GovHandbook

Lillooet fence rules: permits and height limits

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

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

Short answer

In Lillooet a fence does not need a building permit, but it must meet the Zoning Bylaw. No fence may be over 2.13 m (7 ft), or 2.40 m in Industrial and Agricultural Zones. The bylaw sets no separate front-yard height. Near a street corner the limit drops to 1.0 m.

Key facts

PermitNo building permit for a fence: the Building Bylaw does not apply to a fence, except for retaining walls (Part 11.0). Fences must still meet the Zoning Bylaw.Building Bylaw 2021-006, consolidated to June 4, 2025, s. 3.1.3.1; Building Permits — Lillooet, Items Not Regulated by Building Code Not Requiring a Building Permit · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Except as set out in Part 11.0 [Retaining Walls and Grades] of this bylaw, a fence;
Items Not Regulated by Building Code Not Requiring a Building Permit
Height, front yardThe Zoning Bylaw gives no separate front-yard height. Its general limit: no fence over 2.13 m (7 ft), except up to 2.40 m in Industrial and Agricultural Zones.Zoning Bylaw No. 2025-026, s. 5.12.7 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
No Fence shall exceed 2.13 metres (7 feet) in Height except in the Industrial Zones and the Agricultural Zones where all Fences may be up to 2.40 metres in Height.
Height, side and rear yardsThe Zoning Bylaw gives no separate side or rear yard height. Its general limit: no fence over 2.13 m (7 ft), except up to 2.40 m in Industrial and Agricultural Zones. Deer fences up to 3.05 m of see-through material.Zoning Bylaw No. 2025-026, s. 5.12.7; Zoning Bylaw No. 2025-026, s. 5.12.8 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
No Fence shall exceed 2.13 metres (7 feet) in Height except in the Industrial Zones and the Agricultural Zones where all Fences may be up to 2.40 metres in Height.
Deer fences shall not exceed 3.05 metres (10 feet) in Height, provided such Fences are constructed of material that permits visibility, such as wire mesh
Corner lots and sightlinesOn a corner site at a street intersection, no fence, wall, hedge or other vegetation higher than 1.0 m above the centre of the intersecting streets, within 4.5 m of the corner (the sight triangle). In all zones the same 1.0 m limit applies to any fence, landscaping, retaining wall or obstruction in the sight triangle.Zoning Bylaw No. 2025-026, s. 5.12.4; Zoning Bylaw No. 2025-026, s. 5.23.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
no Fence, wall, hedge, or other vegetation is permitted at a greater Height than 1.0 metre above the established elevation of the centre point of intersecting highways
In all Zones, no Fence, landscaping, Retaining Wall, or other obstruction shall be erected or permitted at a Height greater than 1.0 metre
Other rulesHeight is measured from ground level to the top of the fence. Barbed wire only in Agricultural and Industrial Zones; razor wire banned. Electric fencing allowed in all zones to protect farms, food gardens, orchards, livestock or bees (warning signs, commercially made, 2.0 m from lot lines outside AG and ALR). No fence within 1.8 m of a pool edge.Zoning Bylaw No. 2025-026, ss. 5.12.1, 5.12.5, 5.12.6, 5.12.10, 5.12.14, 5.12.15, 5.24.2 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
The Height of a Fence shall be determined by measurement from the ground level, at the place on which the Fence is to be located, to the top of the Fence.
The use of barbed wire for fencing is prohibited within all Zones except for Agricultural and Industrial Zones.
The use of razor wire for fencing is prohibited within all Zones.
Electric fencing is permitted in all Zones for the purpose of protecting:
Electric fencing must be commercially manufactured and not hand-made.
No Fence shall be placed closer than 1.8 metres to the edge of a swimming pool or other artificial body of water.
BylawDistrict of Lillooet Zoning Bylaw 2025-026 (adopted January 20, 2026), s. 5.12 Fencing and s. 5.23 Sight Triangle.Zoning Bylaw No. 2025-026, s. 1.1.1; Zoning Bylaw No. 2025-026, s. 5.12 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
This Bylaw may be cited as the “District of Lillooet Zoning Bylaw 2025-026.”
with the District's Subdivision and Development Servicing Bylaw. 5.12 Fencing 5.12.1 The Height of a Fence shall be determined by measurement from the ground level,
District of Lillooet Zoning Bylaw No. 2025-026 Table of Contents

How it works

The Building Bylaw does not apply to a fence, except for retaining walls, so no building permit is needed. A fence must still meet s. 5.12 (Fencing) of the Zoning Bylaw 2025-026. Its general limit is no fence over 2.13 m (7 ft), except up to 2.40 m in Industrial and Agricultural Zones. Deer fences may be up to 3.05 m if made of see-through material. The bylaw gives no separate front-yard, side-yard or rear-yard height.

Height is measured from ground level to the top of the fence. If a fence sits on a retaining wall, the combined height at the parcel line may not exceed 3.8 m.

Steps

  1. Check your zone on the District's Interactive Planning Map (see the zoning-lookup answer).
  2. Keep the fence within the height limit and out of the sight triangle at corners.
  3. Ask the Planning Technician at planning@lillooet.ca or 250-256-4289 if you are unsure.

Good to know

  • Corner lots: no fence, wall, hedge or other vegetation higher than 1.0 m above the centre of the intersecting streets, within 4.5 m of the corner. The same 1.0 m limit applies to any obstruction in the sight triangle in all zones.
  • Barbed wire is allowed only in Agricultural and Industrial Zones; razor wire is banned.
  • Electric fencing is allowed in all zones to protect farms, food gardens, orchards, livestock or bees. It needs warning signs and must be commercially made, 2.0 m from lot lines outside AG and ALR.
  • No fence within 1.8 m of a pool edge. Pool fencing must follow the Building Bylaw.
  • A fencing infraction is a bylaw notice of $300 ($175 if paid within 1-14 days; $500 at 31-60 days).

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Ashcroft · Cache Creek · Logan Lake · Clinton · Lytton · Pemberton

Fence height limits in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

  1. Zoning Bylaw No. 2025-026, District of Lillooet (read 2026-11-08)
  2. Building Bylaw 2021-006, consolidated to June 4, 2025, District of Lillooet (read 2026-11-08)
  3. Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2021-002, District of Lillooet (read 2026-11-08)
  4. Contact Us, District of Lillooet (read 2026-11-08)
  5. Building Permits — Lillooet (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. How answers are checked.