If you are looking to have a fence constructed between your property and that of your neighbour you may be wondering who should pay for it. The same question may arise if you already have a fence but it’s in need of repair or it needs to be replaced. You may think that the cost of the fence should automatically be shared, but this is not necessarily the case.
We are going to take a look at how the cost of creating or replacing a fence is spilt. We are also going to look at how important it is to make sure the fence is built in the right place.
Read more after the jump:
Who should pay for a fence to be built?
If you are thinking of having a fence built, or perhaps even investing in a wrought iron fence, or having a current fence repaired or replaced, it’s always a good idea to speak to your neighbour anyway. If you both agree to the design of the fence, and to share the cost, then you do not even have to consider any legal issue.
If you want to know where you stand before you speak to your neighbour, you may be interested to know that they are not obliged to help with the cost of a fence, depending on the circumstances. If there is currently no fence in place, or the current fence is in need of repair of replacement the cost of the work should normally be shared.
However, if you simply want to build a fence that is different, or if you want to replace an old fence with something very different and more expensive, the expectation is not the same. In this type of situation you may find yourself having to pay the bulk of the cost, or all of it, yourself.
Making sure the fence is built in the right place
If you are looking to build a fence between your own and a neighbouring property you need to make sure it’s erected in the right place. It’s always a good idea to check property boundaries, even when there is already a fence which is being replaced. If the boundary line has never been legally recognised then you should think about hiring a construction surveyor to carry out a survey and mark the boundary.
If you do this there is no chance of there being any boundary disputes in the future. You can build the fence in the correct place and everyone knows exactly where they stand when it comes to where their property begins and ends.
As you can see, the best thing to do if you want to build a new fence along the boundary of your property is to reach an agreement with your neighbour. If you have an agreement in place then it’s likely you will simply share the cost of erecting the fence. You should never just assume that the cost will be shared, depending on why the fence is being built and the type of fence that you want.
Images by Norah Borden
See more on: Park House by Project 22 Design
