---
title: "Creston fence rules: permits and height limits"
question: "Do I need a permit to build a fence in Creston, and how high can it be?"
place: Creston, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/creston
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: Town of Creston
sources_read: 2026-11-06
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/creston/fence-rules/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/creston/fence-rules.json"
---

# Creston fence rules: permits and height limits

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

**Short answer:** In Creston, a fence between the front lot line and the face of the building can be 1.2 m high, and 1.8 m between the rear lot line and the building, in residential zones. No fence permit is mentioned in the bylaws. Near street corners the limit is 1.1 m.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Town of Creston, https://www.creston.ca)  
**Cost:** No fence permit fee is stated. A Fence Development Variance Permit costs $100.  
**How long:** Not stated; ask Development Services if you need a variance.  
**Where:**
- In person: Town Hall, 238 - 10th Ave. N., Creston, BC (Pay in person Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
- Phone: Town Hall, 250-428-2214
- Email: Development Services, communityservices@creston.ca

## Key facts

- **Permit:** Not confirmed. No fence permit is mentioned in the Town's bylaws or on its Fences page.
- **Height, front yard:** 1.2 m maximum for a fence between the front lot line and the face of the building, in any zone with a primary residential use.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022 (PDF, consolidated to June 16, 2026), s. 6.5.1.1 (i)](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Zoning-1958.pdf)
  - Official wording: "In any Zone where there is a primary residential use, no Fence shall:" … "exceed a maximum Fence height of 1.2 metres, where a fence is located between the Front lot line and the face of a Building"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Height, side and rear yards:** 1.8 m maximum for a fence between the rear lot line and the face of a building, in zones with a primary residential use. The bylaw gives no separate side-yard height; a fence between the front lot line and the face of a building is limited to 1.2 m.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022 (PDF, consolidated to June 16, 2026), s. 6.5.1.1 (ii)](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Zoning-1958.pdf)
  - Official wording: "exceed a maximum height of 1.8 metres, where a Fence is located between the Rear lot line and the face of a Building"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Corner lots and sightlines:** No fence, wall, screen or landscaping may be over 1.1 m high where it blocks vision at street corners (within the area 4.0 m along each lot line from the corner) or lane corners (3.0 m), except in the Commercial Downtown Core zone.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022 (PDF, consolidated to June 16, 2026), s. 3.5.2](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Zoning-1958.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Except in the Commercial - Downtown Core" … "than 1.1 metres so as to obstruct vision clearance in the area bounded by:" … "4.0 metres from their point of intersection" … "3.0 metres from their point of intersection"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022 (PDF, consolidated to June 16, 2026), s. 6.5.1.1 (iv)](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Zoning-1958.pdf)
  - Official wording: "obstruct visibility at intersections in accordance with section 3.5.2."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Other rules:** Height is measured from average finished grade to the highest point. Barbed, razor and electrified wire and unfinished corrugated metal are prohibited in residential zones (barbed or electrified wire may be allowed with farm uses, hens or horses). Reflective materials, tarps and sheet metal are prohibited everywhere. Pools need a fence at least 1.5 m high.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022 (PDF, consolidated to June 16, 2026), s. 6.1, 6.4.1](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Zoning-1958.pdf)
  - Official wording: "The use of reflective materials, tarps, or sheet metal is prohibited in all Zones." … "of barbed wire, razor wire, electrified wire, or unfinished corrugated metal is prohibited in all residential Zones." … "properties with farm uses, keeping hens, or horses, may be permitted to use barbed wire or electrified wire." … "a solid Fence of a least 1.5 metres in height shall be erected around the perimeter of the swimming pool area." … "means the vertical distance between the Finished" … "grade – average and the highest point of a Building"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022, section 6.0 (Screening and Fencing Requirements; s. 6.5 General Fence Requirements) and s. 3.5.2
  - Source: [Fences, Fences page](https://www.creston.ca/fences)
  - Official wording: "Section 6.0: Screening and Fencing Requirements of Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

Fence rules are in section 6.0 of the [Zoning Bylaw No. 1958](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Zoning-1958.pdf) (the Town's [Fences](https://www.creston.ca/fences) page tells owners to review it). No fence permit is mentioned in the bylaws or on that page.

Maximum heights in zones with a primary residential use:

- Between the front lot line and the face of the building: 1.2 m
- Between the rear lot line and the face of a building: 1.8 m
- The bylaw gives no separate side-yard height. It measures by position relative to the front and rear lot lines and the face of the building.

Height is measured from average finished grade to the highest point. The height can increase where needed to meet safety requirements under the Building Bylaw.

## Steps

1. Find your lot's zone (see the zoning-lookup answer) and read section 6.0.
2. Check your property lines and the corner-visibility area if you are on a corner.
3. If you want something taller than allowed, ask Development Services (communityservices@creston.ca) about a Fence Development Variance Permit, which costs $100 (Fees and Charges Bylaw Schedule 7A).
4. Build. A retaining wall within 1.5 m of a boundary needs a building permit.

## Good to know

- At street corners (within 4.0 m along each lot line) and lane corners (3.0 m), no fence, wall, screen or landscaping may be over 1.1 m high where it blocks vision, except in the Commercial Downtown Core zone.
- Barbed, razor and electrified wire and unfinished corrugated metal are prohibited in residential zones (barbed or electrified wire may be allowed with farm uses, hens or horses). Reflective materials, tarps and sheet metal are prohibited everywhere.
- A solid 1.8 m fence is required where commercial zones abut residential ones (s. 6.3).
- A pool needs a fence at least 1.5 m high, with no openings over 100 millimetres and a self-closing, spring-locked gate ([Building Bylaw](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2023-07/Building-1394.pdf) s. 17.1).
- A fence that obstructs vision is a $75 bylaw notice ($50 if paid early, $100 late) under the Traffic Regulations Bylaw.

## Official forms and pages

- [Fences, Town of Creston](https://www.creston.ca/fences)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022 (PDF, consolidated to June 16, 2026)](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Zoning-1958.pdf)

## Related questions

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

## The same question elsewhere

- [Fence height limits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fence-rules.md)
- [Salmo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmo/fence-rules.md)
- [Kimberley](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kimberley/fence-rules.md)
- [Cranbrook](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cranbrook/fence-rules.md)
- [Fruitvale](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/fence-rules.md)
- [Nelson](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nelson/fence-rules.md)
- [Montrose](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/fence-rules.md)

## Sources

- [Fences, Town of Creston](https://www.creston.ca/fences) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022 (PDF, consolidated to June 16, 2026)](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Zoning-1958.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Building Bylaw No. 1394, 1997 (PDF, consolidated to June 28, 2022)](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2023-07/Building-1394.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1763 (PDF, consolidated to May 12, 2026)](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Fees%20and%20Charges-1763.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Traffic Regulations Bylaw No. 1546 (PDF)](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2025-12/Traffic%20Regulations-1546.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Town of Creston. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/creston/fence-rules/_