---
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?"
place: Burns Lake, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/burns-lake
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: Village of Burns Lake
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/fence-rules/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/fence-rules.json"
---

# Burns Lake fence rules: permits and height limits

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

**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.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Burns Lake, https://www.burnslake.ca)  
**Cost:** No building permit fee for a fence.  
**How long:** Not applicable.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Village planning, 250-692-7587
- Email: Village planning, planning@burnslake.ca

## Key facts

- **Permit:** 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.
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 943, 2013 (Word document), s. 2 Definitions (structure)](https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/building-bylaw-no-943-2013)
  - Official wording: "specifically excluding all other retaining structures, landscaping , fences and paving."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Height, front yard:** 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).
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated to April 2026, s. 3.13.3](https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf)
  - Official wording: "(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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Height, side and rear yards:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated to April 2026, s. 3.13.3-3.13.4](https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf)
  - Official wording: "(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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Corner lots and sightlines:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated to April 2026, s. 3.16.1](https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Other rules:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated to April 2026, s. 3.13.1-3.13.2](https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** 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)
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated to April 2026, s. 3.13](https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf)
  - Official wording: "3.13 Fence Heights" … "3.16 Vision Clearance at Intersections"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The 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.

## Steps

1. Check the height limits below against your plan, for fences that are not required screening.
2. If the fence is near a street corner, check the sight-triangle rule.
3. Call Village planning at 250-692-7587 or planning@burnslake.ca if you are unsure, or if the fence is required screening.

## Good to know

- Front area (between the front lot line and the building or use): 1.2 m.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- The Zoning Bylaw does not address barbed wire, electric fences or pool fences. Ask Village planning.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008 (PDF)](https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf)

## Related questions

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

## The same question elsewhere

- [Fence height limits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fence-rules.md)
- [Fraser Lake](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fraser-lake/fence-rules.md)
- [Houston](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/fence-rules.md)
- [Granisle](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/fence-rules.md)
- [Fort St James](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/fence-rules.md)
- [Vanderhoof](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vanderhoof/fence-rules.md)
- [Telkwa](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/fence-rules.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated to April 2026 (PDF), Village of Burns Lake](https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Bylaw No. 943, 2013 (Word document), Village of Burns Lake](https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/building-bylaw-no-943-2013) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Contact, Village of Burns Lake](https://www.burnslake.ca/contact) (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 Burns Lake. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/fence-rules/_