Front Fence Rules in Perth: Heights, See-Through Panels and Gates

In Stirling, Vincent and Serpentine Jarrahdale, a front fence can be solid up to 1.2 m, see-through above that to 1.8 m overall, and lower beside your driveway. Cockburn and Joondalup use the same 1.2 m line. Those three zones decide which white PVC panel suits each part of your frontage and where the gate can go. White PVC suits a Perth frontage: it is low maintenance, needs no painting and does not rust in coastal air. The detail differs between councils, so each WA front fence rule below names the council it comes from.

Where the street fence rules apply

The rules cover any fence, wall or screen on the street boundary or in the primary street setback, which is usually the area in front of the house. That includes side fences that run forward through that setback. The City of Stirling's street walls and fences sheet (March 2023) sets the setback depth by zoning: 7.5 m at R10 and R12.5, 6 m at R20 and R25, 4 m at R30 and R40, 2 m at R50 and R60, and 1 m at R80. Your council's online mapping shows your zoning.

Front fence height: the 1.2 m line and the 1.8 m limit

In Stirling, Vincent and Serpentine Jarrahdale, a front fence can be solid up to 1.2 m and see-through above that, up to 1.8 m overall. Cockburn (except on some main arterial roads) and Joondalup also require anything above 1.2 m to be see-through. In Vincent, a solid section above 1.2 m needs a development application, according to its front fence information sheet.

What counts as see-through

Councils use the R-Codes term "visually permeable". As the Stirling sheet quotes it, a fence face counts when, seen straight on from the street, it has continuous gaps of 50 mm or more over at least a third of its area, or narrower gaps over at least half of it, or blocks the view no more than that.

That is a test on the panel you choose, not on PVC as a material. A white picket or semi-privacy panel with open gaps between the boards can sit in the see-through zone. A full privacy panel has no gaps, so above 1.2 m it counts as solid. At the quote, ask us to check the gap size of the panel you like against the test.

Driveway sightlines and where the gates go

Councils keep fences low beside a driveway so drivers can see people on the footpath. Joondalup keeps solid parts to 0.75 m within 1.5 m of where the driveway meets the street boundary. Cockburn asks for a clear 1.5 m by 1.5 m area on each side of a driveway when the fence is over 0.75 m. Serpentine Jarrahdale asks for a 1.5 m clear truncation, or see-through fencing above 0.75 m. Vincent keeps fences over 0.75 m at least 1.5 m from where the driveway meets the street boundary, apart from one pier, and any slats there must leave a clear sight line: at least half open, with gaps of 40 mm or more.

That is why a driveway gate often works best as a see-through panel, with the pedestrian gate set away from the driveway corner. Our PVC gates page shows the gate styles.

Corner blocks and secondary streets

On a corner block the sightline area is bigger. Cockburn keeps fences to 0.75 m within a 6 m by 6 m corner truncation where the lot has no standard street corner truncation. Joondalup also limits solid walls on a secondary street: at R20, its 1.2 m solid limit applies along at least half of that boundary.

When you need approval or a permit

A front fence that meets these rules usually needs no planning approval. Cockburn says front fences that comply with the R-Codes do not, and Joondalup and Stirling say the same for fences that meet their criteria. Heritage areas are the exception: in Stirling's Mount Lawley, Menora and Inglewood heritage area, every street fence needs development approval.

Building permits are a separate question. Under Schedule 4 of the Building Regulations 2012, a fence built under the council's fencing local law needs no building permit. Where a district has no such law, masonry fences up to 0.75 m and other fences up to 1.8 m are exempt outside wind regions C and D. Councils add their own lines on top.

• Serpentine Jarrahdale needs a building permit for a non-masonry front fence over 1 m.
• Cockburn lists brick, timber, wrought iron and tubular steel, and any other material needs the City's written approval.
• Vincent needs a development application for a solid section above 1.2 m.

So in Cockburn a white PVC front fence needs the City's written approval for the material, and in Serpentine Jarrahdale a PVC front fence over 1 m needs a building permit. Tell us your council when you ask for a quote and we will match the panel and height to its rules.

Choosing panels and gates for each zone

• Up to 1.2 m: any white PVC panel, including full privacy, as long as the fence stays out of the driveway sightline area and meets your council's material and permit rules above.
• Above 1.2 m: a picket or semi-privacy panel with gaps that pass the see-through test.
• Beside the driveway: a low section or a see-through gate, kept within your council's sightline rule.
• Corner block: keep the corner area low, then step up along the street.

Our PVC picket fence and semi-privacy fencing pages show the see-through styles, and the privacy fence page shows the solid panel for the lower zone and side boundaries.