Rules & permissions
How Tall Can I Build My Fence?
Two metres is the general figure most gardens work to, one metre applies where a boundary adjoins a highway, and both can be overridden by conditions attached to your particular property.
Height is the boundary question with the clearest general answer and the most exceptions. The headline figures are easy to remember, but they are permitted development allowances rather than absolute rights, and several ordinary situations remove them entirely.
This page sets out the general position in plain terms and then the checks that decide whether it applies to your garden.
The general position
Under permitted development rights in England, a fence, wall or gate can usually be built up to 2 metres in height without planning permission, measured from ground level. Where the boundary adjoins a highway used by vehicles, or the footpath alongside such a highway, that allowance generally drops to 1 metre.
- 2 metres is the general maximum for rear and side garden boundaries
- 1 metre applies next to a road used by vehicles and its footpath
- Height is measured from the natural ground level on the higher side
- Trellis on top counts towards the total height, it is not a free extra
When those figures do not apply to you
Permitted development can be removed or restricted, and it happens more often than people expect. Listed buildings, conservation areas, new build estates with planning conditions and properties with restrictive covenants in the deeds all commonly carry tighter limits.
- Listed property, where consent is likely to be needed for boundary work
- Article 4 directions and conservation areas in some boroughs
- Planning conditions on newer developments limiting front boundary treatments
- Restrictive covenants in the title deeds, which are separate from planning entirely
Front gardens are the usual sticking point
Most height problems we see are at the front, because the 1 metre allowance next to a highway surprises people who assumed 2 metres applied everywhere. If you want more height and privacy at the front, that is often a planning application rather than something to press ahead with and hope.
Sloping ground and stepped fences
On a slope, height is not one number. A fence stepped down a gradient has a different height at every step, and it is measured at ground level rather than averaged. Getting this right matters both for compliance and for the fence looking deliberate rather than accidental.
The honest caveat
Rules vary by nation and by council, and your property may carry conditions nobody can see from the street. Always check with your local planning authority and read your own deeds before committing to a height, particularly at the front. We can build to whatever height is permitted, and we will happily talk through the options on 07885907880.
Frequently asked
Can I build a 2 metre fence without permission?
Usually yes in a rear or side garden under permitted development, provided nothing specific to your property restricts it. Next to a highway the general allowance is lower.
Why is the limit 1 metre at the front of my house?
Because the boundary adjoins a highway used by vehicles or its footpath, where visibility and safety are the concern, so the general allowance is reduced.
Does trellis on top of a fence count towards the height?
Yes. The overall height including any trellis or lattice is what is measured, so adding trellis to a 2 metre fence can take it over the allowance.
How is fence height measured on sloping ground?
From ground level at each point rather than as an average, which is why a stepped fence on a slope needs setting out carefully.
Can my deeds limit my fence height?
They can. Restrictive covenants operate separately from planning rules, so a height that is permitted development may still breach an obligation in your title.
What if my neighbour's fence is too tall?
It is a matter for the local planning authority rather than something to resolve yourself. Speak to the council's planning enforcement team for guidance.
Not sure what height suits your boundary?
We will talk through what is permitted, what looks right and what the wind on your side will allow, then price it once you have decided.