{"title":"Princeton fence rules: permits and height limits","question":"Do I need a permit to build a fence, and how high can it be?","slug":"fence-rules","place":{"path":"ca/bc/princeton","name":"Princeton","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"building-and-renovating","name":"Building, renovating and your property"},"owner":"municipal","owner_label":"Municipal","owner_body":{"name":"Town of Princeton","url":"https://www.princeton.ca"},"short_answer":"In Princeton, a fence does not need a building permit, but retaining walls do. Zoning limits fence height to 1.2 m (4 ft) in front yard setback areas and 1.8 m (6 ft) in side and rear yard setback areas. Near intersections, nothing may be higher than 1 m within the vision-clearance area.","aliases":["fence height princeton","fence bylaw princeton bc","pool fence princeton","retaining wall permit princeton"],"cost":"No building permit fee for a fence. A retaining wall needs a building permit (see the building-permit-fees answer).","how_long":"Not applicable for a fence.","where":[{"type":"email","label":"Planning Department","value":"planning@princeton.ca"},{"type":"phone","label":"Town Hall","value":"250-295-3135"},{"type":"in_person","label":"Town Hall","value":"151 Vermilion Avenue, Princeton, BC","note":"Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m."}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF)","url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/"},{"title":"Building Bylaw No. 976, 2020 (PDF)","url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/38942/"}],"related":[{"slug":"deck-shed-garage-permit","title":"Princeton permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/deck-shed-garage-permit/"},{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Princeton zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/zoning-lookup/"},{"slug":"building-permit","title":"Princeton building permits: when you need one and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/building-permit/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/keremeos","name":"Keremeos","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/summerland","name":"Summerland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/summerland/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/hope","name":"Hope","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hope/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/penticton","name":"Penticton","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/penticton/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/peachland","name":"Peachland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/peachland/fence-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/oliver","name":"Oliver","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oliver/fence-rules/"}],"topic":{"title":"Fence height limits in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fence-rules/"},"facts":{"permit":{"label":"Permit","value":"No building permit is needed for a fence under the Building Bylaw. Retaining walls are the exception and need a building permit. Zoning height limits still apply.","short":"No building permit","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/38942/","title":"Building Bylaw No. 976, 2020 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 3.3(f) and s. 11.1","quotes":["Except as set out in Part 11 (Retaining Walls) of this bylaw, a fence;","No person may construct, or structurally repair, a retaining wall without a building permit."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"height_front":{"label":"Height, front yard","value":"1.2 m (4 ft) in front yard setback areas.","short":"1.2 m","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/","title":"Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 6.11","quotes":["Fence height shall not exceed 1.2 m (4ft) in front yard setback areas."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"height_side_rear":{"label":"Height, side and rear yards","value":"1.8 m (6 ft) in side and rear yard setback areas; 2.5 m (10 ft) in the BP1, BP2, I1 and I2 zones.","short":"1.8 m","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/","title":"Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 6.10","quotes":["Fence height shall not exceed 1.8m (6 ft) in side and rear yard setback areas, except for the BP1, BP2, I1 and I2 zones where a fence height shall not exceed 2.5 m (10 ft)."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"corner_lots":{"label":"Corner lots and sightlines","value":"Near an intersection, no fence, wall or structure may be higher than 1 m (3 ft) in the area bounded by the street centre lines and a line joining points 25 m (82 ft) from the intersection; hedges and shrubs must not obstruct vision there.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/","title":"Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 4 (definition: Vision Clearance at Intersections)","quotes":["no fence, wall or structure other than a permitted principal building or accessory building shall be erected to a height greater than 1m (3 ft.)","of 25.0m (82.0 ft.) from the point of intersection."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"other_rules":{"label":"Other rules","value":"Height is measured from the average grade within 1.0 m of both sides; 'fence' includes gate, screen, trellis and wall. A swimming pool must be fenced at least 1.22 m high with no openings over 100 mm and a self-closing, self-latching gate. Fences must be kept in good repair (Property Maintenance Bylaw). No barbed-wire or electric-fence rule found.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/","title":"Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 6.9 and s. 4 (definition of Fence)","quotes":["The height of a fence shall be determined by a measurement from the average grade level","“FENCE” includes gate, screen, trellis and wall."]},{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/71635/","title":"Property Maintenance Bylaw No. 1059, 2026 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 4.1(g)","quotes":["a fence to become Unsightly, Unmaintained, unstable, or unsafe;"]},{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/38942/","title":"Building Bylaw No. 976, 2020 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"Part 14, s. 14.2 and 14.4","quotes":["A swimming pool must be enclosed within a fence constructed without footholds or grips that","children may use to climb into the enclosed area, having a minimum height of 1.22 metres and","Access through a fence enclosing a swimming pool must be only through a self-closing and"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Town of Princeton Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013, ss. 6.9 to 6.11 and the vision clearance definition in s. 4; Building Bylaw No. 976, 2020, s. 3.3(f).","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/","title":"Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 1.1","quotes":["Town of Princeton Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013"]},{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/38942/","title":"Building Bylaw No. 976, 2020 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 1.1","quotes":["Building Bylaw No. 976, 2020"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":6,"matched":6,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe Town of Princeton's [Building Bylaw](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/38942/) does not require a building permit for a fence. Retaining walls are the exception and need one. Fence height is set by the [Zoning Bylaw](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/): 1.2 m (4 ft) in front yard setback areas and 1.8 m (6 ft) in side and rear yard setback areas, or 2.5 m (10 ft) in the BP1, BP2, I1 and I2 zones. Height is measured from the average grade within 1.0 m of both sides. \"Fence\" includes a gate, screen, trellis and wall.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Find your property lines and your zone.\n2. Check the limits above with Planning (planning@princeton.ca or 250-295-3135).\n3. For a retaining wall, apply to the Building Department for a building permit.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Near an intersection, no fence, wall or structure may be higher than 1 m (3 ft) in the area bounded by the street centre lines and a line joining points 25 m (82 ft) from the intersection. Hedges and shrubs must not block vision there. This applies in any zone.\n- A swimming pool must be fenced at least 1.22 m high, with no openings over 100 mm and a self-closing, self-latching gate.\n- The Chief Administrative Officer may approve a minor fence-height variance of up to 2 feet (Development Procedures Bylaw 1046).\n- Fences must be kept in good repair under the Property Maintenance Bylaw; the ticket for an unsightly fence is $200 ($100 if paid within 30 days).\n- The bylaws read set no barbed-wire or electric-fence rule.\n- A metal shipping container next to a residential lot needs a 1.8 m screen.","sources":[{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/","title":"Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/38942/","title":"Building Bylaw No. 976, 2020 (PDF), Town of Princeton","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/71635/","title":"Property Maintenance Bylaw No. 1059, 2026 (PDF), Town of Princeton","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.princeton.ca/p/contact-us-","title":"Contact Us, Town of Princeton","accessed":"2026-11-08"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-08","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/fence-rules/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/fence-rules.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/fence-rules.json"}}