The three numbers that matter.
For most residential properties in Surrey, a fence can be up to 1.8 metres (about 6 feet) high. Within a required front yard or street-side yard — the stretch between your house and the street — the limit drops to 1.2 metres (about 4 feet). And inside the defined sightline area on a corner lot, the limit is 1.0 metre so drivers and pedestrians can see each other. Height is measured from grade — and if a fence sits on a retaining wall, the wall can count toward the total.
| Rear & interior side yards — 1.8 m | The standard maximum across most of a residential lot — roughly six feet. This is the height most privacy fences are built to. |
|---|---|
| Front & street-side yards — 1.2 m | Between the front face of your house and the street, the limit is about four feet. On a corner lot, treat both street frontages this way. |
| Corner sightline area — 1.0 m | Inside the defined sightline area at an intersection, fences max out at about a metre so sightlines stay clear for traffic and pedestrians. |
Repairing one failed post or replacing the full line?
We do both — and we check height limits, corner sightlines and retaining-wall rules during the quote, before a single board goes in. One site visit, one fixed written quote, old materials hauled away. Need a shared-fence quote both neighbours can review? We are happy to walk the line with both owners.
A recent rebuild, before and after.
From a recent Ironwood Grounds job: an aging backyard line replaced with board-on-board western red cedar and a matched gate — measured on site, quoted in writing, then built by hand.
A real Ironwood Grounds project — the old fence out, board-on-board cedar and a new gate in.
On a retaining wall? The wall counts.
Surrey's bylaw measures a fence and the retaining wall it sits on together: where a fence runs on top of a wall, the combined height is what gets measured against the limit. A 1.2 m fence on a 1 m wall is a 2.2 m structure in the bylaw's eyes — over the limit in most yards. Sloped lots across the Peninsula run into this often, and it is one of the first things we check during a quote.
Do you need a permit?
A standard residential fence built within the height limits generally does not need a building permit in Surrey. Going taller is not as simple as applying for a fence permit — an over-height structure falls under the bylaw's building height and yard rules, and development permits, design guidelines, covenants or bare-land strata rules can add restrictions on top. If your plans push a limit, confirm with the City of Surrey before you build — not after.
White Rock and Delta are different cities.
These numbers are Surrey's. White Rock and Delta set their own fence rules, and they are not identical — if your property is in White Rock, Tsawwassen or Ladner, confirm with that city before building. We flag anything close to a limit during your quote so there are no surprises. And if your question is who pays for a shared fence rather than how high it can be, see our guide to fences between neighbours in BC.
The details homeowners ask about.
How high can a backyard fence be in Surrey?
Up to 1.8 metres — about six feet — for most residential lots. That is the standard privacy-fence height, and it applies to rear and interior side yards.
How high can a front yard fence be in Surrey?
1.2 metres — about four feet — within a required front yard or street-side yard. On a corner lot, treat both street frontages as front yards when planning heights.
Does a retaining wall count toward fence height?
Yes. Where a fence sits on a retaining wall, Surrey measures the combined height of the wall and fence together against the limit — a common issue on sloped lots.
Do I need a permit to build a fence in Surrey?
Generally no, for a residential fence built within the height limits. Over-height fences are not a simple permit application — they fall under the bylaw's building height and yard rules, and development permits, covenants or strata rules can add restrictions. Confirm with the City of Surrey for your property.
What about corner lots?
Corner lots have two rules to watch: the 1.2 m street-side limit, and a 1.0 m maximum inside the defined sightline area at the corner so drivers and pedestrians can see each other.
My neighbour and I share the fence — who pays?
That depends on where the fence sits rather than on height rules — a fence on the property line is generally shared between neighbours. Our guide to who pays for a fence between neighbours in BC walks through it.
Sources, and an honest disclaimer.
This page is general information — bylaws change, and your property may have site-specific rules. It draws on the City of Surrey's Zoning Bylaw No. 12000 and the City's zoning guidance:
City of Surrey — Zoning Bylaw No. 12000 (consolidated PDF)
City of Surrey — Zoning bylaws and residential fencing
Before building, confirm the current requirements for your lot with the City of Surrey, your strata if you have one, and a surveyor if the property line itself is in question.
Last reviewed: July 31, 2026.
Planning a fence near a limit? Ask first.
Tell us your community and what you are planning — we flag height, sightline and retaining-wall issues during the quote, before they become a problem with the city.