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Township of Langley fence rules: permits and height limits

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

Township of Langley, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-06

Short answer

In the Township of Langley (not the City of Langley) fences are 1 m high at most in the front yard setback and 2 m elsewhere on the lot in most residential zones. Fences are outside the Building Bylaw's definition of a structure, but retaining walls over 1.2 m need a permit. Check your zone.

Key facts

PermitFences are excluded from the Building Bylaw definition of "Structure", so no building permit on that wording (the Township does not say so directly). Retaining walls: bylaw s. 16.1 requires a permit; the Township guide says over 1.2 m. Pool fences must be at least 1,070 mm high.Langley Building Bylaw 2008, No. 4642, s. 2.0 ("Structure"); Residential Construction Guide: Additions, Alterations and Accessory Buildings, Guide, first page; Langley Building Bylaw 2008, No. 4642, s. 15.2 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
specifically excludes paving, fences, and landscaping
but specifically excludes paving, fences,
not less than 1070 mm in height with no openings greater than 100
The Construction of retaining walls or other similar types of Structures is not
construct retaining walls over 1.2 m in height
Swimming pools must be enclosed by a fence or Structure.
Height, front yard1 m on any portion of a lot within the front yard setback, in R, SR (except agricultural use), RM, MH, CRE and residential CD zones.Zoning Bylaw 1987, No. 2500, Section 100 Administration, s. 111.6 1) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
In an 'R', 'SR' (except for an agricultural use), 'RM', 'MH', 'CRE' or residential 'CD'
1m on any portion of a lot within the front yard setback requirements of this
Height, side and rear yards2 m on any other portion of a lot, in R, SR (except agricultural use), RM, MH, CRE and residential CD zones.Zoning Bylaw 1987, No. 2500, Section 100 Administration, s. 111.6 3) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
3) 2m on any other portion of a lot.
Corner lots and sightlinesFences and walls are limited to 1 m in the triangle formed by points 7.5 m back from the front of the lot on each lot line at an intersection. On corner lots nothing may project into that triangle above 1 m. In the R-1A zone the distance is 6.0 m on local streets and lanes.Zoning Bylaw 1987, No. 2500, Section 100 Administration, s. 111.6 2); Zoning Bylaw 1987, No. 2500, Section 100 Administration, s. 104.4 4); Zoning Bylaw 1987, No. 2500, Section 400 Residential Zones, s. 401.5, note (2) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
2) 1m within the triangular area created by a line joining two (2) points 7.5m from
No part of any building, structure or fence located on a corner lot shall project
a) 6.0m from the projected lot lines abutting a local street and/or lane; and
Other rulesHeight is measured from average finished grade at the perimeter of a building or structure to its highest point. Barbed wire is not permitted except in RU and SR zones, and in M, C and P zones on a fence or wall above 2 m. Fences and retaining walls may be sited anywhere on a lot, subject to corner and height rules.Zoning Bylaw 1987, No. 2500, Section 100 Administration, s. 111.7; Zoning Bylaw 1987, No. 2500, Section 100 Administration, s. 104.4 5) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
111.7 Barbed wire shall not be permitted except:
in an 'RU' Rural or 'SR' Suburban Residential zone; and
means the vertical distance measured from the average finished grade at the
perimeter of a building or structure to:
a fence or retaining wall may be
BylawTownship of Langley Zoning Bylaw 1987 No. 2500, s. 111.6 (fence height), s. 111.7 (barbed wire), s. 104.4 4) (corner lots)Zoning Bylaw 1987, No. 2500, Section 100 Administration, s. 101.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Township of Langley Zoning Bylaw 1987 No. 2500

How it works

The Township of Langley (a separate municipality from the City of Langley) sets fence height in Zoning Bylaw No. 2500, section 111.6. In residential and similar zones (R, SR except agricultural use, RM, MH, CRE and residential CD), a fence or wall may be 1 m high on any part of the lot within the front yard setback, and 2 m high on any other part of the lot. Rural (RU) zones are not covered by that section, and we found no fence height for them.

The Building Bylaw leaves fences, paving and landscaping out of its definition of "Structure", so a fence does not need a building permit on that wording. The Township does not say this in so many words, so confirm before you build. Zoning rules still apply.

Steps

  1. Find your zone (see the zoning-lookup answer) and your property lines.
  2. Check the heights above against your zone's rules. Fences and retaining walls may be sited anywhere on a lot, subject to the corner and height rules.
  3. For a retaining wall, call Permits, Licences and Inspections (604-533-6018). The Building Bylaw (s. 16.1) requires a permit, and the Township's guide says walls over 1.2 m.

Good to know

  • Height is measured from average finished grade at the perimeter of a building or structure to its highest point.
  • Corner lots: fences and walls are limited to 1 m in the triangle formed by points 7.5 m back from the front of the lot on each lot line at an intersection. In the R-1A zone the distance is 6.0 m on local streets and lanes. Other zones may set their own distances, so check your zone.
  • Barbed wire is not permitted except in RU and SR zones, and in M, C and P zones on a fence or wall above 2 m.
  • Pool fences must be at least 1,070 mm high.
  • The Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw lists a $100 notice for exceeding fence height and a $100 notice for barbed wire where prohibited. The section numbers it cites look out of date, so confirm with the Township.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Langley City · Surrey · White Rock · Maple Ridge · Port Coquitlam · Mission

Fence height limits in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

  1. Zoning Bylaw 1987, No. 2500, Section 100 Administration (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
  2. Zoning Bylaw 1987, No. 2500, Section 400 Residential Zones (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
  3. Langley Building Bylaw 2008, No. 4642 (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
  4. Residential Construction Guide: Additions, Alterations and Accessory Buildings (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
  5. Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 2008, No. 4703 (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)

Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. How answers are checked.