Tahsis fence rules: permits and height limits
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.
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.Building Bylaw No. 525, 2006, s. 2.1 "Structure"; Zoning Bylaw No. 630, 2020, s. 2.1 "Structure" · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingbut specifically excludes landscaping, fences, paving, and retaining structures less than 1.5 meters in height. but does not include fences or walls that are less than or equal to the height permitted under this |
|---|---|
| Height, front yard | 2 m. The Zoning Bylaw sets one limit for all fences and does not give a different front-yard height.Zoning Bylaw No. 630, 2020, s. 3.8(1) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingThe maximum height of all fences shall not exceedtwo (2) metres above mean grade level except where provided for elsewhere in this Bylaw. |
| Height, side and rear yards | 2 m, the same limit as in every yard (measured above mean grade level).Zoning Bylaw No. 630, 2020, s. 3.8(1); s. 2.1 "Mean Grade Level" · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingThe 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 |
| 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.Zoning Bylaw No. 630, 2020, s. 3.9(1); s. 2.1 "Site Triangle" · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingnothingshall 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. |
| 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).Zoning Bylaw No. 630, 2020, s. 3.8(2); Property Maintenance Bylaw, s. 13(3) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingThe maximum height of all retaining walls shall not exceed one point two (1. 2) metres above mean grade level An Owner or Occupier must maintain anyfence on the Land ofthat Owneror Occupier in good condition and repair. |
| Bylaw | Zoning Bylaw No. 630, 2020, s. 3.8 (fences and retaining walls) and s. 3.9 (visibility at intersections)Zoning Bylaw No. 630, 2020, s. 1.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingZONING BYLAW No. 630, 2020 |
How it works
Tahsis's Building Bylaw No. 525, 2006 does not count a fence as a "structure", so a fence needs no building permit. The Zoning Bylaw No. 630, 2020 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
- Check your property lines before you build.
- Keep the fence to 2 m or lower, and any retaining wall to 1.2 m above mean grade level.
- On a corner lot, check the site triangle rule below.
- 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
The same question in other places
Gold River · Sayward · Port McNeill · Campbell River · Port Hardy · Tofino
Sources
- Zoning Bylaw No. 630, 2020 (PDF), Village of Tahsis (read 2026-11-08)
- Building Bylaw No. 525, 2006 (PDF), Village of Tahsis (read 2026-11-08)
- Property Maintenance Bylaw (PDF), Village of Tahsis (read 2026-11-08)
- Bylaws and Policies, Village of Tahsis (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. How answers are checked.