Rules & permissions
Do I Need Planning Permission for a New Fence?
Most replacement fences at the same height need no permission at all. Permission enters the picture with extra height, front boundaries next to a road, and properties where permitted development has been removed.
The short version is that a lot of fencing work is covered by permitted development, so no application is needed. The useful version is knowing the handful of circumstances where that stops being true, because finding out afterwards is expensive.
Below are the situations that genuinely need checking, and how to check them quickly before any timber is ordered.
When you almost certainly do not need permission
Replacing a fence like for like at the same height, in a rear or side garden, on a property with normal permitted development rights, is routine work that does not need an application. Repairs and maintenance to an existing boundary are not a planning matter either.
- Like for like replacement at the existing height
- A new rear or side boundary within the general height allowance
- Repairs, replacing damaged panels, resetting or replacing posts
When permission is likely to be needed
The clearest triggers are height and position. Going above the general allowance, or above the lower limit where a boundary adjoins a highway, needs an application. So does boundary work at a listed property, and sometimes work in a conservation area depending on the borough.
- Any fence above the general 2 metre allowance
- Above 1 metre where the boundary adjoins a road used by vehicles or its footpath
- Works to or affecting a listed building or its curtilage
- Areas where an Article 4 direction has removed permitted development rights
Covenants are a separate matter
It catches people out regularly. Planning permission and restrictive covenants are two different systems. A covenant in your title deeds can prohibit a fence that planning rules would allow, and the council will not tell you about it because it is not their concern.
How to check in an afternoon
Two phone calls and one document reading is usually enough. Call the planning department and describe what you want, in metres, and where. Read your title register for covenants. If either raises a doubt, get it in writing before ordering materials.
- Ask the council specifically about the boundary in question, not fences generally
- Check whether your address sits in a conservation area on the council's map
- Read the covenants section of your title register carefully
We work to whatever is permitted
Once you know where you stand, we will build to it. If you would rather sanity check a height before you ring the council, drop us a line through the contact page and we will tell you what we know, and what needs asking.
Frequently asked
Do I need permission to replace an existing fence?
Generally not, if it goes back at the same height and the property has normal permitted development rights. Like for like replacement is routine work.
Does a fence over 2 metres always need permission?
In practice yes, because the general permitted development allowance stops there. Anything taller is normally an application to the local planning authority.
Is a fence in a conservation area different?
It can be, depending on the borough and whether an Article 4 direction applies. Checking with the council first is the only safe approach.
What happens if I build a fence without needed permission?
The council can require it to be reduced or removed. It is a costly way to find out, which is why a short call beforehand is worth the time.
Does planning permission cover restrictive covenants?
No, they are entirely separate. A covenant in your deeds can restrict a fence that planning rules permit, so both need checking.
We build to whatever is permitted
Check the position with your council and your deeds, then let us know the height you can have and we will price it properly.