Burnaby replaced the 1965 zoning bylaw on July 1, 2026. The adopted 2026 zoning rules and the parcel’s new zone must control; old 1965 fence figures cannot be reused without validating the new section.
A height appears only when the researched local material is clear enough to automate without hiding a major condition.
Check fence height →Check the fence by where it sits on the lot, not only by its overall height. Front yards, interior side yards, street-facing side yards, rear yards and corner sight triangles can use different limits. A retaining wall below the fence can also change how the municipality measures the combined structure.
Confirm the legal property line before placing posts. Utility easements, rights-of-way and drainage routes can restrict a fence even when its height complies. If the fence encloses a pool or hot tub, use the municipality’s separate enclosure and gate rules rather than relying on the ordinary residential-fence result.
For an over-height fence, unusual material, corner lot or fence on top of a retaining wall, confirm whether a development, zoning, building or variance approval is required before buying materials. The official local source below controls if it differs from this guide.
Burnaby’s Zoning Bylaw 2026 page says Bylaw 14815 replaced the former 1965 bylaw on July 1, 2026. Under new Part 4, section 4.5, a fence in a required front yard is generally limited to 1.07 m. Behind the required front yard, the limit is 1.8 m in residential, commercial and public districts, versus 2.4 m in employment, industrial and agricultural districts, subject to specific exceptions. Old search results for section 6 of the repealed bylaw are a poor basis for a new Burnaby fence quote. Use the current mapped zone and determine where the required front yard ends.
Part 4, section 1.5 adds intersection visibility rules. At a street-street corner, a triangular area extends 9 m along each lot line; for lane and street intersections the distance is 6 m, while a lane-lane corner has a stricter three-metre clear zone. In the six- and nine-metre areas, structures above 1.07 m and growth that blocks visibility are restricted. A low front fence can still be badly placed in a lane-lane triangle. Section 4.5 permits an entrance arbor or gate up to 2.6 m high and 1.8 m wide, but it does not turn a tall continuous fence into a gateway.
Burnaby measures from average grade within 0.9 m on both sides. A fence on a retaining wall must use visually different material from that wall, and section 4.6 limits retaining walls to 1.2 m unless a listed exception or variance applies. These provisions matter on sloped North Burnaby lots where a series of terraced walls changes the apparent fence height. Show existing grade, wall and fence separately on a section sketch. The general bylaw also bars sharp wire except for specified industrial or correctional settings. Burnaby’s development planning guidance expressly lists maximum fence and retaining-wall height as matters for a Development Variance Permit. It describes minor variances up to 50% of the applicable limit as typically processed in two to four months, with larger standard variances going to Council. That time and discretion should be part of the decision to pursue extra privacy height. If a property is part of a strata development, check common-property decisions alongside the municipal yard and sightline rules before construction.
Last verified: September 28, 2026. This Burnaby guide summarizes the linked municipal sources for planning; the property’s zoning, survey and any required approval decide the actual design. How we research fence rules →
Burnaby replaced its former zoning bylaw with a new Zoning Bylaw effective July 1, 2026. Use the current bylaw rather than older fence handouts when checking height, siting and the rules for the property’s zoning district.
The City confirms that Zoning Bylaw No. 14815 replaced the 1965 zoning bylaw effective July 1, 2026. Its online consolidation supplies the new zoning districts and general regulations.
Older search results and older Burnaby PDF copies still show 1965 Bylaw fence sections. Do not cite those as the operative 2026 fence-height authority.
A current 2026 fence-specific numeric provision has not been extracted and checked here. The height checker must continue to withhold a citywide numeric approval for Burnaby.
This is a planning summary, not property-specific approval. Check the municipality’s current bylaw, zoning, grade, street sightlines, easements and any pool rules before construction.
Burnaby — 2026 Zoning Bylaw No. 14815 ↗ — checked October 7, 2026; scope: adopted zoning version verified heights unverified.
Burnaby — official fence/zoning source ↗Page data snapshot updated September 20, 2026. Use the current city bylaw and any property-specific approval over this summary if they conflict.
