Fence and boundary questions
Plain answers to what people ask about a fence or a boundary before they build: council approval, boundary setbacks, overlays and the site plan. Each answer ends with how to read the rules for your own lot.
What a pool fence site plan has to show: the barrier line, gates and their swing, heights and the house, and why it pays to draw it before you build.
Do I need approval for a fence on top of a retaining wall?A fence on a retaining wall adds height and load the wall has to carry. What decides whether it needs approval, who decides, and what the site plan shows.
How high can a fence be without council approval?The height a fence can reach without approval depends on where it runs and what it is. What decides it, who decides, and what the fence drawing shows.
How do I find my property boundaries?The survey plan, the pegs, the state’s map and the fence each say something different about where a boundary runs. Where to look, and when to call a surveyor.
Which boundary is the front on a corner block?On a corner block both street boundaries count, and the council’s rules decide which is the front. How setbacks, fences and the site plan work on a corner lot.
Who pays for a boundary fence?Neighbours usually share the cost of a dividing fence equally, under each state’s own fencing law. How the notice works, what counts, and when you pay alone.
Do I need council approval for a front fence?A front fence is read by the council’s planning rules as well as the building rules. When it may be exempt, when it needs an application, and corners.
Can I put a pool in the front yard?A pool in front of the house is possible on many lots, but the street setback, the barrier and the front fence bring questions a backyard pool does not.
RapidSiteplan reads the council and building rules for your lot from its address, checks the design against them as you place it, and prints the site plan. Site plans and assessments in minutes.