Do You Need Planning Permission for a Fence in Dorset?
Do you need planning permission for a fence? For most back gardens in Dorset and Hampshire the answer is no, as long as it stays at or under 2 metres. It's the front garden, the corner plot and the new-build estate where people get caught out, and it's a question we get asked on almost every fencing job we price in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch.
Here's how the rules actually work, where the grey areas are, and what we check before a single post goes in.
The two numbers that matter: 1 metre and 2 metres
Fences, walls and gates fall under permitted development (Class A of Part 2 of the national rules), which means you can put them up without applying, within limits:
Up to 2 metres high on any boundary that isn't next to a road.
Up to 1 metre high where the fence, wall or gate sits next to a highway used by vehicles, or the pavement running alongside one.
A like-for-like replacement, same height and same line, normally needs no permission at all, even if the old fence was over the limit.
That 1 metre figure is the one that trips people up. A 6ft closeboard fence along the front of a house in Winton or Parkstone, right on the pavement, is over the limit by around 80cm and would need a planning application. Put the exact same fence down the side between two back gardens and it's fine.
How height is measured, and why trellis counts
Height is taken from natural ground level, not from the top of a raised bed or a pile of soil you've built up against the boundary. On a sloping garden, which is common enough around Lower Parkstone and the hillier bits of Southampton, a fence that measures 2 metres on your side can stand noticeably taller on your neighbour's lower side. That's usually where complaints start.
Trellis, lattice toppers and gravel boards all count towards the total. A 1.8m panel on a 150mm gravel board with 300mm of trellis on top comes out at 2.25 metres, which technically needs permission. Most councils won't chase a few centimetres on their own initiative, but if a neighbour complains, BCP Council or Dorset Council can take enforcement action. We set fence lines and heights from a string line and levels before we dig, so the finished height is something we've chosen with you, not something that just happens.
When you'll need permission even under 2 metres
Permitted development rights don't apply everywhere. You'll need to apply if:
Your home is listed, or the fence sits within the grounds of a listed building. Listed building consent may be needed as well.
An Article 4 direction has removed fencing rights. Some conservation areas use these to protect low front walls and hedges, so it's worth checking before you replace a front boundary in a conservation area anywhere from Christchurch to Winchester.
The original planning permission for your house has a condition about boundaries. This is very common on newer estates around Poole, Southampton and Fareham, where open-plan front gardens were part of the approval.
Corner plots deserve a mention of their own. A side garden that runs along a road counts as being next to a highway, so the 1 metre limit applies there too, even though it feels like part of the back garden. Gates follow the same rules as fences, and that includes the brick piers either side of them.
What an application costs, and what the fence costs
If your fence does need permission, it's a standalone application for a 'means of enclosure'. Since April 2026 the council fee in England is £272, paid to BCP Council, Dorset Council or the relevant Hampshire authority rather than to us, and a decision normally comes within eight weeks. If you're fairly sure you're within the rules but want it confirmed in writing, a lawful development certificate costs half the application fee. That's handy if you're planning to sell, because buyers' solicitors do ask about boundaries.
As for the fence itself, a 1.8m closeboard fence with concrete posts and gravel boards typically comes in at around £100 to £160 per metre fitted with us. Where you land in that range depends on access, ground conditions and whether old fencing and concrete footings need breaking out first. A double timber driveway gate, fitted, runs roughly £550 to £1,100 before any automation. Exposed coastal plots need extra care, and we often upsize posts and footings there, something we went into in our guide to storm-proof fencing in Highcliffe and Mudeford.
How we handle it on a fencing job
Before we quote any boundary work, whether it's a simple back-garden run or fencing and automated gates with brick piers, we check three things: the height against any road, whether the property is listed or in a conservation area, and whether there's a planning condition on the house. If something needs an application we'll tell you at the survey, and we can prepare the drawings and submit it for you so the job isn't left waiting.
One more thing, and it costs nothing: have a quick word with your neighbour before anything goes up. It isn't a legal requirement for a fence on your own land, but it saves a lot of grief, especially when old posts are sitting right on the line and nobody's quite sure whose they are.
Related reading
Planning a new fence or gate in Dorset or Hampshire?
We fit fencing and gates across Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch, Southampton and the villages in between, and we'll tell you straight whether you need permission before any money changes hands. Book a site visit with Complete Builds and we'll measure up, check the rules for your address and give you a clear written quote.
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