How high can I make my garden fence?

My house is situated on the top of a hill, I have a small garden - the half nearest the house is a good three feet higher than the bottom half, which is paved and you go down some steps to get to it.


All the fences we have are currently waist height and we would like to not only level the garden but have the normal 6 foot fences as well for privacy.





Here is where it gets complicated, our house is sideways on to our back neighbours, so instead of the bottom of our gardens meeting, our back fence runs parallel to their side fence almost the entire length of their garden.


There is also an alleyway between us.


Because of the hill, the fence is waist height if you were standing in our garden, but 6 foot high if you were standing on the other side in the alleyway, and as a result the back neighbours garden is again lower still.





We would like to do it but find it hard to beleive we would be allowed to put up a fence that would tower over the alley and the neighbours like that.

How high can I make my garden fence?
Your best bet is to phone your local authority planning department who will know the rules and regs inside out. Or should do.
Reply:Leagally you can have a 2 m or 6 ft fence
Reply:i can't say...sorry..
Reply:If you live in england and as long as the fence you build is not bigger than 3 meters high from the pavement then you don't need to put in planning permission. i know this from experience. my fence is 2.9 meters and that old cow across the street who used to let her cats crap in my garden is well miffed about it but theres nothing she can do!!...soz about the rant! but at least my back yard don't stink of cat poop!
Reply:A normal back garden fence is allowed to be 6 ft high. If it is your fence, the height is measured from your garden, taking the general garden height. (You can't ramp up the ground near the fence then go 6 ft on top of the ramp).





However if the fence is 9 ft on the other side, that is quite a wind loading for a fence to take.
Reply:These are always problematical and cause more trouble than any other "permitted development" issue.





The Town %26amp; Country (General Permitted Development) Order makes provision for the erection of a means of enclosure (fence, wall etc) without the need for planning permission subject to height restrictions. These are: 1 metre where the fence is to be erected adjacent to a highway which is used by vehicular traffic and 2 metres in any other case. However, the Order prescribes no method for measuring height where the land is uneven and this is where the problems begin as Councils may take differing views as to where to take the height from. There are those that take the point where the posts enter the ground and others take the "mean" or average level of the surrounding land. You should ask your local planners how they view the position.





Another consideration is that if the Councils view is that you can have your 2 metres from your side then your neighbours, although they will have no right of formal objection, are likely to be extremely annoyed. There would be nothing they could do but you will probably make lifetime enemies of them.





You should be able to make your own enquiries but if you need professional assistance or want to distance yourself from the problem it would cause for the neighbours then please visit our website for contact info.
Reply:Ask at the local planning dept...I think if garden is by a road it is to do with Highways and Byways Law and must be a standard 3'6 and off road it can be 6' and above.......maybe if you explain to them that you and the neighbours want to increase for security they may advise
Reply:in England I'm sure it's 6ft regardless, you could phone your local council office to put your mind at rest
Reply:3 ft.
Reply:hi i think its about 6f max hope it helps bye
Reply:Go and consult your local planning officer