Am I allowed to build a fence or privacy screen on the boundary?
Up to the locally usual height, yes. How high your fence or privacy screen may be is set by the states' neighbour-law acts and the local development plan. Common is 1.5 m to 2 m — in NRW, Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate often up to 2 m, in Bavaria and Saxony 1.5 m without a permit. The benchmark is the locally usual enclosure. You usually must keep about 0.5 m from the boundary; directly on the line only with the neighbour's consent. Very high walls can require a building permit.
📋 The rules
- Permitted height follows state neighbour law and the development plan
- Common: 1.5–2 m (NRW/Hesse/RLP up to 2 m, Bavaria/Saxony 1.5 m without permit)
- Benchmark is the locally usual enclosure in the neighbourhood
- Boundary distance usually ~0.5 m; directly on the line only with the neighbour's consent
- Very high walls/screens can be permit-required
- Living hedges as enclosure have their own distance and height rules
🔓 Exceptions
- With the neighbour's written consent, a higher fence directly on the line is possible
- The development plan/design bylaw may set stricter or different rules
- Plant hedges follow the hedge rules of neighbour law, not the fence rules
⚠️ Penalties & fines
A fence that is too high or non-compliant may have to be cut down or removed at the neighbour's or authority's request — at your cost. A permit-required wall without a permit is an illegal build with a fine and possible removal. In many states a conciliation procedure is mandatory before a lawsuit.
📎 Official sources
- Bußgeldkatalog · garden & neighbour law →
- Nachbarrecht.com · garden fence & enclosure →
- Mein Eigenheim · fence to the neighbour →
❓ Frequently asked
How high can my fence to the neighbour be?
It depends on the state and development plan — usually 1.5 to 2 m. In NRW, Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate often up to 2 m, in Bavaria and Saxony 1.5 m without a permit. What's locally usual in your street is decisive.
Can I put the fence right on the boundary?
Only with the neighbour's consent. Without it you must usually keep about half a metre from the line. A shared boundary structure can be built jointly.
Do I need a permit for a privacy screen?
Up to the locally usual height usually not. Very high screens or walls can be permit-required under the state building code. Ask the building authority if in doubt.
What if my fence is too high?
The neighbour or authority can require you to cut it to the permitted size or remove it — at your cost. For a permit-required but unpermitted wall, a fine and removal are added.
Do the same rules apply to hedges?
No. Living hedges as enclosure follow their own distance and height rules in neighbour law. The closed season from 1 March to 30 September also applies to cutting them back.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
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