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Boundary Review

Practical thinking for boundary decisions

Boundary Review

Boundary Review helps UK homeowners and small property managers make calmer, better informed decisions about fences, hedges and screening. Each guide sets out the trade offs, the questions worth asking and the official guidance to check before work starts.

entries: 14 · Updated

Latest guides

3 / 8

More recent field notes

Four measures for a boundary decision

A fence ranks differently depending on what you weigh: how long it lasts, what it asks of you each year, what it costs and how it stands up to wind.

How three common materials compare on four measures
MeasureTimber panelsCompositeMetal railing
Durability10 to 15 years if treated20 to 30 years claimed25 to 40 years
Yearly upkeepInspect fixings, retreat every 2 to 3 yearsWash down, check clipsCheck coatings, touch up rust
Cost bandLowHighMedium to high
ExposureMoves in gales, panels can liftRigid, needs solid postsFlexible, tolerant of gusts

MB

Materials and build

Comparing fence and screening materials on durability, weathering, upkeep and long term cost.

All entries

CR

Care and repair

Seasonal inspection, maintenance and repair routines that keep a boundary structure sound.

All entries

RN

Rules and neighbours

Planning rules, ownership questions and the everyday courtesies of boundary changes.

All entries

The post log

Eight entries in the register, each with its date of publication.

  1. A garden fence bending slightly in strong wind with trees moving in the background
    Wind, exposure and boundary structures MB
  2. A row of fence panels in different materials leaning against a garage wall in a suburban back garden
    Comparing common UK fence panel materials MB
  3. A weathered timber fence panel in close up with a brush and wood stain tin resting on a paving slab
    Timber treatment and how fences weather MB
  4. A clipped garden hedge running alongside a timber fence at the end of a small back garden
    Choosing between a hedge and a fence MB
  5. A wooden trellis panel with climbing plants growing through it above a low garden wall
    Using trellis and climbers for privacy MB
  6. A fence post set into a concrete base at the edge of a lawn with a spirit level nearby
    Fence posts, bases and ground conditions MB
  7. A person in a coat walking along a garden fence with a notepad, checking panels and posts
    A seasonal fence inspection routine CR
  8. A fallen timber fence panel lying on wet grass beside an intact section after a storm
    Repairing storm damaged fence panels CR

Index of terms

Elsewhere on the shelf

Entries kept by other desks, each read before it was shelved here.

Boundary Review is an independent editorial publication. We are not a manufacturer, an installer or a trade body. Every guide sets out the trade offs, upkeep and questions worth asking before work starts. What the official guidance does not settle is the run-off from a concrete base on heavy clay, and that is where most boundary disputes begin.