--- title: Garden wall and fence height rules | Brick2Brick UK url: https://brick2brick.co.uk/guides/garden-wall-and-fence-height-rules/ description: How high a garden wall or fence can be without planning permission: 1 metre by a road, 2 metres elsewhere. Plus listed buildings, wall safety and boundaries. last_updated: 2026-10-16 publisher: Brick2BrickUK Ltd and Fence 2 Fence Ltd --- # How high can a garden wall or fence be? Most garden walls and fences need no planning permission if they stay under set heights. This guide covers the rules from the Planning Portal, the signs that a garden wall needs work, and where the Party Wall Act comes in. ## How high can a fence or wall be without planning permission? The Planning Portal says you will not need planning permission to put up a new fence, wall or gate, or to alter, maintain, improve or take down an existing one, if all of these are true: - next to a highway used by vehicles, or the footpath of one, it is no more than 1 metre high from ground level - anywhere else, it is no more than 2 metres high from ground level - if an existing fence, wall or gate is already over those heights, it is not made any higher - no part of the site is a listed building or within the curtilage of one - it does not form a boundary with a neighbouring listed building or its curtilage - the right to put up or alter fences, walls and gates has not been removed by an Article 4 direction or a planning condition General information, not advice for your property. Rules change and depend on the house: check with your council before you start. ## Does the 1 metre limit only apply to front gardens? The rule is about the road, not the garden. The 1 metre limit applies next to a highway used by vehicles, or the footpath of one. That is often the front boundary, but a side or back boundary on a corner plot can run along a road too. If you are not sure whether your boundary counts, check with your council. ## When do you need planning permission for a wall or fence? If any of the conditions above is not met, the Planning Portal says you will need to apply. In a conservation area you might also need permission to take a fence, wall or gate down. Hedges do not need planning permission as such, unless a planning condition or a covenant restricts planting, for example on open plan estates or where a driver’s view could be blocked. The Planning Portal’s guidance is for England, and it notes that local rules may also apply, so check with your council before you start. ## Do garden walls need building regulations approval? No. The Planning Portal says fences, walls and gates do not need building regulations approval, but they must be structurally sound and maintained. It also warns that garden and boundary walls are among the most common kinds of masonry to collapse, and that your insurance may not cover you if a wall has been neglected. Walls can be weakened by more than age. The Planning Portal lists more wind or driving rain after a nearby wall comes down, trees felled or planted close by, more traffic, and alterations such as cutting in a new gateway. ## How do you tell if a garden wall needs work? The Planning Portal’s checklist, in short: - Crumbling brick faces: a few bricks may not be serious, but crumbling across a face weakens the wall. - Soft mortar: if the joint can be scraped out with a door key, the wall may need [repointing](https://brick2brick.co.uk/guides/glossary/#repointing). - Leaning: seek expert advice if it leans more than 30 mm on a half-brick wall, 70 mm on a one-brick wall, or 100 mm on a brick-and-a-half wall. - Loose tops: brick cappings or concrete [copings](https://brick2brick.co.uk/guides/glossary/#coping) that move, or horizontal cracks a few courses down. - Cracks: hairline cracks up to 2 mm are common; get advice on wider ones, horizontal cracks right through, or cracks near piers and gates. Do not repoint a crack before the cause is known. - Traffic damage: piers at a vehicle entrance that have been knocked may be unsafe and should be rebuilt. - Trees and ivy: roots and unchecked climbers can damage a wall over time. ## Where does the Party Wall Act come in? A masonry garden wall that stands astride the boundary is a party fence wall. Depending on the work, you must give your neighbour notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Wooden fences are not covered. The [Party Wall Act guide](https://brick2brick.co.uk/guides/party-wall-act/) explains the notices and timings. ## What if you and your neighbour disagree about the boundary? The