Warfield fence rules: permits and height limits
Do I need a permit to build a fence in Warfield, and how high can it be?
Short answer
In Warfield a fence under 2.0 m needs no building or development permit, but it must follow the Zoning Bylaw. In residential zones the limit is 1.2 m in a front yard and 1.8 m in side and rear yards.
Key facts
| Permit | No building or development permit is needed for a fence under 2.0 m, but it must follow the zoning rules, not cross parcel lines and not sit in an easement. The Building Bylaw does not apply to fences (retaining walls and pool enclosures are separate).Zoning Bylaw No. 896, 2021 (PDF, consolidated June 2024), s. 4.15.2; Building Bylaw No. 988, 2026, with backgrounder, s. 3.3(a) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingno development permit and/or building permit shall be required for a fence under 2.0 m in height, however fences must comply with the requirements of this part, not cross parcel boundaries, except as set out in Part 11 [Retaining Walls] of this bylaw, a fence |
|---|---|
| Height, front yard | 1.2 m maximum in a front yard in residential zones.Zoning Bylaw No. 896, 2021 (PDF, consolidated June 2024), s. 4.15.4 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingNo fence shall exceed a height of 1.2 m in a front yard and 1.8 m in a side and rear yard in residential zone |
| Height, side and rear yards | 1.8 m maximum in side and rear yards in residential zones. In commercial, civic or comprehensive zones, 2.4 m in any yard.Zoning Bylaw No. 896, 2021 (PDF, consolidated June 2024), ss. 4.15.4, 4.15.5 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingNo fence shall exceed a height of 1.2 m in a front yard and 1.8 m in a side and rear yard in residential zone No fence shall exceed a height of 2.4 m in in any yard in any commercial, civic or comprehensive zone |
| Corner lots and sightlines | On a corner parcel, nothing may be planted or built higher than 1 m above street grade within the sight triangle, measured 6 m from the corner (Bylaw 979 changed the 7.5 m in the June 2024 text to 6 m). Fences may not be in the sight triangle.Zoning Bylaw No. 896, 2021 (PDF, consolidated June 2024), ss. 4.15.6, 4.16.1; Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 979, Amendment 6 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingno landscaping, screening, building or structure may be planted or erected to a height greater than 1 m above the grade of the street with the exception of setbacks required for a watercourse and to the portion of a parcel that is within a required sight triangle Sight Triangle Setbacks: Change "7.5 m" to "6 m" in the text to match Figure 3. |
| Other rules | Height is measured from ground level at the base of the fence to its highest point. No razor wire, barbed wire, spire tips or sharp objects. Fences may go in required setbacks except watercourse setbacks. Pools need a fence at least 1.5 m high with a self-closing gate. A retaining wall needs a building permit.Zoning Bylaw No. 896, 2021 (PDF, consolidated June 2024), ss. 4.15.1, 4.15.3, 5.4.4; Building Bylaw No. 988, 2026, with backgrounder, s. 11.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingas the vertical distance from the ground grade level at the base of the fence to the No razor wire, barbed wire, spire tips, or fences including sharp objects shall be permitted. surrounded by a fence with a height of no less than 1.5 metres No person may construct, or structurally repair, a retaining wall without a building permit. |
| Bylaw | Zoning Bylaw No. 896, 2021, s. 4.15 (fences) and s. 4.16 (vision triangles), as amended by Bylaw 979, 2025Zoning Bylaw No. 896, 2021 (PDF, consolidated June 2024), s. 4.15 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingFENCES AND SCREENING No fence shall exceed a height of 1.2 m in a front yard |
How it works
Under s. 4.15 of the Village's Zoning Bylaw No. 896, a fence under 2.0 m needs no building or development permit. It must follow the zoning rules, stay within your parcel lines and stay out of any easement. The Building Bylaw does not apply to fences, but retaining walls and pool enclosures are separate matters.
Height is measured from ground level at the base of the fence to its highest point. In residential zones the maximum is 1.2 m in a front yard and 1.8 m in side and rear yards. In commercial, civic or comprehensive zones it is 2.4 m in any yard.
Steps
- Check your zone and your property lines before you build.
- Keep the fence within the height limit for the yard it is in.
- Keep fences out of easements and, on a corner lot, out of the sight triangle.
- For anything over 2.0 m, or a retaining wall, call the Village Office at 250-368-8202 first.
Good to know
- Corner lots: nothing may be planted or built higher than 1 m above street grade within the sight triangle, measured 6 m from the corner. Fences may not be in the sight triangle. The Village's Zoning Bylaw copy still shows 7.5 m; Bylaw 979 changed it to 6 m, so confirm with the Village.
- No razor wire, barbed wire, spire tips or sharp objects.
- Fences may go in required setbacks, except watercourse setbacks.
- A pool needs a fence at least 1.5 m high with a self-closing gate. A retaining wall needs a building permit.
- The bylaw does not mention electric fences; ask the Village Office.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Sources
- Zoning Bylaw No. 896, 2021 (PDF, consolidated June 2024), Village of Warfield (read 2026-11-08)
- Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 979 (PDF), Village of Warfield (read 2026-11-08)
- Building Bylaw No. 988, 2026, with backgrounder (PDF), Village of Warfield (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.