Council Regulations

Building Permit / Dispensation Information

Feature capped picket single gate

General Information

  • A building permit is always required on Front Fences over 1.5 metres high.
  • Each council zone will have a different height limit which will trigger a report and consent (900mm, 1200mm, 1500mm) which is not related to the need for a building permit.
  • Town planning obligations or easements/drainage also need to be considered on some sites.
  • A dispensation will be required for fences up to 1.5 metres high if over council height restrictions, a permit may not be required in these cases.
  • Internal fences over 2 metres high require a permit.
  • Can be extended with open lattice up to 2.5 metres high
  • The first 3 metres from the footpath on side fences needs to be no higher than 1 metre.
  • Corner blocks need to be no more than 1 metre from the intersecting point of the roads (not footpath). One side can be 2m high from this point, the other corner needs to be in line with councils’ restrictions on front fence heights unless dispensation/permit has been applied and approved.

Customer advice

We are unable to help with the permit process as the need for a permit will depend on several factors that we have no way of knowing which includes but is not limited to.

  • If there is a heritage overlay on your property
  • Environmental significance overlay
  • Significant Landscape overlay
  • Building overlay
  • Land subject to Inundation overlay
  • If there is a covenant on the property which restricts the types of feces that can be built.
  • Easements or drainage requirements that need to be considered on some sites.

We also simply do not have the time and resources to spend applying for the permit/dispensation on your behalf. We also do not have a registered building license which limits our ability to do so.

For this reason if a permit is required and the job exceeds $10,000.00 you will likely need to become an owner builder to use Eastside Fencing. (As far as I am aware no Fencing companies in Melbourne have a building license and you will be unlikely to find an actual builder willing to take on the job).

Our advice is

Step 1 – visit our website and follow the link to your local council’s fencing information page on their website. Read the information and call the council for advice on what is required.

Step 2 – If a permit is required you can either apply directly through the council or you can hire a private building surveyor. Our advice is to try and do it yourself as the costs can be quite high to use a building surveyor and they do not include the plans that will need to be obtained separately through a Draftsman. Even if a permit is not required these plans will still be required for a dispensation.

Step 3 – Obtain Plans from a Draftsman, these include:

  • A site plan with the proposed setback of the fence from the allotment boundary and footings and considers easements and other items relating to the property.
  • Elevation drawings which include the material used, sizes of material, all measurements and a section detail drawing of the footings. Our quote has the measurements clearly shown and all material sizes are itemized. We can help your draftsman interpret these plans if required.

Step 4 – Present plans to the council and follow their advice. This will differ from council to council and job to job so we cannot be any more specific.

Step 5 – Once the permit or dispensation has been received send details across to Eastside Fencing to review the plans and we will update the quotes if required. Occasionally the footings required to get a building permit may be larger than we have allowed for OR the post spaces on the plans may be closer than we have allowed for which can both add to the cost of the job.

Step 6 – Once reviewed by Eastside Fencing, send back your acceptance and we can schedule the job to be built.

EASTSIDE FENCING WILL BUILD IT ONCE YOU’VE GOT YOUR PERMISSION SLIP

It is the responsibility of our valued customers at Eastside Fencing to obtain any permits required to build your new fence. Eastside Fencing can provide you with a basic knowledge of what your Local Council will likely approve, but, as each Council can often have different height requirements (which are subject to change), we have provided links (below) which will take you to ‘your’ Local Council’s Fencing Specification Page:

Please note we do not service all suburbs in each of the council areas listed above.