How high can a garden wall be in Türkiye?
Türkiye’s Planned Areas Zoning Regulation (Art. 43) divides garden walls into two zones:
- Street side: in front of the building’s street-facing facade line, the solid wall can be at most 0.50 m. Height is measured from the top of the sidewalk; for a building set higher than the street and leveled from its own ground, from the ground at the lot’s street boundary.
- Side and rear boundaries: behind the street facades, the solid wall can be at most 1.50 m.
- Railing: a railing no higher than 1.00 m can be built on top of the walls.
The regulation doesn’t give a total figure; the solid part and the railing are limited separately. Taken together, that makes 1.50 m in total on the street side and 2.50 m at the back.
Garden walls on a sloping lot
If the street slopes, a garden wall doesn’t run on at a single height. Where the top of the wall rises at most 1.50 m above the sidewalk, the wall is stepped at the top; on very steep and dangerous sites, the administration (municipality) decides the wall’s form (Art. 43/2).
If the garden and the street are at different levels
If the garden is more than 0.50 m higher or lower than the street or the neighboring lot, there is a drop edge. If the garden wall is lower than 1.10 m, a guardrail up to at least 1.10 m above the garden surface is required (Art. 38/1).
Plan notes and the municipality
The garden wall article is in the part of the regulation that can be changed by plans and municipal regulations (Art. 69/2). So the notes of the implementation zoning plan, or the zoning regulation of the metropolitan or provincial municipality, can set a different height; plan notes take precedence even over the municipal regulation (Art. 69/3). Before having the wall built, the safest route is to check the lot’s zoning status and ask the municipality.
Special buildings such as schools, hospitals, places of worship, embassies and prisons, and lots in industrial zones, are not bound by this height rule (Art. 43/3). A garden wall built as part of landscaping doesn’t count toward the building footprint (Art. 20/8).
Walls and fences in Germany
In Germany, each state has its own building code. The Model Building Code (MBO § 61) treats walls and fences up to 2 m as permit-free; lots outside built-up areas (Außenbereich) are excluded. Bavaria uses the same limit (BayBO Art. 57); in Baden-Württemberg, fences within built-up areas are permit-free whatever their height (LBO Annex No. 7); retaining walls up to 2 m are permit-free.
“Permit-free” doesn’t mean any height is allowed: the municipality’s development plan (Bebauungsplan) or local bylaw can limit fence height, and neighbor law sets its own rules too. A closed fence up to 2 m, on the other hand, needs no setback from the neighbor’s boundary (MBO § 6).
Walls, fences and gates in England
In England, garden walls, fences and gates don’t need planning permission up to a certain height (permitted development, GPDO 2015 Part 2 Class A): 1 m next to a road used by vehicles, 2 m anywhere else. When an existing wall is rebuilt, it can’t exceed its old height or this limit, whichever is greater. This right doesn’t apply within the curtilage of a listed building, and conservation areas may have extra restrictions.
Fence height in the US
The US has no national rule; fence and wall heights are set by each city’s zoning code. Two examples:
- Denver: at most 4 ft (about 1.22 m) in front of the street-facing facade, 6 ft (about 1.83 m) in line with and behind the facade.
- San Diego: in the front yard, a solid fence at the property line is 3 ft (about 0.91 m); an open or combination fence 6 ft; in side and rear yards up to 9 ft, but anything above 6 ft must be open. A fence 7 ft or higher needs a building permit.
Other cities have different numbers; check your own city’s zoning code.
Garden wall height by country
| Rule | Germany | England | US (examples) | Türkiye |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Street side | permit-free up to 2 m | permit-free up to 1 m | Denver 1.22 m · San Diego solid 0.91 m | solid 0.50 m + railing 1.00 m |
| Side and rear | permit-free up to 2 m | permit-free up to 2 m | Denver 1.83 m · San Diego 2.74 m (open above 1.83 m) | solid 1.50 m + railing 1.00 m |
| Source | MBO § 61; state building codes | GPDO 2015 Part 2 Class A | city zoning code | PAİY Art. 43 |
| Local differences | development plan, bylaw, neighbor law | listed building, conservation area | varies by city | plan notes, municipal regulation |
The countries’ rules differ, but there is a common pattern: a low boundary on the street and front-yard side that doesn’t block the view; a taller wall on the side and rear boundaries; an open railing or fence above the solid part. This is an observation, not a rule.
Drawing a garden wall in Nodaform
In Nodaform, you draw garden walls in the Outdoor step (Plus): point to point, typing the length; the wall snaps to the lot’s corners and edges and to the ends of other garden walls. Material (concrete, wood or concrete + iron railing), height and thickness are up to you; you can put lamps on the pillars and wall lights or LED strips on the wall. You add pedestrian gates, sliding driveway gates and four types of garage doors by clicking on the wall.
The wall shows in 3D and in DXF and IFC exports; in sections and elevations it’s shown optionally. You type the height yourself: the editor doesn’t check the rules in this post, so choose the height according to your local rules.
The rules in this post come from official texts checked on 6 November 2026. Plan notes and municipal zoning regulations in Türkiye, state codes and municipal plans in Germany, and city zoning codes in the US can set different heights. Before having the wall built, check the zoning status and consult your municipality.