In England you can normally erect a fence up to two metres high without planning permission, dropping to one metre where it adjoins a highway used by vehicles. Ownership is established by the title deeds, not by which side the rails face. Posts fail before panels, so the post and its fixing method decide how long a fence lasts.
- Two metres is the general limit; one metre next to a road used by vehicles.
- The rails-face-the-owner idea is a convention, not proof of ownership. Check the deeds.
- Nobody is obliged to maintain a boundary fence unless the deeds say so.
- Posts rot at ground level. Concrete posts or post sleeves outlast the panels.
How high can you go
The general position in England is that a fence, wall or gate up to two metres high falls within permitted development and needs no application.
There are three qualifications that catch people out.
Next to a highway. Where the boundary adjoins a highway used by vehicles, or a footpath beside one, the limit drops to one metre. That applies to most front gardens, which is why front boundaries are so often lower than people expect.
Height is measured from the higher ground. Where ground levels differ across the boundary, the measurement is taken from the higher side. A two-metre fence on your side can exceed the limit when measured from a neighbour's raised garden.
Listed buildings, conservation areas and planning conditions can remove the permitted development right entirely. New housing estates frequently carry conditions restricting boundary treatments, and those are enforceable regardless of the general rule.
Trellis on top counts towards the height. A 1.8m fence with 300mm of trellis is a 2.1m boundary, and it needs permission.
If you are unsure, the local planning authority will confirm. It costs nothing to ask and considerably more to take a fence down.
Whose fence is it?
This causes more friction than any other garden question, and most of what people believe about it is folklore.
The rails do not prove ownership. The convention that the smooth side faces the neighbour and the rails face the owner is exactly that — a convention. It is often followed and it is not evidence.
The T-mark on the title plan is the real answer. Boundaries on a registered title plan may carry a T-mark on one side; the T sits within the boundary of the property responsible for it. An H-mark, two Ts back to back, indicates a shared boundary.
Many titles say nothing at all. Where the deeds are silent, there is no owner established and no obligation on either party. The boundary is simply there.
You can obtain your title plan from HM Land Registry for a few pounds, which is the sensible first step before spending anything on a boundary.
Nobody has to maintain a fence
This surprises people. There is generally no legal obligation to erect or maintain a boundary fence unless the title imposes one. If a neighbour's fence is falling down and they do not want to replace it, you cannot usually compel them. What you can do is erect your own fence entirely within your boundary — which is the practical solution, and why you sometimes see two fences side by side.
You cannot work on a fence you do not own
Painting, attaching trellis, fixing hanging baskets or nailing anything to a neighbour's fence requires their agreement, as does going onto their land to do it. The same applies in reverse. Where a neighbour's fence is on their side of the boundary, it is theirs, and the reasonable approach is to ask.
Posts fail first
Almost every failed fence we are asked to replace failed at the posts, with sound panels still attached.
The reason is simple. A timber post rots at the point where it meets the ground, because that zone is alternately wet and aerated — the ideal condition for decay. The buried part and the exposed part often remain in reasonable condition while a band at ground level fails completely.
That is why the post, and how it is fixed, decides the lifespan rather than the panels.
Options, roughly in order of longevity:
| Post type | Typical life | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete slotted posts | Longest | Panels drop in; replaceable without disturbing posts |
| Timber post in a concrete collar | Good | Only if the concrete is domed to shed water away |
| Timber post in a metal shoe | Good | Keeps timber clear of the ground entirely |
| Timber post in a driven spike | Moderate | Quick; limited in soft or stony ground |
| Timber post concreted flush | Poor | Water collects at the top of the concrete and rots it |
| Timber post in bare soil | Shortest | A few years at best |
The fifth row is the common mistake. Concreting a post with the concrete finished flat or dished traps water against the timber at exactly the point it is most vulnerable. If a concrete collar is used, it must be domed so water runs off.
Choosing between fence types
- Closeboard (featheredge) — vertical boards on rails, built on site. Strongest, longest lived, and the most expensive. Individual boards can be replaced.
- Lap panel — the standard overlapping-slat panel. Cheap, quick, and the thin slats are the first thing to go in high wind.
- Slatted or contemporary panels — horizontal boards with gaps. Looks current, lets wind through, offers less privacy than it appears to from a distance.
- Picket — front gardens, where the one-metre limit applies anyway.
- Trellis topper — adds height for planting without a solid two metres of timber. Remember it counts towards the height limit.
- Composite — higher upfront cost, no treating, and it does not fade or split like timber. Worth considering where access for future maintenance is awkward.
One point on wind. A solid fence takes the full force of the wind as a sail; a fence with gaps lets some through and is under less load. On an exposed boundary a slatted fence can genuinely outlast a solid one, and a solid fence on tall posts in an exposed spot needs the posts specified accordingly.
Mistakes Coventry homeowners keep making
- Replacing panels and reusing the old posts. The posts were the thing that failed. New panels on rotten posts fail in the next gale.
- Concreting posts flush. Water sits on the concrete and rots the timber at that line. Dome it.
- Trellis pushing the height over two metres without realising it counts.
- Assuming the rail side proves ownership and then pulling down a fence that was not theirs.
- Building the new fence on the boundary line rather than wholly within it, where ownership is unclear.
- Ignoring ground levels. A fence on raised ground is measured from the higher side.
- Not treating cut ends. Pressure treatment does not penetrate the full section; every cut exposes untreated timber.
What it costs
These are the landscaping figures published across this site:
| Job | Typical Coventry guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fencing | £80–£150 per panel | Supplied & fitted |
| Day rate | £150–£250/day | Per landscaper |
| Landscaper, hourly | £15–£40/hr | Task dependent |
| Patio | £80–£150 per m² | Material dependent |
Our published fencing figure is per metre of fence erected. Concrete posts cost more upfront than timber and usually work out cheaper over twenty years, because the posts are what you would otherwise be replacing.
We check the posts before quoting, because new panels on failed posts is money spent twice.
Frequently asked questions
How high can a garden fence be without planning permission?
Generally two metres in England, dropping to one metre where the boundary adjoins a highway used by vehicles or a footpath beside one — which covers most front gardens. Height is measured from the higher ground where levels differ, and any trellis on top counts towards the total.
How do I find out whose fence it is?
The title plan, obtainable from HM Land Registry for a few pounds. A T-mark on the boundary sits within the responsible property; an H-mark means it is shared. Many titles say nothing, in which case no owner is established. The rails-face-the-owner idea is a convention, not evidence.
Does my neighbour have to fix their fence?
Usually not. There is generally no legal obligation to erect or maintain a boundary fence unless the title imposes one. If they will not replace it you cannot normally compel them — but you can erect your own fence entirely within your boundary, which is why two fences side by side are a common sight.
Can I paint my neighbour's fence on my side?
Not without their agreement. If the fence is theirs, painting it, attaching trellis or fixing anything to it needs their permission, as does going onto their land. The same applies in reverse. Asking first is both the legal position and the practical one.
Why do fence posts rot?
At ground level the timber is alternately wet and aerated, which is ideal for decay — so a band at that line fails while the buried and exposed parts stay sound. Concreting a post with the concrete finished flat makes it worse by holding water against the timber. Dome the concrete, or use concrete posts.
Are concrete fence posts better than timber?
For longevity, yes. Concrete slotted posts outlast the panels, and panels can be replaced without disturbing them. They cost more upfront and are less attractive, though a timber post in a metal shoe gets most of the benefit by keeping the timber clear of the ground.
Check the posts before the panels
We quote on what has actually failed, which on most fences is the posts rather than the panels. Free survey across Coventry.