Telkwa fence rules: permits and height limits

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

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

Short answer

In Telkwa a fence does not need a building permit, but the Zoning Bylaw limits it. In residential (R) zones a fence along the front parcel line can be up to 1.2 m high, and a fence anywhere else on the property up to 1.8 m.

Key facts

Permit	No building permit is required under the Building Bylaw: its definition of "structure" excludes fences. The Zoning Bylaw fence limits still apply.Building Bylaw No. 533, 2003, s. 1 "Structure" · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 Official wording but specifically excludes landscaping, fences, paving and retaining structures less than 1.5 meters in height
Height, front yard	In any R (residential) zone, a fence along the front parcel line may be no more than 1.2 m high.Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2022 (PDF, "Consolidated 2023"), s. 15.2.4 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 Official wording In any R Zone, no fence constructed along the front Parcel Line shall exceed 1.2 m in Height
Height, side and rear yards	In any R zone, a fence anywhere else on the property may be no more than 1.8 m high.Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2022 (PDF, "Consolidated 2023"), s. 15.2.4 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 Official wording and no fence constructed elsewhere on the property shall exceed 1.8 metres in Height.
Corner lots and sightlines	On a corner parcel, nothing (fence, hedge, wall, landscaping or structure) may be higher than 0.5 m above street level inside the triangle formed by measuring 6.0 m along the curb lines of the two streets and joining those points.Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2022 (PDF, "Consolidated 2023"), s. 3.18.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 Official wording on a corner Parcel within the shaded space formed by measuring 6.0 m along the curb lines of the two (2) streets and joining these points on the diagonal, no landscaping, screening, fence, hedge, wall, retaining wall, Building or other Structure will be planted or erected to a Height greater than 0.5 m
Other rules	Height is measured from ground level (from the neighbour's ground if on the property line); a fence on a retaining wall includes the wall. No barbed wire, razor wire, electrified wire, sheet metal or corrugated metal in R1, R2, R3, C1, C3 or P zones.Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2022 (PDF, "Consolidated 2023"), s. 15.2.1, 15.2.5 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 Official wording The Height of a fence or wall shall be measured from ground level. No fence in an R1, R2, R3, C1, C3, or P zone shall contain barbed wire, razor wire, electrified wire, sheet metal or corrugated metal.
Bylaw	Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2022, s. 15.2 (fence height and materials) and s. 3.18 (vision clearance at intersections).Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2022 (PDF, "Consolidated 2023"), title · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 Official wording The Village of Telkwa Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2022

How it works

Telkwa's Building Bylaw No. 533 defines "structure" so that it excludes fences, so a fence needs no building permit. The fence rules are in section 15.2 of the Zoning Bylaw No. 747. In any residential (R) zone:

A fence along the front parcel line: no more than 1.2 m high.
A fence anywhere else on the property: no more than 1.8 m high.
All fencing: no more than 2.5 m unless the bylaw says otherwise.

Height is measured from ground level, or from the neighbour's ground if the fence is on the property line. A fence on a retaining wall counts the wall too.

Steps

Find your zone (see the zoning-lookup answer).
Check the height limits above and the corner-lot rule below.
If you want a taller fence, apply to the Village for a Development Variance Permit (see the Planning page).

Good to know

Corner lots: inside the triangle formed by measuring 6.0 m along the curb lines of the two streets and joining those points, nothing (fence, hedge, wall, landscaping or structure) may be higher than 0.5 m above street level.
Barbed wire, razor wire, electrified wire, sheet metal and corrugated metal are not allowed in R1, R2, R3, C1, C3 or P zones.
In C1 and P1 zones the limit is 1.8 m between the front parcel line and the front face of the building.
The Village's guide does not mention fences, and no pool fence rule was found. Ask the Village office about pools.