Garden privacy matters more than it used to. Increasing housing density, rear extensions with large glazed walls, and the general shrinking of plot sizes have left many UK gardens feeling exposed. The good news is there are reliable, affordable ways to screen a garden, ranging from a day’s work to a longer-term planting scheme.

This guide covers the main options, their realistic costs for 2026, and the planning rules you need to check before committing.

Know Your Planning Rules First

Before buying materials or hiring anyone, understand what you can install without permission:

  • Boundary fences and walls: up to 2 metres in height are permitted development under Class A, Part 2, Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, as long as they are not adjacent to a highway used by vehicular traffic (a road, including its pavement).1 Next to such a highway, the limit drops to 1 metre.1
  • Hedges: no height limit under planning law, but a hedge of two or more mostly evergreen or semi-evergreen trees or shrubs over 2 m tall can be the subject of a council complaint by a neighbour under Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 (the “High Hedges” legislation).23 To avoid disputes, keep evergreen boundary hedges trimmed to around 2 m.
  • Fences over 2 m: require planning permission. Whether it is granted depends on the design and its effect on neighbours and the street; councils normally decide householder applications within 8 weeks, and the fee for a fence, wall or gate on its own is £272 in England.4
  • Listed buildings: a new fence, wall or gate within the curtilage of a listed building, or enclosing one, is not permitted development, so it needs planning permission and may also need listed building consent.1 In a Conservation Area the same 1 m and 2 m limits normally apply unless the council has removed them with an Article 4 direction. If you are unsure whether a fence needs permission, a Certificate of Lawful Development gives you certainty; check with your LPA.

Option 1: Close-Board Timber Fencing

The UK standard for privacy fencing. Vertical feather-edge boards overlap slightly so there are no gaps. A 1.8 m (6 ft) close-board panel fence is the most common garden privacy solution.

Cost: a West Cumbria fencing firm puts a 1.8 m closeboard fence at roughly £100 to £140 per metre fitted with timber posts, and £120 to £170 with concrete posts and gravel boards.5 A 10-metre run at those rates costs roughly £1,000 to £1,700.5

Lifespan: 15–25 years with pressure-treated timber; needs occasional treatment or painting.

What to watch: post depth is critical. Posts should be set at least 600 mm into the ground (deeper on soft soil), with concrete haunching. Shallow posts are the number-one reason fences fail in storms.

Option 2: Timber Trellis and Climbing Plants

A trellis alone offers very little privacy, but combined with fast-growing climbers it creates a living screen. It can also be used to add height to an existing fence (within planning limits).

Cost: Forest Garden’s 6ft by 1ft square trellis topper has a recommended retail price of £26.49.6 Climbers cost more than people expect: a Clematis montana ‘Grandiflora’ in a 2 litre pot is £15.99 at one nursery.7 A carpenter typically charges around £245–£335 a day outside London.8

Fast-growing climbers for UK privacy:

  • Clematis montana, vigorous, flowers in spring, spreads 6–8 m
  • Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle), semi-evergreen, fragrant
  • Fallopia baldschuanica (Russian vine / mile-a-minute), very fast, needs management
  • Hedera helix (ivy), dense, evergreen, low maintenance but can damage fences if unchecked
  • Rosa (climbing rose), beautiful but needs annual pruning

Option 3: Garden Screening Panels

Alternative materials to timber have expanded significantly. Popular options for 2026 include:

MaterialLifespanNotes
Close-board timber15–25 yrClassic; needs treatment
Composite fencing25+ yrLow maintenance, no painting
Bamboo screening rolls5–8 yrCheap but degrades
Willow hurdle panels8–12 yrRustic look; not fully opaque
Metal louvred panels30+ yrModern look; heavy, needs good posts
Slatted hardwood panels20+ yrStriking; expensive

What a 1.8 m by 1.8 m panel, or its equivalent, costs to buy:

