Replacing boundary fence with brick wall

[brightncheerful]

I think (haven't checked that the fence around our garden is ours.

I am considering replacing the fence with a brick wall: the fence panels are beginning to sag in places, the paint on our side is looking shabby and I reckon a brick wall would be easier to maintain and make the garden more attractive.

The position of our house is such that after the back fence of our garden is one neighbour and two further neighbours on one side of the garden; (the fence on the other side is definitely ours).

As the Land Registry emphasises tithe boundaries on title plans are not necessarily accurate, and ownership must be ascertained from the documents (title plans) for the neighbouring properties. I do not want to have to incur the £9 or so fees (and time involved) until we are ready to proceed. ( I shall need also to check whether any restriction so the title, this is a modern housing estate, developed in phases, this one in 1999. It's not a Conservation Area and the house is in England.

I am going to ask our builders for a price for removal, supply and fit new fence posts and panels, also remove all existing and erect brick wall (stock bricks).

Regarding the neighbours, if the fence is ours then as i understand we would not need their permission to replace it, only their co-operation for access to their gardens during the work if we want to repair and renew it. I would expect their co-operation.

I have mind to write to the neighbours (following it up with a visit) to say that subject to checking whether we are the owner of the fence we are looking into the possibility of replacing the fence with a brick wall (same height, the increase in thickness would all be on our side of the garden). There would be advantage to the neighbours as they could affix things (reasonably) to their side of the brick wall if they wanted, without concern it would damage as would and does affect the timber fence. Any comments?

If the fence is joint then we are also considering erecting a brick wall on our land but that would mean having no access to our side of the fence for maintenance.

Any comments?

Whether they would want to paint the wall on their side is up to them:: which brings me to another question. What is the rule/law of the neighbour painting the fence if the fence is ours? (One neighbour )without our permission) has just screwed two screws into their side of the fence to affix a washing line: the screws have penetrated and now protrude on our side of the fence.)

In the front garden, the 'fence' is a low iron railing with railing gate. If I want to replace the railings with a brick wall am i right in thinking the maximum height, within PDR, is 1 metre. Also, would the neighbours on the opposite side of the road be able to object?

tia
Bnc

[AsleepInYorkshire]

Cost alone should be quite prohibitive for a brick garden wall.

AiY

[staffordian]

One consideration might be the foundations. If you build the wall such that the far face is just on your side of the boundary then the foundations will surely need to intrude into next doors garden?

[JohnB]

I would spend the multiples of £9 before writing to neighbours. Brick walls are much more expensive than fences, is the aspect favourable to you, so you can espalier fruit trees etc, where the brick will be better than wood

Good relations with neighbours much more important than protruding screws.

[Arborbridge]

How about talking to the neieghbours? Much better to sell the idea to them and get their blessing than to impose - which is how your text here comes across - and a formal letter might be starting on the wrong foot. If you feel you might need evidence later, then follow up what you've agreed with a letter.

Be BrightNcheerful

Gardens rarely have walls between them and there must be a good reason - probably expense or sometimes there's a covenant preventing them.

Arb.

[JohnB]

Did you know Britain is split into 4 zones, each with suggested thicknesses for each height of wall? https://www.gov.uk/guidance/your-garden ... hicknesses

As a back garden wall should be 6', that's 1 1/2 brick in most parts of the country. https://www.myjobquote.co.uk/costs/buil ... brick-wall has pricing, but seems to radically underestimate labour costs, at least in the SE

Concrete bottom boards and posts, wooden panels would be so much cheaper, and easier to maintain with new panels rather than re-pointing

[Allitnil]

In the front garden, the 'fence' is a low iron railing with railing gate. If I want to replace the railings with a brick wall am i right in thinking the maximum height, within PDR, is 1 metre. Also, would the neighbours on the opposite side of the road be able to object?

That's my understanding of PDR. However, since this is a fairly new housing estate there may be covenants that prohibit errecting walls or solid fences at the front to maintain an open aspect. Whether anyone is in a position to action a breach of such a covenant is another matter (especially if the covenant is written in favour of the builders who no longer care once they've sold all the houses).

Another thing to possibly be aware of is that services (gas, electic, water, phone) could run under where you want to build the wall so that will need to be investigated. Don't just assume that they run under the driveway!

[AsleepInYorkshire]

One consideration might be the foundations. If you build the wall such that the far face is just on your side of the boundary then the foundations will surely need to intrude into next doors garden?

Good point. If designed correctly the foundations can be constructed to stay out of the neighbours garden, albeit the cost will rise accordingly. Alternatively the Party Wall Act should allow a basis for a standard foundation if cost does become an issue, but that's not a guarantee.

AiY

[Dod101]

Are you serious? You want your property to be surrounded by brick walls? Birds do not nest in brick walls for instance but that is up to you. They do not in my book look very attractive. That is up to you.

