---
title: "Hazelton fence rules: permits and height limits"
question: "Do I need a permit to build a fence in Hazelton, and how high can it be?"
place: Hazelton, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/hazelton
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: Village of Hazelton
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hazelton/fence-rules/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hazelton/fence-rules.json"
---

# Hazelton fence rules: permits and height limits

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

**Short answer:** In Hazelton a fence needs no building permit. In Residential zones, front-yard fences can be up to 1.2 m high and side and rear fences up to 1.8 m. In the Flood Plain area a fence may need a development permit, so ask the Village.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Hazelton, https://hazelton.ca)  
**Cost:** No building permit fee for a fence.  
**How long:** Not applicable for a fence; ask the Village if a development permit is needed.  
**Where:**
- In person: Municipal Office, 4310 Field Street, Hazelton, BC V0J 1Y0 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
- Phone: Village Office, 250-842-5991
- Email: Village Office, info@hazelton.ca

## Key facts

- **Permit:** No building permit for a fence (retaining walls are the exception, Part 11). In the Flood Plain Development Permit Area, no alteration of land may be done without a development permit, so a fence there may need one. Ask the Village.
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 501, 2019, Building Bylaw s. 3.3(a)](https://hazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Building-Bylaw-No.-501-2019-1.pdf)
  - Official wording: "except as set out in Part 11 [Retaining Walls] of this bylaw, a fence;"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 478, 2015, unofficial consolidation, Zoning Bylaw Schedule B, Flood Plain DPA Guidelines .5 and 2.0 .1](https://hazelton.ca/?mdocs-file=629)
  - Official wording: "The Flood Plain DPA Guidelines apply to all development within the flood plain area." … "No alteration or subdivision of land, disturbance of vegetation, movement of soils or"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Height, front yard:** Front yard: not more than 1.2 m in the Residential (R) Zones.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 478, 2015, unofficial consolidation, Zoning Bylaw s. 3.7(a)](https://hazelton.ca/?mdocs-file=629)
  - Official wording: "No fence in the Residential (R) Zones shall exceed 1.8 metres in height in the rear" … "and side yard areas, and not more than 1.2 metres in height in the front yard area."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Height, side and rear yards:** Side and rear yards: not more than 1.8 m in the Residential (R) Zones.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 478, 2015, unofficial consolidation, Zoning Bylaw s. 3.7(a)](https://hazelton.ca/?mdocs-file=629)
  - Official wording: "No fence in the Residential (R) Zones shall exceed 1.8 metres in height in the rear" … "and side yard areas, and not more than 1.2 metres in height in the front yard area."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Corner lots and sightlines:** Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read.
- **Other rules:** Barbed wire, razor wire, broken glass or any material designed to deter entry by injury is prohibited in all zones. A swimming pool must be enclosed by a fence at least 1.22 m high with no openings over 100 mm and a self-closing, self-latching gate. A spa or hot tub may have a locking cover instead.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 478, 2015, unofficial consolidation, Zoning Bylaw s. 3.7(b)](https://hazelton.ca/?mdocs-file=629)
  - Official wording: "Barbed wire, razor wire, broken glass or any material that is designed to deter entry"
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 501, 2019, Building Bylaw s. 14.2, 14.3](https://hazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Building-Bylaw-No.-501-2019-1.pdf)
  - Official wording: "having a minimum height of 1.22 metres and no openings greater than 100 mm at" … "a self-closing and self-latching gate" … "In lieu of a fence, a spa or hot tub may be covered with a locking cover"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 478, 2015, s. 3.7
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 478, 2015, unofficial consolidation, Zoning Bylaw cover](https://hazelton.ca/?mdocs-file=629)
  - Official wording: "Village of Hazelton" … "Zoning Bylaw No. 478, 2015"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The Village of Hazelton's [Building Bylaw No. 501](https://hazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Building-Bylaw-No.-501-2019-1.pdf) does not apply to a fence, so a fence needs no building permit. Retaining walls are the exception and are covered by Part 11 of that bylaw. In the Flood Plain Development Permit Area, no alteration of land may be done without a development permit, so a fence there may need one.

Under s. 3.7 of the [Zoning Bylaw No. 478](https://hazelton.ca/?mdocs-file=629), in the Residential (R) zones a fence in the front yard may be no more than 1.2 m high, and in side and rear yards no more than 1.8 m.

## Steps

1. Find your property lines before you build.
2. Check your zone on the Zoning Map, or ask the Village office.
3. Ask whether your lot is in the Flood Plain Development Permit Area and needs a development permit.
4. For a retaining wall or a swimming pool fence, ask about the Building Bylaw first.

## Good to know

- Barbed wire, razor wire, broken glass or any material designed to deter entry by injury is prohibited in all zones.
- A swimming pool must be enclosed by a fence at least 1.22 m high, with no openings over 100 mm and a self-closing, self-latching gate. A spa or hot tub may have a locking cover instead.
- The bylaw sets no corner-lot rule that we found, and height limits for zones other than Residential were not on our sheet. Ask the Village office at 250-842-5991.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 478, 2015, s. 3.7 (PDF)](https://hazelton.ca/?mdocs-file=629)
- [Building Bylaw No. 501, 2019 (PDF)](https://hazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Building-Bylaw-No.-501-2019-1.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Hazelton building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hazelton/building-permit.md)
- [Hazelton zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hazelton/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Hazelton permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hazelton/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)
- [New Hazelton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/fence-rules.md)
- [Smithers](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/fence-rules.md)
- [Telkwa](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/fence-rules.md)
- [Granisle](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/fence-rules.md)
- [Terrace](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/fence-rules.md)
- [Houston](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/fence-rules.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 478, 2015, unofficial consolidation (PDF), Village of Hazelton](https://hazelton.ca/?mdocs-file=629) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Bylaw No. 501, 2019 (PDF), Village of Hazelton](https://hazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Building-Bylaw-No.-501-2019-1.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Contact Us, Village of Hazelton](https://hazelton.ca/village-office/contact-us/) (read 2026-11-08)

_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 Village of Hazelton. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hazelton/fence-rules/_