Front Fence Council Approval

How High Can a Front Fence Be in Perth?

Solid up to 1.2 metres above natural ground level. Above that, the fence has to be visually permeable. Pillars are an exception and may go to 1.8 metres, provided they are no more than 400 by 400 millimetres and are separated by permeable sections. The visually permeable part above 1.2 metres has no stated height limit of its own under the R-Codes, though local laws often impose one.

So it is not “1.2 metres and stop”. It is solid to 1.2, open above.

What a “Visually Permeable” Fence Actually Means

This is the definition that decides your fence, and it is more specific than most people expect. Viewed directly from the street, the The R-Codes allow continuous vertical or horizontal gaps that meet either of these tests:

Gaps at least 50 mm wide, making up at least one-third of the relevant surface area.
Gaps narrower than 50 mm, making up at least half of the relevant surface area.

An alternative surface can also qualify if it offers an equal or less obstructed view.

A slatted fence is not automatically compliant. Check the slat widths, gaps and full panel design for the section above 1.2 m.

Pillars In a Front Fence

Solid pillars are permitted above 1.2 metres, within limits:

maximum 1.8 metres high
maximum 400 by 400 millimetres horizontal dimension
must be separated by a section of visually permeable fence

A row of closely spaced piers with narrow infill panels is not a deemed-to-comply fence. It is a solid fence with gaps in it.

Front Fence Sight Line Truncation

The one that catches almost everyone, and it overrides everything above.

Where a driveway meets the street, or where two streets intersect, no structure may be higher than 0.75 metres within 1.5 metres of that point. Whether or not it is visually permeable.

So the permeability concession does not apply in the truncation. Not a permeable fence, not a pillar, not a letterbox, not a shrub in a raised planter.

Draw the truncation on your site plan. It is the single most common reason a front fence application comes back, and it is the easiest thing in the world to design around once you know it exists.

Do You Need Council Approval for a Front Fence?

Planning approval is not required where the fence meets the deemed-to-comply standards above. Exceed 1.2 metres solid, use insufficiently permeable material above that, oversize the pillars, or build into the truncation, and you need development approval.

A building permit may be required. A fence is a Class 10b structure under the National Construction Code, along with masts, antennas, retaining walls, freestanding walls and swimming pools. Whether a permit is needed depends on the fence type, its height and your council’s local laws.

Retaining changes the answer. Where a fence sits on top of a retaining wall, the retaining wall height is included in the overall height for assessment. That combination catches people on sloping blocks, because a 1.2 metre fence on a 600 millimetre retaining wall is not a 1.2 metre fence.

Local Laws Override This Page

More than on almost any other topic we write about.

The R-Codes front fence standards may be varied by a local planning policy. A council can change the height of the visually permeable section, reduce the 1.2 metre solid height, or change the 1.8 metre pillar limit.

Separately, most local governments have local laws relating to fencing that impose a maximum overall height, and those sit outside the R-Codes entirely.

So check three things before you build: the R-Codes standards, your council’s local planning policy, and your council’s fencing local law. In a heritage area, check a fourth.

Front Fences and Dividing Fences Are Different Things

A distinction worth making, because the two get confused constantly.

A front fence faces the street and is governed by the planning and building framework above.

A dividing fence sits on a boundary between two properties and is governed by the Dividing Fences Act 1961, which deals with who pays and what consent is needed. Different legislation, different question.

If you are arguing with a neighbour about a side fence, that is a dividing fences matter, not a planning one.

Why Front Fences Have These Rules at All

Worth understanding, because it tells you what to argue if you need a variation.

The provisions exist for passive surveillance. A solid high fence removes the connection between the house and the street, which reduces the natural policing that comes from people being able to see out and in. It also creates concealment and attracts graffiti.

So a justification for a taller or more solid fence works best where it demonstrates that surveillance is preserved another way, or that the streetscape is not harmed. Noise from a busy road, an unusual level difference, or an established pattern of similar fences on the street are the arguments that land.

Where you do need approval, see justification letters.

What You Need to Lodge

site plan at 1:200 showing the fence, the boundaries, the driveway and the sight line truncation drawn
elevation showing the fence, with the 1.2 metre line, pillar dimensions and the permeable section dimensioned
the permeability calculation, showing gap widths and the percentage of open surface area
materials and colours
levels, where there is retaining involved

That permeability calculation is the thing most sets leave out. An assessor should not have to work out whether your fence complies.

Front Fence Questions

How high can a front fence be in WA?

Solid to 1.2 metres above natural ground level, with visually permeable material above that. Pillars may reach 1.8 metres where they are no more than 400 by 400 millimetres and separated by permeable sections. Local laws often impose a maximum overall height.

What does visually permeable mean for a fence?

Gaps of 50mm or more occupying at least one third of the surface area, or gaps under 50mm occupying at least half, or a surface offering equal or lesser obstruction to view.

Do I need council approval for a front fence?

Not if it meets the deemed-to-comply standards. You will need development approval if it is taller or more solid than allowed, and you may need a building permit because a fence is a Class 10b structure.

Can I build a solid front fence?

Solid to 1.2 metres. Above that it has to be visually permeable, apart from compliant pillars. A taller solid fence needs development approval and a justification.

What is the rule near my driveway?

Nothing higher than 0.75 metres within 1.5 metres of where the driveway meets the street, regardless of whether it is visually permeable.

Does a retaining wall count toward the fence height?

Where a fence sits above a concurrently proposed retaining wall, the retaining height is included in the overall height for assessment. On a sloping block that changes the answer.