On the other hand, they are easy to maintain and wash down. You do not sound like a lover of nature. very sad.

Dod

[Howard]

B n C

You are obviously a very wealthy man to begin to plan such a project!

I built a modest brick wall in the garden about one metre high around two sides of a new patio. The bricks cost over £600. And the pre-mix concrete for the foundation cost £240. The self drive digger to dig the footings cost around £200 for a weekend hire. I'm guessing from this that to surround a medium sized garden with much higher brick walls might cost around £5,000 for materials and plant alone. Unless you have a very small garden with very easy access, I'd be surprised if your builder will quote much less than twice this to complete the job with reasonable quality bricks.

In comparison I guess the panels and posts of a wooden fence will cost around £50 per six foot of fence or a little more. And the labour cost of installation will be minor compared with bricklaying.

Good luck with the project. Out of interest do let us know what you decide to do.

regards

Howard

[Arborbridge]

B n C

You are obviously a very wealthy man to begin to plan such a project!

I built a modest brick wall in the garden about one metre high around two sides of a new patio. The bricks cost over £600. And the pre-mix concrete for the foundation cost £240. The self drive digger to dig the footings cost around £200 for a weekend hire. I'm guessing from this that to surround a medium sized garden with much higher brick walls might cost around £5,000 for materials and plant alone. Unless you have a very small garden with very easy access, I'd be surprised if your builder will quote much less than twice this to complete the job with reasonable quality bricks.

In comparison I guess the panels and posts of a wooden fence will cost around £50 per six foot of fence or a little more. And the labour cost of installation will be minor compared with bricklaying.

Good luck with the project. Out of interest do let us know what you decide to do.

regards

Howard

A direct price from me: a 20 metre run of fencing - concrete posts, concrete gravel boards and feathered edge wood with arris rails cost £2000 to install. That's not cheap either.

Arb.

[Arborbridge]

Are you serious? You want your property to be surrounded by brick walls? Birds do not nest in brick walls for instance but that is up to you. They do not in my book look very attractive. That is up to you.

On the other hand, they are easy to maintain and wash down. You do not sound like a lover of nature. very sad.

Dod

What a shame I can't "thank" you more than once!

However, in defense of the walled garden - given a big enough space - then can be very pleasant with their own micro-climate for growing fruit etc. I just don't see them catching on for normal sized gardens and there are good reasons why they haven't.

Our previous house had a convenant that the boundaries had to be "green" - i.e. shrubs etc. That was very pleasant, better for wildlife and cost less to maintain. The only separator was a 4 foot high green chain link to define the boundary.


Incidentally, as regards the uncertainty of where the boundary is on the Land Registry, the advice is alaways that a dispute is decided by what evidence there is on the ground. For that reason, I've left in the original builders concrete posts, but diamond sawn off near ground level.

Arb.

[Dod101]

My current house is surrounded by hedges (which are actually rather the other way as the hedge to the rear is at least 10 feet high, the others only about 8 feet or so) I am semi rural with a field behind and my two neighbours do not seem to mind. Foe a walled garden to work, I think it needs to be to a 'grand scale and although my garden is not small I do not think it is of 'walled garden' size.

Your comments re boundaries are exactly my position. I have kept the concrete posts now buried within the hedge just so that there should be no argument. We have lots of bird life, hedgehogs, frogs etc as well as field mice.

Dod

[richlist]

I have kept the concrete posts now buried within the hedge just so that there should be no argument. We have lots of bird life, hedgehogs, frogs etc as well as field mice.

Dod

Let's hope nobody decides to get a cat then.

[88V8]

Brick wall....the surbubanising tendency... we have hedges on all four sides, our previous house on three sides and a wood fence (not ours) at the bottom.
I would always favour a hedge, but that is certainly something that would have to be agreed with the neighbour.

(One neighbour )without our permission) has just screwed two screws into their side of the fence to affix a washing line: the screws have penetrated and now protrude on our side of the fence.)

You are entitled to cut off the protruding ends, but they remain the legal property of the neighbour and should be returned to them

V8

[SteelCamel]

I have mind to write to the neighbours (following it up with a visit) to say that subject to checking whether we are the owner of the fence we are looking into the possibility of replacing the fence with a brick wall (same height, the increase in thickness would all be on our side of the garden). There would be advantage to the neighbours as they could affix things (reasonably) to their side of the brick wall if they wanted, without concern it would damage as would and does affect the timber fence. Any comments?

No doubt someone will be along soon with more accurate information, but as I understand it that would be a party wall and the Party Wall Act applies - so you would need a party wall surveyor.
As I understand it, any wall on a boundary is a party wall even if not part of a building. Even if it's entirely on your side of the boundary - the minimum distance is determined by the depth of the foundations. But fences, hedges etc are not party walls as they're not walls.