This is a column by landscapers, for landscapers. In it, you’ll find knowledge, views and insights from professionals just like you, who are currently working in the industry
Terra Landscapes
Interviewee: Paul Jobin
Location: Northland
Staff: 1
I get asked to do fences now and again but it’s work I’ll always contract out, mainly because I’m the only permanent staff member. When I have a lot of work on, a fence can tie me up for too long. In terms of regulation, that information is pretty easy to find online.
If I ever came across a design that I thought wouldn’t meet Building Code, I’d raise it with both the designer and the homeowner because I don’t want anything hidden from my clients – especially as changes may incur extra costs or time delays. In my experience, it doesn’t happen much with fences but it does with water run-off and drainage.
The issue I deal with most regarding fences is consultation between neighbours, especially when it comes to replacements. Over the past few years, I’ve seen a lot more water come through boundary areas, which makes the ground unstable, puts stress on a fence, and leads to them falling over. I’d always ask my client to lead a consultation with their neighbour and hope they have a good relationship!
Winfield Landscapes
Interviewee: Christian Winfield
Location: Auckland
Staff: 3
Fencing is probably one of the areas we work the least in. With fencing, you have big companies that can smash them up at next to no cost because they have larger teams. We can’t compete with them on price. We’ll often get asked for advice on Building Code compliance. A lot of the time, clients will want to avoid the hassle of applying for a consent, so we’ll guide them on how to do that.
Classic fencing-related client questions include how high a boundary fence can be, legislation surrounding balustrades on retaining walls, and fencing around pools.
Consultations between neighbours on boundary fences can be difficult. We’ll ask our clients to lead the consultation, because it’s always going to be better than a random landscaper like me turning up on someone’s doorstep to explain a plan! I had one job that involved boundary fencing along five properties and that took 18 months to sort out, as four were happy to proceed and one was holding out!
In terms of regulations, I do occasionally see work that I don’t believe has been built to Code – although probably more decks than fences. Unfortunately, we don’t see a lot of landscaping remedial work come our way, which is a shame. I think builders get it all, as the public might not view that type of work to be in a landscaper’s wheelhouse, which it completely is!
Nichola Vague Landscape Architect
Interviewee: Nichola Vague
Location: Tauranga
Staff: 2
I've been doing residential designs for more than 15 years. Fencing and boundary definition is a common element in most of the properties I work on, so I am familiar with many of the issues around fence solutions. One important consideration is that the boundary rules for your property are defined by your Local Authority District Plan. Each council may have variations on the rules, and that can change the design requirements. However, it’s generally a rule that a 1.8m fence is standard and anything over 2.2m - 2.5m will require a building consent and/ or resource consent.
I’ve done one or two fences that require a building consent, which I normally manage for my client. The consent process may involve neighbour consultation and this is best done as a collaboration between the homeowner, the neighbour and myself.
Privacy is a common concern for homeowners. People want their privacy, so alongside fencing, we also try to ensure privacy in the garden through planting and strategic placement of outdoor living spaces. One plant I use a lot is Ficus tuffi, which is similar to our native Griselinia littoralis but doesn’t suffer the same disease-prone issues. Alternatively, I might use palm trees.
In terms of pool barriers, there are some things you can do to avoid the use of fences, such as alarm systems on doors and self-locking windows. There are so many options for pool fencing these days, though, which can align with a property’s overall design concept, so I’d always advise a client to install a fence.
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