Each city sets fence height in its zoning bylaw, and the numbers do not match. This guide is the rulebook: the limit in each part of the yard, the corner rule, and how walls and toppers count. If you are deciding whether to fix the fence you have, start with fence repair vs replacement.
How high can a fence be in the Township of Langley?
The Township's rule is section 111.6 of Zoning Bylaw 1987 No. 2500. It covers the R, SR, RM, MH and CRE zones and residential CD zones, but not SR land in agricultural use. Aldergrove is part of the Township, so the same bylaw applies there.
- 1 m inside the front yard setback for your zone
- 1 m inside the triangle at a street corner, 7.5 m along each lot line
- 2 m on any other part of the lot
The limit covers fences, walls, or the two together. If a fence will sit on a wall, or your lot is zoned rural, ask the Township before you build.
What is the fence height limit in the City of Langley?
The City of Langley adopted Zoning Bylaw 2025 No. 3300 on March 9, 2026. Section 2.3 b) caps fences at 2.0 m in residential (R) zones and 2.5 m in other zones. I found no separate front yard number. On a corner lot, section 2.3 e) allows no fence or retaining wall over 0.5 m within 3.0 m of the corner, and nothing over 1 m out to 6.0 m.
What is the fence height limit in Surrey?
Surrey's rule is Part 4, section 23 of Zoning By-law 12000. In residential zones, a fence may not be higher than 1.8 m, or 1.2 m in a required front yard or street side yard. Near a street corner it is 1.0 m, inside the triangle formed by points 9 m along each lot line. A fence can pass 1.8 m only if it meets the height and yard rules for the house itself.
The limits do not apply to hedges, or to an open mesh or chain link fence that does not block the view. Razor wire is banned in every zone.
How tall can a fence be in Abbotsford?
Abbotsford's rule is section 140.5.2 of Zoning Bylaw No. 2400-2014. On lots with a house, duplex, rowhouse, townhouse or apartment, the bylaw's chart allows 1.2 m in front of the house and along a street side. The interior side and the back allow 1.8 m. The city's fence FAQ gives 1.8 m as 5.9 feet, so a 6 foot fence is already over.
Lots zoned A, I, RR, CR or SR sit outside that chart, and the FAQ says there is no fence height limit in the A, RR and CR zones. At street corners, section 140.4.9 keeps a sight triangle clear of fences, buildings and plants between 1.0 m and 3.0 m above the street.
What about White Rock?
White Rock's Zoning Bylaw 2024 No. 2506 lets a fence sit on any part of a lot and reach 2.0 m, unless the bylaw says otherwise for your zone (section 4.12.2). On a corner lot, section 4.12.1 allows nothing over 1.0 m within 4.5 m of the outside corner.
How is fence height measured? Does lattice count?
Abbotsford measures from the ground at the base of the fence to the top. Its drawing labels the limit as the height for all fence features, with the posts and an arched gate inside the line. White Rock measures from the natural ground to the highest point of the fence. So in those two cities, a lattice topper counts.
The other bylaws I read do not mention toppers. I plan as if the topper counts everywhere, and I ask the city when a design is close.
Does a retaining wall count toward fence height?
Often, yes. Surrey counts the retaining wall under a fence as part of the fence. Where the two together pass 1.8 m, the fence on top can be no more than 1.0 m. Abbotsford counts the wall when the fence and wall are less than 1.0 m apart, unless the BC Building Code requires a barrier there. The Township's limit covers fences, walls, or both together.
A tall wall can also need its own permit. The Township's residential construction guide lists retaining walls over 1.2 m as permit work. Surrey needs one over 1.2 m when the wall holds soil that supports a foundation, or sits on a sloping hillside. Abbotsford's FAQ says a fence on a wall over 1.2 m needs a permit for the wall.
Where on the lot can a fence go?
The Township and White Rock let a fence sit on any part of a lot that meets the height and corner rules. Surrey says a fence must be on your own property, and never on City land, a right-of-way or an easement. Abbotsford allows a fence along or inside your property lines, but not over your neighbour's land without their permission.
If you are not sure where the line is, find out before the first hole. Abbotsford points owners to the legal survey at the BC Land Title Office, and Surrey offers a survey certificate on request.
Do I need a permit to build a fence?
For an ordinary fence, the Township, the City of Langley, Surrey and Abbotsford do not ask for a building permit. My fence repair vs replacement guide covers that city by city.
How I handle height on a fence job
I check the bylaw for your address before I set a new post, and the height goes in the written scope. That goes for fence repair in Langley, fence repair in Surrey, fence repair in Abbotsford and fence and deck repair in White Rock. For where my work stops and a permit or trade starts, see what a handyman can legally do in BC.
Every job I take gets a written scope before I start, so the price is agreed in advance and the list stays the list.
Want me to take this one on? My page on fence and deck repair covers what the visit includes, what I hand off, and how I price it.
