Planning · checked 28 October 2026
Security fencing and planning permission
Palisade around a house usually needs permission. Here's the rule, the exemptions that do apply, and how to get a definite answer.
Planning rules checked against council guidance on 28 October 2026. This isn't legal advice: confirm with your council. How we check
For a house, plainly: a metal palisade or security fence isn't covered by the planning exemption for walls and fences. If you want palisade around your home, you'll usually need planning permission.
That's from Clare County Council's exempted development FAQ, which says the exemption covers capped walls, railings and wooden fences "but not a metal palisade or security fences". HERMEQ, a fencing supplier, says the same on its palisade page. Businesses, farms and building sites are different cases: check with your council.
Around a house
| Boundary | Height limit to be exempt | Exempt? |
|---|---|---|
| Capped brick, stone or block wall (plain block rendered) | 1.2 m in front, 2 m side or rear | Usually |
| Railings | 1.2 m in front, 2 m side or rear | Usually |
| Wooden fence | 1.2 m in front, 2 m side or rear | Usually |
| Metal palisade fence | Not covered | |
| Other security fencing | Not covered | |
| Gates and gateways | 2 m | Usually |
Source: Clare County Council's exempted development FAQ, read 28 October 2026. Every exemption is "subject to site location, planning history and particulars".
So a homeowner who wants a secure boundary without applying for permission has options: a capped wall, railings or a timber fence within those heights. Palisade or a security mesh fence means a planning application. Many people still choose it, with permission.
Businesses, farms and industrial sites
Planning law has separate exemption classes for industrial, commercial and agricultural land, with their own limits and conditions, and the domestic rules above don't simply carry over. Whether your fence is exempt depends on the site, its planning permission and any conditions on it. Business parks and industrial estates can carry conditions about boundary treatments. Ask the council, or apply for a Section 5 declaration, before you build.
When an exemption doesn't apply
Kildare County Council's exempted development FAQ lists restrictions that take a project out of the exemption, including:
- It would break a condition of an earlier planning permission, such as a requirement to keep front gardens open plan
- It would endanger public safety by creating a traffic hazard or obstructing road users
- Fencing or enclosing land habitually open to or used by the public for recreation in the previous 10 years, or used to reach a mountain
- Obstructing a right of way
- Works in an architectural conservation area that would materially affect its character
The point about land the public has used is worth noting for farms and open sites: fencing off a path people have walked for years can need permission and raise rights-of-way questions.
Getting a definite answer: Section 5
Any owner can ask the council for a formal decision on whether a project is exempt. In Clare, you complete form P07, "Application form for a declaration on development and exempted development (Section 5)", and submit it with a site location map and an €80 fee. Clare says a decision issues in four weeks if no further information is needed, and it can be appealed to An Bord Pleanála. Other councils run the same process with their own forms and fees.
Applying for permission
A planning application for a fence is usually simple: site location map, drawings of the fence and where it runs, and the notices. Include the height, the type, the colour and the gates. A powder coated green or black finish, or mesh instead of palisade, can help where looks are a concern. The contractor can often supply the drawings and product details.
Checklist before you order
- Is the site a house, or business, farm or industrial land?
- What height and type of fence?
- Any conditions on the site's planning permission?
- Is the site a protected structure or in a conservation area?
- Does a public path or right of way cross the line?
- If in doubt, a Section 5 declaration
For driveway gates at home, the rules are set out on our sister site: driveway gates and planning.
This page is a plain-English summary of council guidance, checked on 28 October 2026. It isn't legal advice. Your council decides.
Questions people ask
Do I need planning permission for palisade fencing at my house?
Usually, yes. Clare County Council's guidance says the exemption for walls and fences around a house covers railings and wooden fences "but not a metal palisade or security fences". HERMEQ, a fencing supplier, says the same: around a house, metal palisade isn't exempted development. Check with your council.
What fences are exempt around a house?
Capped walls, railings and wooden fences up to 1.2 m in front of the house and 2 m at the side or rear, according to Clare County Council's guidance, subject to site location, planning history and particulars.
Does a business need planning for security fencing?
It depends on the site, its planning permission and any conditions. The domestic exemptions don't simply carry over. Ask the council or apply for a Section 5 declaration.
What is a Section 5 declaration?
A formal decision from the council on whether a project is exempt. In Clare it's form P07, a site location map and an €80 fee, decided in four weeks if no more information is needed.
Can I fence off land people walk on?
Kildare County Council lists fencing land habitually used by the public for recreation in the previous 10 years among the restrictions on exempted development. Check before you fence.
Get the fence priced for your site
A few taps about the site, and one fencing contractor who covers your county rings you. Or call 087 162 1846 between 8am and 8pm.