  • Close-board timber: Forest Garden’s 6ft by 6ft closeboard fence panel is £78.99.9
  • Composite fencing: a premium composite slatted fencing kit, 1.8 m by 1.8 m, is £260 including VAT from one timber merchant.10 Wickes sells DuraPost Vento composite panels in multipacks of three or more from £980, about £327 a panel.11
  • Bamboo screening rolls: Homebase lists a 4 m by 1 m roll at £22.50 and Screwfix a 4 m by 2 m roll at £42.99.1213
  • Willow hurdle panels: a 6ft by 6ft willow hurdle is £64.99 including VAT on offer at one hurdle maker, down from £74.76.14
  • Slatted hardwood panels: western red cedar slatted panels 1.8 m wide run from £79.50 to £296.88 including VAT by height at one timber merchant, and iroko slatted panels from £180 to £755 at a specialist maker.1516
  • Metal louvred panels: none of the suppliers we checked publishes a price, so they are not priced here.

Composite fencing is a popular long-term alternative: it looks like timber, needs no painting, and holds colour well. Filling a 1.8 m high bay takes about twelve 150 mm boards, roughly £180 at £14.99 a board from one fencing merchant.17 Labour costs for installation are similar to timber.

Option 4: Hedges and Living Screens

A well-chosen hedge is arguably the best long-term investment for garden privacy. It’s self-renewing, absorbs sound, supports wildlife, and improves kerb appeal.

Fast-growing options for UK conditions:

PlantAnnual GrowthHeight PotentialNotes
Leylandii (Leyland cypress)90 cm20 m+Very fast; legal disputes if over 2 m neighbour-facing
Griselinia littoralis40–60 cm4–8 mCoastal, evergreen, tidy; good for mild areas
Prunus laurocerasus (cherry laurel)30–60 cm4–8 mDense, evergreen, good for shade
Buxus sempervirens (box)10–15 cm1–2 mFormal but slow; affected by blight
Ilex aquifolium (holly)20–40 cm5–10 mDense, spiky, security benefit

Cost: bare-root native hedging is cheap: at one hedging nursery, 60 to 90 cm bare-root hawthorn is £0.89 a plant and hornbeam £0.99, both on offer.1819 Instant hedging costs far more: the same nursery sells hornbeam 80 to 100 cm tall, grown in 1-metre troughs, at £119.99 a metre, so a 10 m instant screen is about £1,200 in plants before planting.20

Option 5: Pergola or Garden Structure with Screening

A pergola with side panels and a climbing plant canopy creates a defined outdoor room with privacy on multiple sides. This suits gardens where a fence isn’t practical or where you want an outdoor dining area screened from neighbours above and beside.

Cost: Forest Garden’s pergola kits run from £595.99 for its 2.4 m square Ultima pergola to £1,062.49 for a modular pergola with three side panels, before fitting.21

Under Class E permitted development rules, a pergola does not need planning permission if it is not in front of the house, is no more than 2.5 m high within 2 m of a boundary (3 m elsewhere, or 4 m with a dual-pitched roof), and, together with other outbuildings, covers no more than 50% of the garden.22 Class E does not apply in the garden of a listed building, so there a pergola needs permission.22

Option 6: Pleached Trees

Pleached trees, trained to grow flat, like a hedge on a clear stem, are a sophisticated option that gives privacy at head height without blocking light at ground level. Common species: hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), lime (Tilia), and olive (Olea europaea) for milder climates.

Cost: pleached hornbeam is from £245 a tree at one nursery and £412 to £658 at another, before planting.2324 A row of six trees to screen an overlooking window is therefore about £1,470 to £3,950 in trees alone.2324

They require annual trimming to maintain their shape.

