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

# Tahsis fence rules: permits and height limits

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

**Short answer:** In Tahsis a fence does not need a building permit. The Zoning Bylaw limits fences to 2 m high, in every yard, and retaining walls to 1.2 m. On a corner lot, keep the "site triangle" clear of anything that blocks the view of the street.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Tahsis, https://villageoftahsis.com)  
**Cost:** No building permit fee for a fence.  
**How long:** Not applicable.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Municipal Office, 250-934-6344 (No Village page names a zoning contact; use the general office line.)
- In person: Municipal Office, 977 South Maquinna Dr., Tahsis, BC V0P 1X0 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

## Key facts

- **Permit:** No building permit: the Building Bylaw's definition of a "structure" excludes fences (and retaining structures under 1.5 m high). Zoning height rules still apply.
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 525, 2006, s. 2.1 "Structure"](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/525-2006-Village-of-Tahsis-Building-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "but specifically excludes landscaping, fences, paving, and retaining structures less than 1.5 meters in height."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 630, 2020, s. 2.1 "Structure"](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/bylaw-630.pdf)
  - Official wording: "but does not include fences or walls that are less than or equal to the height permitted under this"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Height, front yard:** 2 m. The Zoning Bylaw sets one limit for all fences and does not give a different front-yard height.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 630, 2020, s. 3.8(1)](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/bylaw-630.pdf)
  - Official wording: "The maximum height of all fences shall not exceedtwo (2) metres above mean grade level except where provided for elsewhere in this Bylaw."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Height, side and rear yards:** 2 m, the same limit as in every yard (measured above mean grade level).
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 630, 2020, s. 3.8(1); s. 2.1 "Mean Grade Level"](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/bylaw-630.pdf)
  - Official wording: "The maximum height of all fences shall not exceedtwo (2) metres above mean grade level except where provided for elsewhere in this Bylaw." … "Mean Grade Level means the average of the elevation of the ground surface in tis natural"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Corner lots and sightlines:** On a corner lot, nothing may be erected, placed or allowed to grow in the "site triangle" (10 m along each lot line from the corner) in a way that blocks vision between 1 m and 3 m above the centre-line grade of the street.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 630, 2020, s. 3.9(1); s. 2.1 "Site Triangle"](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/bylaw-630.pdf)
  - Official wording: "nothingshall be erected, placed, or allowed to grow within the site triangle in such a manner as to impede vision between a height of one (1) metre and three (3) metres above the center-line grade of a street." … "and a line joining points along the lot lines ten (10) metres from their point of intersection."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Other rules:** Retaining walls may be at most 1.2 m above mean grade level. Fences must be kept in good condition and repair (Property Maintenance Bylaw).
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 630, 2020, s. 3.8(2)](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/bylaw-630.pdf)
  - Official wording: "The maximum height of all retaining walls shall not exceed one point two (1. 2) metres above mean grade level"
  - Source: [Property Maintenance Bylaw, s. 13(3)](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/SKM_C454e19052308580.pdf)
  - Official wording: "An Owner or Occupier must maintain anyfence on the Land ofthat Owneror Occupier in good condition and repair."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 630, 2020, s. 3.8 (fences and retaining walls) and s. 3.9 (visibility at intersections)
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 630, 2020, s. 1.1](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/bylaw-630.pdf)
  - Official wording: "ZONING BYLAW No. 630, 2020"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

Tahsis's [Building Bylaw No. 525, 2006](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/525-2006-Village-of-Tahsis-Building-Bylaw.pdf) does not count a fence as a "structure", so a fence needs no building permit. The [Zoning Bylaw No. 630, 2020](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/bylaw-630.pdf) sets one height limit for all fences: 2 m, measured above mean grade level (the average ground level). It does not give a different front-yard height.

## Steps

1. Check your property lines before you build.
2. Keep the fence to 2 m or lower, and any retaining wall to 1.2 m above mean grade level.
3. On a corner lot, check the site triangle rule below.
4. Call the Municipal Office (250-934-6344) if you are unsure.

## Good to know

- Corner lots: nothing may be erected, placed or allowed to grow in the "site triangle" (10 m along each lot line from the corner) in a way that blocks vision between 1 m and 3 m above the centre-line grade of the street.
- Retaining structures under 1.5 m high are also outside the Building Bylaw.
- Fences must be kept in good condition and repair under the Property Maintenance Bylaw.
- We found no rules on fence materials such as barbed wire or electric fences, and none on pool fences. Ask the Municipal Office.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 630, 2020 (PDF)](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/bylaw-630.pdf)
- [Building Bylaw No. 525, 2006 (PDF)](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/525-2006-Village-of-Tahsis-Building-Bylaw.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Tahsis permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tahsis/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Tahsis zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tahsis/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Tahsis building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tahsis/building-permit.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Fence height limits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fence-rules.md)
- [Gold River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/fence-rules.md)
- [Sayward](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sayward/fence-rules.md)
- [Port McNeill](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-mcneill/fence-rules.md)
- [Campbell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/fence-rules.md)
- [Port Hardy](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-hardy/fence-rules.md)
- [Tofino](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/fence-rules.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 630, 2020 (PDF), Village of Tahsis](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/bylaw-630.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Bylaw No. 525, 2006 (PDF), Village of Tahsis](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/525-2006-Village-of-Tahsis-Building-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Property Maintenance Bylaw (PDF), Village of Tahsis](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/SKM_C454e19052308580.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaws and Policies, Village of Tahsis](https://villageoftahsis.com/bylaws-policies/) (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 Tahsis. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tahsis/fence-rules/_