bylaw No. 2200, s. 20.2.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 633, 2013 (PDF, consolidated Feb. 10, 2025), s. 4.11](http://www.slocancity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/633-Zoning-Bylaw-2013-CONSOLIDATED-Updated-Feb.-10-25.pdf)
  - Official wording: "4.11 Fences and Landscape Screens"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 633, 2013 (PDF, consolidated Feb. 10, 2025), title](http://www.slocancity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/633-Zoning-Bylaw-2013-CONSOLIDATED-Updated-Feb.-10-25.pdf)
  - Official wording: "ZONING BYLAW No. 633, 2013"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The Village of Slocan's Building Permits page lists fences as work that does not need a building permit, but fence height must follow the [Zoning Bylaw No. 633](http://www.slocancity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/633-Zoning-Bylaw-2013-CONSOLIDATED-Updated-Feb.-10-25.pdf) (s. 4.11).

In the R-1, R-2, R-3, C-2 and C-3 zones the maximum fence height is 2.0 m. The bylaw sets no separate front-yard limit and lets fences be sited on any portion of a lot. The limit is the same for side and rear yards.

## Steps

1. Find your zone on the Zoning Map (see the zoning-lookup answer).
2. Keep the fence to 2.0 m or lower in the zones above.
3. At a street corner, keep the sight triangle clear (below).
4. Ask the Village Office about zones or situations not covered here.

## Good to know

- Corner lots: no structure or vegetation over 0.9 m high within the sight triangle formed by the lot lines and a line joining points 6.0 m from where they meet (s. 4.10).
- A pool fence must be at least 1.5 m high and is part of the pool permit ([RDCK Building Bylaw](https://www.rdck.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Building-Consol-1.pdf) s. 20.2).
- In the C-1, M-1 and M-2 zones, shipping containers and outdoor industrial storage must be screened by a landscape screen or tight board fence at least 2.0 m high.
- A retaining structure over 1.2 m needs a registered professional.
- The bylaw text read does not address barbed wire, electric fences or how height is measured. Ask the Village Office.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 633 (PDF)](http://www.slocancity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/633-Zoning-Bylaw-2013-CONSOLIDATED-Updated-Feb.-10-25.pdf)
- [Building Permits, Village of Slocan](https://www.slocancity.com/building-permits/)

## Related questions

- [Slocan building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/slocan/building-permit.md)
- [Slocan zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/slocan/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Slocan permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/slocan/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)
- [Silverton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/fence-rules.md)
- [New Denver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-denver/fence-rules.md)
- [Nelson](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nelson/fence-rules.md)
- [Kaslo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kaslo/fence-rules.md)
- [Castlegar](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/fence-rules.md)
- [Nakusp](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nakusp/fence-rules.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 633, 2013 (PDF, consolidated Feb. 10, 2025)](http://www.slocancity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/633-Zoning-Bylaw-2013-CONSOLIDATED-Updated-Feb.-10-25.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Permits, Village of Slocan](https://www.slocancity.com/building-permits/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [RDCK Building Bylaw No. 2200, 2010 (PDF, consolidated for convenience)](https://www.rdck.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Building-Consol-1.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)

_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 Village of Slocan. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/slocan/fence-rules/_