Fences

Fences

What are the rules about residential fences?

Your fence may be affected by rules in our District Plan. The rules vary depending on where you live and the type of street and boundary your property is on.

This is the rule for building a fence in a residential zone: Fences between buildings on the site and any road, public walkway or reserve shall be no higher than 1.2m in height if not visually permeable, or no more than 1.8m in height if visually permeable.

This means:

• Fences can be built up to 1.2m high
• A fence higher than 1.2m must be visually permeable (that means you must be able to see through 50% of the fence)
• The maximum height for visually permeable fences is 1.8m
• The rule only applies to new fences and fences built after the rule was introduced in 2012

This rule is in place to help create safe and secure neighbourhoods and appealing open spaces.

How do I make sure my fence is visually permeable?

To comply, you must have continuous vertical or horizontal gaps of at least 50mm width between your fence materials – for example:

If you can't meet these requirements, you'll need a resource consent.

What if I’m unhappy with my neighbour’s fence?

Disputes between neighbours regarding fencing or boundaries are not a Council issue. We advise that you contact the Citizens Advice Bureau or a lawyer. The New Zealand Law Society has a guide called Over the fence...are your neighbours which may be useful.