You want to replace a tired fence, build a new garden wall, or install a gate. It's one of the most common home improvements in the country - and in most cases, you don't need planning permission. But the rules change depending on where the fence or wall is on your property, and whether it's next to a road.
Fences, walls, and gates fall under Part 2, Class A of the GPDO - separate from the Part 1 rules that cover extensions and outbuildings. The conditions are simple but the consequences of getting them wrong can mean enforcement action or having to take the structure down.
That's the core rule. If your fence or wall is at the back of the garden and doesn't adjoin a road, you can build up to 2 metres. If it's at the front of the house next to the pavement, the limit is 1 metre. Most front garden fences and walls that exceed 1 metre need planning permission.
1 metre next to a road. 2 metres everywhere else. That's the rule that governs every fence and wall in England.
"Adjacent to a highway used by vehicular traffic" is broader than it sounds. A highway includes any road, street, footpath, or public right of way - not just a busy road with cars. A quiet residential street, a shared access drive with public access, and even a bridleway can all count as highways. If the public has a right to pass along it with vehicles (including bicycles), it's likely a highway.
The fence doesn't need to be directly on the highway boundary to be "adjacent" to it. Planning inspectors have generally interpreted "adjacent" as meaning next to or close to - a fence that is separated from the highway by a narrow strip of land may still be considered adjacent.
If you're unsure whether a path or road next to your property counts as a highway, check with your council's highways department. Getting this wrong is the most common reason for enforcement action on fences and walls.
If you're replacing an existing fence or wall, you can build it to either its former height or the PD limit, whichever is greater. This means if there's an existing 1.5-metre fence adjacent to a highway, you can replace it with another 1.5-metre fence even though the PD limit for new fences adjacent to a highway is 1 metre.
However, planning inspectors have ruled that a complete demolition and rebuild - as opposed to maintenance, improvement, or alteration - constitutes a new structure, not a replacement. If you remove an old fence entirely and erect a completely new one in its place, the new structure must meet the standard PD height limits. The safest approach is to maintain or repair the existing structure rather than replacing it wholesale.
Height is measured from natural ground level at the point where the fence or wall stands. On sloping land, this means the fence can appear higher on one side than the other. A 2-metre fence on a retaining wall may be well over 2 metres when seen from the lower side - and this is where neighbour disputes often arise.
Unlike buildings (where the GPDO specifies using the highest ground level), there's no explicit measurement rule for fences in the legislation. At appeal, inspectors have generally used the natural ground level at the time the fence was erected as the datum point. If the ground has been built up or excavated since, the original level is still the reference.
Listed buildings. Any fence, wall, or gate within the curtilage of a listed building, or surrounding a listed building, requires planning permission regardless of height. Listed building consent may also be needed.
Over the height limits. A front fence over 1 metre or a rear fence over 2 metres needs a householder planning application (£548).
Article 4 directions. Some conservation areas restrict changes to boundary treatments - even replacing a hedge with a fence may need permission if an Article 4 direction is in place.
Common mistakes that cost money
Building a 2-metre front fence. If it's adjacent to a highway (and most front boundaries are), the limit is 1 metre. A 2-metre front fence is the single most common fence-related enforcement action in England.
Adding trellis on top of a fence. Trellis counts as part of the fence. A 1.8-metre fence with 300mm of trellis on top is 2.1 metres - over the 2-metre limit and needs planning permission if it's not adjacent to a highway, or over the 1-metre limit if it is.
Confusing boundary ownership with planning rules. You might own the boundary and have the right to erect a fence on it under property law. But you still need to comply with the GPDO height limits. Ownership doesn't exempt you from planning controls.
Not checking the Party Wall Act. If you're building a wall on or near a shared boundary, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may require you to serve notice on your neighbour. This is separate from planning permission.
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Content verified against the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended), Part 2, Class A of Schedule 2 (legislation.gov.uk, revised version). Height measurement interpretation informed by planning appeal decisions and the government's technical guidance. This page is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice.
April 2026