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

# Princeton fence rules: permits and height limits

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

**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.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Town of Princeton, https://www.princeton.ca)  
**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:**
- Email: Planning Department, planning@princeton.ca
- Phone: Town Hall, 250-295-3135
- In person: Town Hall, 151 Vermilion Avenue, Princeton, BC (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

## Key facts

- **Permit:** 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.
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 976, 2020, s. 3.3(f) and s. 11.1](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/38942/)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Height, front yard:** 1.2 m (4 ft) in front yard setback areas.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013, s. 6.11](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/)
  - Official wording: "Fence height shall not exceed 1.2 m (4ft) in front yard setback areas."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Height, side and rear yards:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013, s. 6.10](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Corner lots and sightlines:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013, s. 4 (definition: Vision Clearance at Intersections)](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Other rules:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013, s. 6.9 and s. 4 (definition of Fence)](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/)
  - Official wording: "The height of a fence shall be determined by a measurement from the average grade level" … "“FENCE” includes gate, screen, trellis and wall."
  - Source: [Property Maintenance Bylaw No. 1059, 2026, s. 4.1(g)](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/71635/)
  - Official wording: "a fence to become Unsightly, Unmaintained, unstable, or unsafe;"
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 976, 2020, Part 14, s. 14.2 and 14.4](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/38942/)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** 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).
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013, s. 1.1](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/)
  - Official wording: "Town of Princeton Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013"
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 976, 2020, s. 1.1](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/38942/)
  - Official wording: "Building Bylaw No. 976, 2020"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The 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.

## Steps

1. Find your property lines and your zone.
2. Check the limits above with Planning (planning@princeton.ca or 250-295-3135).
3. For a retaining wall, apply to the Building Department for a building permit.

## Good to know

- 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.
- 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.
- The Chief Administrative Officer may approve a minor fence-height variance of up to 2 feet (Development Procedures Bylaw 1046).
- 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).
- The bylaws read set no barbed-wire or electric-fence rule.
- A metal shipping container next to a residential lot needs a 1.8 m screen.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF)](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/)
- [Building Bylaw No. 976, 2020 (PDF)](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/38942/)

## Related questions

- [Princeton permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Princeton zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Princeton building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/building-permit.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Fence height limits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fence-rules.md)
- [Keremeos](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/fence-rules.md)
- [Summerland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/summerland/fence-rules.md)
- [Hope](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hope/fence-rules.md)
- [Penticton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/penticton/fence-rules.md)
- [Peachland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/peachland/fence-rules.md)
- [Oliver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oliver/fence-rules.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Bylaw No. 976, 2020 (PDF), Town of Princeton](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/38942/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Property Maintenance Bylaw No. 1059, 2026 (PDF), Town of Princeton](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/71635/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Contact Us, Town of Princeton](https://www.princeton.ca/p/contact-us-) (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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Town of Princeton. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/fence-rules/_