Who owns the fence? Boundaries, garden walls and neighbour disputes in London - and how to brief a fencer without starting a feud

A new fence is one of the more affordable outdoor jobs a London household will commission. A boundary dispute is one of the most expensive. The two are more closely connected than many people realise: neighbours rarely fall out over the price of featheredge boards, but they do fall out over where the posts went, whose side the rails face, and whether the old wall that came down was ever yours to remove.

This guide explains how ownership of boundaries actually works in England, when the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies to garden walls, the low-cost routes for settling a boundary with a neighbour, and what to agree with a fencing contractor before any posts go in. It complements our page on fencing rules in London, which covers heights, planning and conservation areas. Sources were checked on 21 October 2026.

Start with what the records do - and do not - show

GOV.UK's guide to your property boundaries is blunt: in England and Wales there is usually no record of the exact boundary between two properties, or of who owns the hedge, wall, tree or fence between them. Most title plans show only the general position of a boundary, and for most purposes you do not need anything more precise.

It is still worth getting the documents before you spend money. HM Land Registry charges £7 for a title register or a title plan online. Look at:

• The title plan for the general line of the boundary and any "T" marks.
• The register for any covenants that oblige an owner to erect or maintain a fence, and any notes about boundary agreements or determined boundaries.
• Your neighbour's title, which you can also obtain; the obligation may be recorded on their side.
• Older deeds, if you have them, from before the property was first registered.

Treat "T" marks and folk wisdom ("the fence on your left is yours") with caution. A T mark may record who must maintain a boundary under the original conveyance; it does not reliably tell you where the legal line runs. If the answer matters, ask a solicitor to read the documents.

Fences, garden walls and the Party Wall Act

The government's explanatory booklet on the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 draws an important distinction:

• A party fence wall is a wall that is not part of a building, stands astride the boundary between lands of different owners and is used to separate them - "for example a masonry garden wall". This does not include wooden fences or hedges.
• A garden wall built wholly on one owner's land is a boundary wall, not a party wall.

So replacing a timber fence on your own side does not engage the Act. Work on a shared brick garden wall can, and building a new masonry wall on the line of junction certainly does:

• To build a new party wall or party fence wall astride the boundary, you must serve notice at least one month before the planned start. There is no right to build astride the boundary without your neighbour's written consent; if they do not consent within 14 days, you must build wholly on your own land.
• To build a new wall up against the boundary, wholly on your land, notice is also required, and you may start one month after serving it unless agreed otherwise. You must compensate the neighbour for any damage, including from footings placed under their land.
• Notices are valid for a year, so do not serve them too early. The booklet includes example letters you can adapt.

The booklet notes there are no enforcement procedures for failure to serve notice, but a neighbour may seek a court injunction to stop the work. In London, where many terraces share old brick garden walls, it is worth checking before a contractor takes one down "because it was leaning anyway".

Settling a boundary without a fight

Most boundary questions can be settled over the garden wall, quite literally. GOV.UK suggests an informal conversation first and points to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors helpline scheme for advice on boundary disagreements. If you want something more formal, there are two Land Registry routes, both described on GOV.UK:

A boundary agreement

You and your neighbour can record where the boundary runs and who is responsible for maintaining a hedge, wall or fence. The agreement can be noted on both registers by sending form AP1 with a £40 fee. It cannot be used to transfer land; if one of you owns land on the other's side of the agreed line, a transfer may be needed. GOV.UK recommends legal advice before signing.

A determined boundary

For a registered property you can apply to have the exact line recorded, using form DB and a plan prepared by a chartered land surveyor. The application fee is £90, plus surveyor's and solicitor's fees. If the neighbour objects and you cannot agree, the application can be referred to a tribunal, where you may face legal costs and could be ordered to pay your neighbour's.

The message from both routes is the same: agreement is cheap, contest is not. A survey and a signed agreement before the fence goes up will almost always cost less than an argument afterwards.

Before you hire a fencer

Agree the line and the details with your neighbour

• Exactly where the posts will go, measured from fixed points, and photographed before the old fence comes out.
• Which way the "good side" faces. There is no general legal rule; agree it.
• Whether the contractor needs access to the neighbour's garden, and on which days.
• Whether costs will be shared. If so, put it in writing, including who pays the contractor.

Check the contractor

• Trade association membership. The Association of Fencing Industries describes itself as the UK's only trade association for the fencing industry and says members must provide insurance, accounts and a positive reference before joining and at renewal. Check its members map rather than relying on a logo.
• TrustMark. AFI members may also be TrustMark registered, which brings expectations of financial protection for deposits and completed work.
• Companies House. For a limited company, check the trading history and directors on Companies House, and that the name matches the quote.
• Public liability insurance, with the certificate in the same name.

Make the quote specific

Most fence failures start below ground. A good written quote should state the post material and size, how deep posts will be set and in what, the board and rail specification, gravel boards, removal of the old fence and footings, waste disposal, and making good. For timber, the Wood Protection Association says posts and other components in contact with the ground should be treated to Use Class 4 under BS 8417, and advises buyers to ask for proof of treatment. Ask your fencer to confirm UC4 in writing.

Before digging, the contractor should check for buried services, particularly in front gardens where gas, water and telecoms connections often run.

Price it against published figures

Checkatrade's fence installation cost guide, in a table last updated in February 2025, gives national ballpark figures of roughly £700 for 36ft up to £3,700 for 200ft of 6ft-high fencing installed, and notes that removing an old fence, difficult access and sloping ground all add cost. These are UK averages, not London prices; treat them as a sense check against at least three written quotes rather than a target.

Red flags

• A fencer who offers to "just move it a few inches" onto the neighbour's side to gain you space.
• Demolishing a shared brick wall without discussing the Party Wall Act.
• Large deposits for standard materials, or cash-only payment.
• No specification of post treatment or depth - "the usual" is not a specification.
• Pressure to start before you have spoken to next door.

If a dispute has already started

1. Stop work, and do not remove anything your neighbour says is theirs.
2. Get both titles and plans from HM Land Registry and any older deeds.
3. Write calmly to your neighbour setting out what you propose; keep copies.
4. Consider a chartered surveyor's report or mediation before solicitors' letters.
5. If a masonry wall is involved, take party wall advice.
6. Remember that, when you come to sell, you may need to disclose disputes on the Law Society's TA6 property information form, so resolving them properly has value beyond the garden.

Sources (checked 21 October 2026): GOV.UK, Your property boundaries; GOV.UK, Search property information from HM Land Registry; The Party Wall etc. Act 1996: explanatory booklet; Association of Fencing Industries, Membership FAQs; Wood Protection Association, Make sure it's 4; Checkatrade, Fence panel installation cost guide; TrustMark; Companies House. Information only; not legal advice.