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Hazelton fence rules: permits and height limits

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

Hazelton, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-08

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.

Key facts

PermitNo 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.Building Bylaw No. 501, 2019, Building Bylaw s. 3.3(a); Zoning Bylaw No. 478, 2015, unofficial consolidation, Zoning Bylaw Schedule B, Flood Plain DPA Guidelines .5 and 2.0 .1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
except as set out in Part 11 [Retaining Walls] of this bylaw, a fence;
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
Height, front yardFront yard: not more than 1.2 m in the Residential (R) Zones.Zoning Bylaw No. 478, 2015, unofficial consolidation, Zoning Bylaw s. 3.7(a) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
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.
Height, side and rear yardsSide and rear yards: not more than 1.8 m in the Residential (R) Zones.Zoning Bylaw No. 478, 2015, unofficial consolidation, Zoning Bylaw s. 3.7(a) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
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.
Corner lots and sightlinesNot confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read.
Other rulesBarbed 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.Zoning Bylaw No. 478, 2015, unofficial consolidation, Zoning Bylaw s. 3.7(b); Building Bylaw No. 501, 2019, Building Bylaw s. 14.2, 14.3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Barbed wire, razor wire, broken glass or any material that is designed to deter entry
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
BylawZoning Bylaw No. 478, 2015, s. 3.7Zoning Bylaw No. 478, 2015, unofficial consolidation, Zoning Bylaw cover · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Village of Hazelton
Zoning Bylaw No. 478, 2015

How it works

The Village of Hazelton's Building Bylaw No. 501 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, 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

The same question in other places

New Hazelton · Smithers · Telkwa · Granisle · Terrace · Houston

Fence height limits in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

  1. Zoning Bylaw No. 478, 2015, unofficial consolidation (PDF), Village of Hazelton (read 2026-11-08)
  2. Building Bylaw No. 501, 2019 (PDF), Village of Hazelton (read 2026-11-08)
  3. Contact Us, Village of Hazelton (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. How answers are checked.