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Do I need planning permission for a fence in Ireland?

Usually not below the height limits. A fence is treated the same as a boundary wall under Class 9 of Schedule 2 to the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, so it is exempted development up to 1.2 metres facing a public road, or up to 2 metres elsewhere, subject to sightline conditions.

A fence is assessed under the same exemption as a boundary wall — Class 9 of Schedule 2 to the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (as amended) — since the regulations group walls, fences, railings and similar boundary treatments together for planning purposes.

The same height limits apply: generally up to 1.2 metres where the fence bounds a public road, and up to 2 metres for fences elsewhere within the curtilage, for example along a side or rear garden boundary, provided the fence does not obstruct sightlines for road users.

A taller garden fence built for privacy — for example to screen a rear garden from an adjoining property that is higher up a slope — can exceed the 2 metre limit and would then need planning permission, since the exemption does not distinguish privacy screening from an ordinary boundary fence in terms of the height cap.

Checklist for a garden fence

Confirm before installing or replacing a fence:

  • Height is 1.2 metres or less where it faces or borders a public road
  • Height is 2 metres or less elsewhere on the site
  • It does not create a sightline hazard at a junction or bend
  • It is positioned on your own boundary or an agreed shared line
  • The property does not have a specific planning condition restricting boundary treatments
  • The fence does not sit on top of, or replace, a retaining structure without separate assessment

Where extra privacy is needed beyond the 2 metre limit, options such as trellis on top of a compliant fence, planting, or negotiating with the neighbour are often more practical than seeking planning permission for full-height solid screening.

Boundary disputes

A dispute about exactly where the boundary line runs is a civil law and land registry matter, not a planning question, and should be checked against the folio and Land Registry map before any fence is erected on a contested line.

Sources

Last reviewed 20 August 2026. General information only — not legal or planning advice.

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