Quick Wins and Low-Cost Ideas

For renters or those on tight budgets, several lower-cost options provide interim privacy:

  • Bamboo screening roll on an existing fence: £22.50 to £42.99 for a 4 m roll, 1 m to 2 m high, at Homebase and Screwfix; it takes an hour to clip on.1213
  • Large container planting: pots of clump-forming bamboo (Fargesia species, not invasive running types) or tall grasses provide immediate soft screening on a patio.
  • Outdoor sail shades or canopies: block sightlines from above, from £15.99 for a 3 m triangle sail with its fixing kit at one netting supplier.25
  • Frosted or opaque garden room panels: adhesive privacy film on existing transparent fencing or gates, from £12.99 for a roll with a second roll free at one retailer.26

Choosing the Right Solution

Think about what you’re screening from and where the sightline comes from:

Overlooking SourceBest Solution
Neighbour’s first-floor windowPergola canopy, tall pleached trees, climbing plants
Overlooking road / pavementDense hedge, or a fence up to 1 m (taller needs planning permission)
Adjacent garden (same level)1.8 m fence, hedge, or trellis with climbers
Upstairs neighbour (flat)Pergola with opaque roof panel

Combining two approaches, a solid fence with a planted screen inside it, is often the most effective and sustainable long-term solution.

References (26)

Figures in this note were checked against the sources below on 30 September 2026. Superscript numbers in the text point to them. Every source the site cites, by topic.

