Choosing a fence for your garden
Close-board and feather-edge fences are built in place from overlapping boards on rails, and they stand up well to wind. Lap and other ready-made panels are quicker to fit but vary a lot in quality. Slatted or hit-and-miss designs let some wind through, which helps on exposed sites. Concrete posts and gravel boards last longer in contact with the ground than timber, while timber posts give a softer look. Ask each landscaper what post type, depth and spacing they'd use for your fence height and exposure.
Fence height and planning rules
Under permitted development in England, you can usually put up a fence, wall or gate up to 2 metres high without planning permission, or up to 1 metre where it's next to a road used by vehicles or its footpath. These rights don't apply around a listed building, and they can be removed by an Article 4 direction or a planning condition, which is common on newer estates with open-plan front gardens. Fence height is measured from ground level, so trellis on top counts. Check with your council if you're unsure.
Boundaries and neighbours
Before replacing a boundary fence, check who it belongs to. Your title deeds or transfer may say, but Land Registry plans normally show general boundaries rather than an exact line, so talk to your neighbour first if there's any doubt. It helps to agree access to their side and where the new posts will go. A brick garden wall shared with a neighbour can fall under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, though timber fences don't. For new garden walls, our sister site Local Builders Kent covers bricklaying.
Jobs we can find a landscaper for
- Close-board and feather-edge fencing
- Fence panels with concrete or timber posts
- Slatted and contemporary screens
- Garden gates and side gates
- Gravel boards and trellis
Get a quote for fencing and gates
Available across Kent
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