Good news: most garden fences fall under "permitted development" and need no planning application. However, there are important exceptions. The Planning Portal guidance below covers England.
The same rules cover gates and garden walls. Hedges are different, because you do not need planning permission for a hedge as such.
When you do not need planning permission
You do not need permission if the fence is 2 metres or less (1 metre or less where it is next to a highway used by vehicles, including its footpath), and your permitted development rights have not been removed. You can also replace a fence that is already over the limit, as long as the new one is no taller. However, the other exceptions below still apply.
When you do need planning permission
There are four main cases, and any one of them is enough. Some are easy to miss, because they depend on your home's history. Read the list before you order materials.
- The fence exceeds 2m, or 1m next to a vehicle highway
- Your property is a listed building or within its curtilage, or your boundary adjoins a neighbouring listed building
- An Article 4 direction has removed the right to put up fences, which is most common in conservation areas
- A condition on your property's original planning permission removes the right
You may also need permission to take down a fence in a conservation area. If you need permission, apply to your local council, because a fee applies. Ask your installer what they know, but check with the council before you build.
Article 4 directions and conditions
An Article 4 direction removes permitted development rights in a set area. The Welsh Government says these are most common in conservation areas. However, your solicitor may have told you if one applies, or you can ask the local planning authority.
A planning condition works differently, because it attaches to the original permission for your home. The local planning authority holds a register where you can check. As a result, a home can carry a fence rule that its neighbours do not.
Wales and Scotland
Although Scotland and Wales set their own rules, Wales uses the same limits as England. The Welsh Government adds that you might need conservation area consent to take down a fence in a conservation area.
Scotland, in contrast, has its own rules. According to mygov.scot, a fence at a house cannot be higher than 2 metres, or 1 metre if it faces a road or extends past the front or side of the house. It also cannot go in a conservation area or in the grounds of a listed building.
How to check
- Measure the intended height from ground level, including the gravel board and trellis.
- Check whether your boundary faces a road used by vehicles, or its footpath.
- Search your local planning authority's website, or call the council's planning team.
Take the measurement at the tallest point, because the limit applies to the height above ground level. If you plan trellis on top, add it to the total. As a result, a 1.8m fence with 0.3m of trellis is 2.1m, which is over the 2m limit.
Write down what you find before you hire anyone. A short note of the height, the boundary type and any conservation area or listed building nearby helps an installer quote accurately. Meanwhile, your council can confirm whether a direction or condition applies.
Once you know what you can build, get free quotes from local fencing installers. They can advise on materials, although the planning check stays with you.