  1. 1technicalvery strongThe National Archives, legislation.RN-B3EWHKThe national permitted development right for boundary enclosures, and the answer to the very common error of treating fence height as a council rule. Class A permits the erection, construction, maintenance, improvement or alteration of a gate, fence, wall or other means of enclosure. A.1 exclusions: (a) adjacent to a HIGHWAY USED BY VEHICULAR TRAFFIC the height must not exceed 1 metre above ground level, except at a school where 2 metres is allowed provided any part above 1 metre does not obstruct highway users' sightlines; (b) anywhere else 2 metres above ground level; (c) where an existing enclosure is maintained, improved or altered its height must not exceed its former height or the (a)/(b) limit, whichever is the greater, so an existing over-height fence may be kept at that height but not raised; (d) development is NOT permitted within the curtilage of, or to a boundary of, a listed building. The 'used by vehicular traffic' qualifier is routinely dropped from consumer guidance, which wrongly applies the 1 metre limit to a boundary onto a footpath.
  2. 2technicalvery strongGOV.UK, guidance.RN-WDA2M3GOV.UK guidance on neighbour disputes. It says a council can consider a high hedge complaint about two or more mostly evergreen trees or shrubs over 2 metres tall, after informal attempts to settle.
  3. 3technicalvery strongThe National Archives, guidance.RN-WNYKVASection 66 of the 2003 Act defines a high hedge for Part 8 complaints: a line of two or more evergreen or semi-evergreen trees or shrubs over two metres tall.
  4. 4technicalvery strongPlanning Portal, guidance.RN-M2KUCTThe Planning Portal's consolidated guide to planning application fees in England from 1 April 2026, built from the 2012 fees regulations as amended and MHCLG's annual indexation. More usable than the regulations themselves because it puts each application type next to its current fee and its definition. The statutory amounts are in the regulations; this is the readable index to them.
  5. 5costsupplier figureWestlakes Fencing.RN-IYOOH9A price, true at 2026-10. A West Cumbria fencing contractor's own 2026 price guide for closeboard fencing supplied and fitted, per metre by height and post type, with the cost of removing an old fence.
  6. 6costsupplier figureForest Garden.RN-CWJ5DUA price, true at 2026-10. Forest Garden's product page for its 6ft by 1ft pressure-treated square trellis topper, with the recommended retail price.
  7. 7costsupplier figureJacksons Nurseries.RN-HD0TILA price, true at 2026-10. A nursery's product page for Clematis montana 'Grandiflora', priced by pot size.
  8. 8costvery strongOffice for National Statistics.RN-MMT1DOA price, true at 2026-09. The ASHE Table 14 dataset gives annual estimates of paid hours worked and earnings for UK employees by sex and by full-time or part-time status, broken down to four-digit Standard Occupational Classification, which is the level that isolates individual construction trades such as bricklayers, carpenters, plasterers and electricians. Released 23 October 2025 as the 2025 provisional edition (zip, about 10.7 MB), with revised and provisional editions back to 2017. A correction dated 19 December 2025 suppressed annual pay estimates for SOC 3312 police officers in some areas; construction occupations are unaffected.
  9. 9costsupplier figureForest Garden.RN-FYPULUA price, true at 2026-10. Forest Garden's product page for its 6ft by 6ft closeboard fence panel, with the price.
  10. 10costsupplier figureAlex Timber Aberdeen.RN-R7IGPWA price, true at 2026-10. A timber merchant's product page for a premium composite slatted fencing kit, 1.8 m by 1.8 m, priced including VAT.
  11. 11costsupplier figureWickes Building Supplies Ltd.RN-OKARB8A price, true at 2026-10. Wickes Building Supplies Ltd's published price for the item the cost register files as "composite fence panel and composite fencing board, supply only", which is the figure a cost footnote on this page points at.
  12. 12costsupplier figureScrewfix.RN-UQNERJA price, true at 2026-10. Screwfix's product page for a natural bamboo garden screen roll, 4 m long and 2 m high, with its price including VAT.
  13. 13costsupplier figureHomebase.RN-JGWXKEA price, true at 2026-10. Homebase's product page for a 4 m by 1 m bamboo screening roll, with its price.
  14. 14costsupplier figureHazel Hurdle World.RN-WYWFFMA price, true at 2026-10. A hurdle maker's product page for a 6ft by 6ft woven willow hurdle fence panel, with the regular and offer prices including VAT.
  15. 15costsupplier figureSlatted Screen Fencing.RN-DSX8S9A price, true at 2026-10. A UK maker's made-to-order iroko hardwood slatted fence panels, with the price range across sizes including VAT.
  16. 16costsupplier figureTimberstore Ltd.RN-VAOX1LA price, true at 2026-10. A timber merchant's made-to-order western red cedar slatted screening panels, 1.8 m wide in heights from 0.3 m to 1.8 m, with the price range ex and inc VAT.
  17. 17costsupplier figureEast Coast Fencing.RN-P2ODLRA price, true at 2026-10. A fencing merchant's product page for a 1.8 m by 150 mm composite fence board, priced each including and excluding VAT.
  18. 18costsupplier figureHedges Direct.RN-WDF1XUA price, true at 2026-10. A hedging nursery's product page for bare-root hornbeam, 60 to 90 cm, with the offer and regular price per plant.
  19. 19costsupplier figureHedges Direct.RN-8Y3SLNA price, true at 2026-10. A hedging nursery's product page for bare-root hawthorn, 60 to 90 cm, with the offer and regular price per plant.
  20. 20costsupplier figureHedges Direct.RN-SDTAYEA price, true at 2026-10. A hedging nursery's product page for instant hornbeam hedging, 80 to 100 cm, grown in 1-metre troughs, priced per metre.
  21. 21costsupplier figureForest Garden.RN-C7FV4IA price, true at 2026-10. Forest Garden's range of pergola kits by size, with from prices, from the 2.4 m Ultima pergola to modular pergolas with side panel packs.
  22. 22technicalvery strongThe National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), legislation.RN-J6L7TIThe primary legal text for garden rooms, sheds, summerhouses, pergolas, greenhouses and outdoor pools. Class E permits any building or enclosure, swimming or other pool within the curtilage required for a purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the dwellinghouse, plus a domestic heating oil container. Limitations: E.1(b) buildings, enclosures and containers other than the original dwellinghouse must not cover more than 50% of the curtilage; E.1(c) nothing forward of a wall forming the principal elevation of the original dwellinghouse; E.1(d) single storey only; E.1(e) maximum height 4 metres with a dual-pitched roof, 2.5 metres if any part is within 2 metres of a curtilage boundary, otherwise 3 metres; E.1(f) eaves no higher than 2.5 metres; E.1(g) not within the curtilage of a listed building; E.1(h) no verandah, balcony or raised platform; E.1(j) oil containers capped at 3,500 litres. E.4 defines incidental use as including keeping poultry, bees, pet animals, birds or other livestock for domestic needs or personal enjoyment, which is why a garden room used as a separate dwelling falls outside Class E.
  23. 23costsupplier figureWykeham Mature Plants.RN-ZVBJ7FA price, true at 2026-10. A mature plant nursery's product page for pleached hornbeam screening trees, with the price range per plant by girth.
  24. 24costsupplier figureOrnamental Trees.RN-KE3NPIA price, true at 2026-10. A tree nursery's product page for pleached hornbeam, with its from price per tree.
  25. 25costsupplier figurePremier Netting.RN-S13D2QA price, true at 2026-10. A netting supplier's product page for a 3 m triangle shade sail sold with its fixing kit, priced inc and ex VAT.
  26. 26costsupplier figureEasylife.RN-MGPPILA price, true at 2026-10. A home retailer's product page for adhesive privacy window film sold with a second roll free, with its price.

