How do you measure a brick wall's height?

[Dean]

Hello,

I want to replace a broken down fence between my garden and my neighbours. The ground slopes slightly down the garden (about 500mm in

6 metre). What I would like to do is build up a retaining wall which comes out of the ground about 2 brick courses at the shallow end and 0.5m + 2 brick courses at the deep end. Then I would like to build brick pillars that will take 5 foot tall fence panels.

for example

X X X X X-------X-------X-------X X-------X-------X-------X X-------X-------X-------X X-------X-------X-------X XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX \\\\\\\\ X \\\\\\\\\\\\ X \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ X \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\X FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

F = foundation X = brick \ = sloping ground

- = fence panel

You get the idea ( I hope!)

The question is will I need building approval. The max height will be

2m foot from floor to the top of a pillar, however the supporting wall will only protrude out of the ground 2 brick courses (we will be laying a level patio down the slope, so that standing on the patio you will only see a 2 brick high wall with pillars ? almost brick ?gravel boards').

If a brick is 225mm long and 1mm high (when mortared in), then by my calculation, the average height of the whole wall (with 4 * 2m high pillars) will be (1.125m * 2m)+(5m * 0.2m)/6m = 0.5m or so. Is the average height used to determine whether building regs approval is needed or the maximum height.

Will I get away wil the foundations that are described in books for garden walls less than 1m in height (form which building regs approval is not needed) or will the pillars affect these?

I would like to build 2 bricks wide and support the pillars with a central steel rod concreted through into the foundation. Will this suffice?

Any info or advice would be welcome.

Dean.

[John Armstrong]

I don't follow your calculation, but assume the 1mm high bricks is a mistake. Standard bricks are 65mm high, plus 10mm mortar joint. Do you mean building regulations or planning permission? Don't think building regs relevent to fences/garden walls. For planning permission, see part 2 class A of

permission needed for any fence or wall over 1m adjacent to a highway, 2m elsewhere. Not sure whether the height would be to the top of your fence panels, or the piers (or fence posts in other situations) though. Not quite clear what the max height will be from your paragraph above.