{"title":"Burns Lake fence rules: permits and height limits","question":"Do I need a permit to build a fence, and how high can it be?","slug":"fence-rules","place":{"path":"ca/bc/burns-lake","name":"Burns Lake","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"building-and-renovating","name":"Building, renovating and your property"},"owner":"municipal","owner_label":"Municipal","owner_body":{"name":"Village of Burns Lake","url":"https://www.burnslake.ca"},"short_answer":"In Burns Lake the Building Bylaw does not require a building permit for a fence. The Zoning Bylaw limits height to 1.2 m in the front area and 2.0 m elsewhere on the lot, with higher limits in some zones.","aliases":["fence height burns lake","fence permit burns lake","backyard fence rules burns lake"],"cost":"No building permit fee for a fence.","how_long":"Not applicable.","where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Village planning","value":"250-692-7587"},{"type":"email","label":"Village planning","value":"planning@burnslake.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008 (PDF)","url":"https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"building-permit","title":"Burns Lake building permits: when you need one and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/building-permit/"},{"slug":"deck-shed-garage-permit","title":"Burns Lake permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/deck-shed-garage-permit/"},{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Burns Lake zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/zoning-lookup/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/fraser-lake","name":"Fraser Lake","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fraser-lake/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/houston","name":"Houston","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/granisle","name":"Granisle","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/fort-st-james","name":"Fort St James","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/vanderhoof","name":"Vanderhoof","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vanderhoof/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/telkwa","name":"Telkwa","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/fence-rules/"}],"topic":{"title":"Fence height limits in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fence-rules/"},"facts":{"permit":{"label":"Permit","value":"The Building Bylaw's definition of 'structure' excludes fences, so that bylaw does not require a building permit for a fence. Zoning height limits still apply.","short":"No building permit","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/building-bylaw-no-943-2013","title":"Building Bylaw No. 943, 2013 (Word document), Village of Burns Lake","section":"s. 2 Definitions (structure)","quotes":["specifically excluding all other retaining structures, landscaping , fences and paving."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"height_front":{"label":"Height, front yard","value":"1.2 m between the front lot line and the building or use on the lot, for fences other than required screening (subject to the corner sight-triangle rule in s. 3.16).","short":"1.2 m","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated to April 2026 (PDF), Village of Burns Lake","section":"s. 3.13.3","quotes":["(a) 1.2 m in height between the front lot line and the building or use on the lot; and","In all zones fences other than required screening, subject to Section 3.16, must not"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"height_side_rear":{"label":"Height, side and rear yards","value":"2.0 m elsewhere on the lot (4.0 m in industrial zones), for fences other than required screening. Open mesh or chain-link fences in commercial, industrial or institutional zones may go to 4.0 m. Subject to the sight-triangle rule in s. 3.16.","short":"2.0 m (4.0 m in industrial zones)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated to April 2026 (PDF), Village of Burns Lake","section":"s. 3.13.3-3.13.4","quotes":["(b) 2.0 m in height elsewhere on the lot except for industrial zones in which the height","open mesh or chain link type fences","may be erected in a commercial, industrial or institutional zone to a maximum height of","In all zones fences other than required screening, subject to Section 3.16, must not"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"corner_lots":{"label":"Corner lots and sightlines","value":"On a parcel abutting a highway intersection, no structures or vegetation over 0.6 m high are allowed in the sight triangle formed by the corner lot lines and a line joining points 6.0 m along each lot line from the corner.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated to April 2026 (PDF), Village of Burns Lake","section":"s. 3.16.1","quotes":["exceeding 0.6 m in height shall be permitted within the sight triangle formed by the","distance of 6.0m from their points of intersection"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"other_rules":{"label":"Other rules","value":"Height is measured from ground level 1 m from both sides of the fence. Where a retaining wall is on a property line, height is measured from the surface of the ground it supports at average grade. Barbed wire, electric fences and pool fences are not addressed.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated to April 2026 (PDF), Village of Burns Lake","section":"s. 3.13.1-3.13.2","quotes":["The height of a fence, wall or hedge will be measured from the ground level 1 m from","the height measurement must be determined from the surface of the ground which the retaining wall supports at the average grade level."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Village of Burns Lake Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008 (consolidated up to April 2026), s. 3.13 (Fence Heights) and s. 3.16 (Vision Clearance at Intersections)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated to April 2026 (PDF), Village of Burns Lake","section":"s. 3.13","quotes":["3.13 Fence Heights","3.16 Vision Clearance at Intersections"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":6,"matched":6,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe Village's [Building Bylaw No. 943](https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/building-bylaw-no-943-2013) defines \"structure\" so that it excludes fences, so it does not require a building permit for one. Height limits in the [Zoning Bylaw No. 880](https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf) still apply.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Check the height limits below against your plan, for fences that are not required screening.\n2. If the fence is near a street corner, check the sight-triangle rule.\n3. Call Village planning at 250-692-7587 or planning@burnslake.ca if you are unsure, or if the fence is required screening.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Front area (between the front lot line and the building or use): 1.2 m.\n- Elsewhere on the lot: 2.0 m, or 4.0 m in industrial zones. Open mesh or chain-link fences in commercial, industrial or institutional zones may go to 4.0 m.\n- Height is measured from ground level 1 m from both sides of the fence. If a retaining wall is on a property line, it is measured from the surface of the ground the wall supports, at average grade.\n- On a corner lot at a highway intersection, no structure or vegetation over 0.6 m high is allowed in the sight triangle. That triangle is formed by the corner lot lines and a line joining points 6.0 m along each lot line from the corner.\n- The Zoning Bylaw does not address barbed wire, electric fences or pool fences. Ask Village planning.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated to April 2026 (PDF), Village of Burns Lake","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/building-bylaw-no-943-2013","title":"Building Bylaw No. 943, 2013 (Word document), Village of Burns Lake","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.burnslake.ca/contact","title":"Contact, Village of Burns Lake","accessed":"2026-11-08"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-08","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/fence-rules/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/fence-rules.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/fence-rules.json"}}