Party Wall Act cannot settle where a boundary is, and a party wall surveyor cannot decide it. The government’s booklet says boundary disputes can go to the courts or to mediation, a decision by an independent expert, or arbitration, which may be simpler, quicker and cheaper. Your title deeds may also matter. Citizens Advice notes that a freehold may carry covenants, including a promise to put up and maintain a boundary fence. Your title register or deeds will say. ## Which walls and fences have Liam’s teams built? A few recent ones: - A boundary wall at Cofton, from the footings to the finish, September 2026: [see the job](https://brick2brick.co.uk/projects/cofton-boundary-wall/). - A wall in Alvechurch taken down and rebuilt like for like in red engineering bricks, topped with blue bricks, 2023. - A wall and fence on the Old Birmingham Road rebuilt after a car crashed into them, an insurance job, January 2024. - A pub wall in Droitwich taken down and rebuilt for a brewery after a tree fell on it. - Close-board fencing with concrete posts and gravel boards by Fence2Fence UK, along a new retaining wall on a Worcestershire job, 2026: [see the job](https://brick2brick.co.uk/projects/worcestershire-extension-patio-and-fence/). ## Questions How high can a garden fence be without planning permission? Up to 2 metres from ground level, or up to 1 metre next to a highway used by vehicles or its footpath, unless the property is listed or the right has been removed. Check with your council if you are unsure. Can I replace a fence that is already over 2 metres? The Planning Portal says you can maintain or improve an existing fence, wall or gate that is already over the limits, as long as you do not make it any higher. Do I need building regulations approval for a garden wall? No, but the wall must be structurally sound and kept in good repair. The Planning Portal advises expert advice for tall walls, walls with piers or gates, and retaining walls. When should a leaning garden wall be checked? The Planning Portal recommends expert advice if a wall leans more than 30 mm (half-brick), 70 mm (one brick) or 100 mm (brick and a half). Sources 1. [Planning Portal: Fences, gates and garden walls, planning permission](https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/fences-gates-and-garden-walls/planning-permission) (checked 16 Oct 2026) 2. [Planning Portal: Fences, gates and garden walls, building regulations](https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/fences-gates-and-garden-walls/building-regulations-general-information) (checked 16 Oct 2026) 3. [Planning Portal: Garden walls, things to check](https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/fences-gates-and-garden-walls/building-regulations-things-to-check) (checked 16 Oct 2026) 4. [GOV.UK: Party walls and building work](https://www.gov.uk/party-walls-building-works) (checked 16 Oct 2026) 5. [GOV.UK: The Party Wall etc Act 1996, explanatory booklet](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-resolving-disputes-in-relation-to-party-walls/the-party-wall-etc-act-1996-explanatory-booklet) (checked 16 Oct 2026) 6. [Citizens Advice: Before you get work done on your home](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/) (checked 16 Oct 2026) ## Related work and jobs - [**Brickwork**Walls, repointing, repairs and chimneys](https://brick2brick.co.uk/brickwork/) - [**Fencing**Close-board with concrete posts](https://brick2brick.co.uk/fencing/) - [**Groundworks**Footings, concrete bases and drainage](https://brick2brick.co.uk/groundworks/) - [**Boundary wall at Cofton, 2026**Project](https://brick2brick.co.uk/projects/cofton-boundary-wall/) ## Talk to Liam about the job Call or WhatsApp 07805 010927, or send the quote form. Photos of the job help: send them on WhatsApp. [Call Liam 07805 010927](tel:+447805010927) [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/447805010927) [Ask for a quote](https://brick2brick.co.uk/contact/#quote) --- ## Contact - Phone and WhatsApp: 07805 010927 (+447805010927) - Email: bricktobrickuk@gmail.com - Areas: Worcester, Bromsgrove, south Birmingham and across the West Midlands. Insurance work across the wider Midlands. - Brick2Brick UK: trading name of Brick2BrickUK Ltd, company number 15473508 (England and Wales) - Fence2Fence UK: trading name of Fence 2 Fence Ltd, company number 17037489 (England and Wales) - Insurance: Brick2Brick UK is insured up to £10 million - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089740392506 (100% recommend on Facebook · 13 reviews)