  1. The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2, Part 2, Class A, The National Archives, accessed 30 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  2. Resolving neighbour disputes: high hedges, trees and boundaries, GOV.UK, accessed 30 September 2026. gov.uk

  3. Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, section 66: High hedges, The National Archives, accessed 30 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  4. A guide to fees for Planning Applications in England, from 1 April 2026, Planning Portal, accessed 7 September 2026. ecab.planningportal.co.uk

  5. How much does closeboard fencing cost per metre in the UK?, Westlakes Fencing, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-10 and left there. westlakesfencing.co.uk

  6. 6ft x 1ft Traditional Square Garden Trellis, Forest Garden, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-10 and left there. forestgarden.co.uk

  7. Buy Clematis montana Grandiflora (Clematis) in the UK, Jacksons Nurseries, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-10 and left there. jacksonsnurseries.co.uk

  8. Earnings and hours worked, occupation by four-digit SOC: ASHE Table 14, Office for National Statistics, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-09, so no calibration is needed. ons.gov.uk

  9. 6ft x 6ft (1.83m x 1.83m) Closeboard Fence Panel, Forest Garden, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-10 and left there. forestgarden.co.uk

  10. Premium Composite Slatted Fencing Kit 1.8m x 1.8m, Alex Timber Aberdeen, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-10 and left there. ga-timber.com

  11. DuraPost Anthracite Grey VENTO Vertical Composite Fence Panel 6ft x 6ft, Wickes Building Supplies Ltd, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-10 and left there. wickes.co.uk

  12. Apollo Bamboo Garden Screen 4m x 2m, Screwfix, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-10 and left there. screwfix.com

  13. 4m x 1m Bamboo Screening, Homebase, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-10 and left there. homebase.co.uk

  14. Willow Hurdle Fence Panels 6ft x 6ft, Hazel Hurdle World, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-10 and left there. hazelhurdleworld.co.uk

  15. Slatted Iroko Fence Panels, Slatted Screen Fencing, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-10 and left there. slattedscreenfencing.co.uk

  16. Western Red Cedar Screening Single Slatted Panels, Timberstore Ltd, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-10 and left there. timberstoreltd.co.uk

  17. 1.8M x 150MM Grey Slatted Composite Fence Board, East Coast Fencing, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-10 and left there. eastcoastfencing.com

  18. Hornbeam 60/90cm bare root, Hedges Direct, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-10 and left there. hedgesdirect.co.uk

  19. Hawthorn 60/90cm bare root, Hedges Direct, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-10 and left there. hedgesdirect.co.uk

  20. Hornbeam 53L 80/100cm 1 Per Metre trough, Hedges Direct, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-10 and left there. hedgesdirect.co.uk

  21. Pergolas, Forest Garden, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-10 and left there. forestgarden.co.uk

  22. The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2, Part 1, Class E, The National Archives, accessed 14 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  23. Hornbeam – pleached screening trees, Wykeham Mature Plants, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-10 and left there. wykehammatureplants.co.uk

  24. Pleached Hornbeam Trees, Ornamental Trees, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-10 and left there. ornamental-trees.co.uk

  25. 3m Triangle Shade Sail - Sand with Fixing Kit, Premier Netting, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-10 and left there. premiernetting.co.uk

  26. Privacy Window Film +1 Roll Free, Easylife, accessed 17 October 2026. Priced at 2026-10 and left there. easylife.co.uk