Boundaries are the one part of a garden where getting it wrong involves someone else. Worth an hour of checking first.
Establish whose boundary it is, where the line actually runs, whether anything is protected, and what the neighbour thinks — before anything is fixed in the ground.
Changing what is on a boundary is easy. Changing where it runs is not, and the two get confused surprisingly often.
| Commonly believed | Reality |
|---|---|
| "The left-hand fence is always yours" | No such rule exists |
| "The posts face the owner's side" | A convention, not evidence |
| "You must fence your boundary" | Generally no obligation unless the deeds impose one |
| "The fence sits on the boundary line" | Sometimes; often just inside one side |
| "If I paid for it, it is mine" | Paying does not transfer boundary ownership |
On an established residential area with older properties, deeds are more likely to be silent or vague than on a modern estate — so it is worth looking rather than assuming, and worth being relaxed if the answer turns out to be that nobody owns it.
Tell us what you need and we will arrange a free quotation.
Worth thinking about carefully on a larger established garden, where a mature boundary is a structural feature rather than just an edge. A long-established hedge gives height beyond what a fence is permitted, screening from upstairs windows, wildlife habitat, sound absorption and a softness that a timber line cannot replicate. A fence gives ground, permanence, definition and no maintenance. On a large plot the ground you recover matters less and the screening you lose matters more — which frequently makes keeping and restoring the hedge the better answer.
See what our garden fencing service covers in Henleaze, or read more about the service across the areas we work in.
Check your title plan from HM Land Registry for T-marks — the stem of the T sits on the side responsible — and check the transfer for a maintenance covenant.
No. There is no such rule in law, and very often the deeds say nothing at all — in which case neither party owns it and neither is obliged to fence.
Often. In an established area deeds are more likely to be silent or vague than on a modern estate, so it is worth looking rather than assuming.
Clear the boundary first, since overgrowth hides it. Over a long run small errors compound, so agree anything doubtful in writing before building.
Height limits, Tree Preservation Orders, conservation area status, listed building status and restrictive covenants. Bristol City Council covers the planning side.
Yes, before rather than during. Most fencing needs access to the far side, and a change in height or style affects their garden too.
More than you gain, often. The ground recovered matters less on a large garden, and the screening, height and softness lost matter more.
Early in any larger project, and always before turfing. Combine the stages so hedge waste, old fence and post spoil leave together.
Need tree surgery, hedge maintenance, fencing, garden clearance, turfing or power washing? Complete the form and tell us what work you require.
