The best front garden fence ideas can provide you with exciting inspiration to improve the outdoor space immediately outside your home. Fencing your front garden can add instant kerb appeal, making it look more contained and secure.
While back garden fence panels are traditionally as tall as six feet, in order to provide both security and privacy, front garden fence panels are generally shorter. This means they can give you a view of your street and allow light into your home while marking your front garden territory as separate from the pavement or road outside.
Best front garden fences at a glance:
• Best picket garden fence: Blooma Mekong Wooden Picket Fence - View on B&Q
• Best metal garden fence: MTB Black Steel Decorative Garden Fence Panel - View on Amazon UK
• Best wooden garden fence: Premier Garden Supplies Flat Top Fence Panel - View on Amazon UK
As with back garden fences, front garden fence panels come in a wide variety of sizes and materials. There are obviously classic wooden fences, traditional metal options, and even modern composite panels for click-together ease of construction and hassle-free maintenance. Here's our pick of the best to make your front plot the envy of the neighbours.
Best front garden fences
Best picket garden fence
Blooma/Amazonwww.diy.com
Fencing doesn't get much more wholesome than picket-style options, bringing all kinds of "home sweet home" connotations. This Blooma fence panel is made from a mix of pine and spruce for durability and rot resistance. This is sold by the panel, to be fixed to posts with brackets, so will require some DIY skills to erect. Each panel measures in at 1.8 metres wide and a metre tall. You can varnish, stain, or paint this to suit your garden's style.
Customer review: "Brought for my front garden, really well made and works well for me."
Pros
- Pine/spruce mix
- Flexible finish options
Cons
- Does require DIY skills to construct
Best metal garden fence
MTB/AmazonMetallic fencing is an elegant option that means your front garden still feels spacious, but provides a boundary to separate it from public spaces. This MTB option is made from strong iron and welded wire given a black power-coating treatment. It features sophisticated scrolls with attractive leaf detail for a lovely decorative touch. This fence is driven into the ground with metal stakes and then each panel locks together with the built-in hinges.
Customer review: "I imagine this fencing could be easily installed in most gardens. The panels I have in place so far look great and are sturdy enough in strong wind."
Pros
- Simple push-in design
- Decorative detail
Cons
- Not as sturdy as some options
Best bamboo garden fence
Sure Green/AmazonBamboo is a warm, natural material that can bring some boho chic to your front garden. Great for disguising an existing wall, this screening is made of lots of bamboo reeds lashed together and can be gently pulled out to suit the space you want to fence off. This bamboo is eco-friendly and comes from sustainable sources. This comes in rolls of four metres and in three different heights; one, 1.5, and two metres. You simply attach it with U-nails or screws.
Customer review: "Quick safe delivery and great quality bamboo screening - did a great job of disguising an old fence and gave extra height for added privacy. Superb value - would order again."
Pros
- Natural materials
- Sustainably sourced
Cons
- Needs to attach to an existing structure
Best lattice garden fence
PGS/AmazonLattice-style fencing is a popular choice to top back garden fences, but with the addition of some fence posts, and a little DIY know-how, you can turn trellis-style panels into a good-looking, low front garden fence. This measures in at 183cm wide and stands 60cm tall, so won't block light into your front windows. The great thing about a lattice fence is that it can extend your growing area. You can train climbing plants like clematis, honeysuckle, or passion vine to grow up it.
Customer review: "A bit more expensive than some but worth it for the quality. Well made, strong and attractive. Worth paying a little more for."
Pros
- Plant-friendly design
- Attractive trellis effect
Cons
- Requires DIY skills
Best border garden fence
Garden Mile/AmazonIf you're looking for a subtle way to mark your front garden territory, consider border edging rather than a full-size fence. These panels are like mini white picket fences and look absolutely charming placed around front garden flower beds. These are a practical choice, made from plastic which requires no maintenance whatsoever. These panels are super-simple to install with built-in stakes you drive into the ground before locking them together.
Customer review: "Look lovely in my garden, just what I was looking for."
Pros
- Whimsical design
- Push-in construction
Cons
- Only a small-scale solution
Best wooden garden fence
PGS/AmazonYou can't beat a traditional wooden fence for your front garden if you want to keep dogs and small children safely contained. This option from Premier Garden is made from smooth planed timber that's been pressure-treated for durability. These flat top panels offer a fully-framed design which means they have an extra batten at either end to make them so much easier to attach to fence posts. These measure 183cm wide and are available 30, 60, 90, and 120cm tall.
Customer review: "Really impressed at how solid this was. Very well made."
Pros
- Fully-framed design
- Pressure treated
Cons
- Green Tanalith flecks may develop
Best composite fence
Eco Fencing/AmazonComposite fencing is all the rage in contemporary back gardens, but there's no reason you can't also enjoy the convenience such material brings in your front garden too. Lightweight yet strong, composite fencing requires zero looking after. Because it's modular and slots together, you can build your composite fence to the height you need and cut the panels to suit your required size. A composite fence should grace your front garden for many years to come.
Customer review: "Lightweight and easy to put in place using the fence posts from the same supplier. Very easy to cut to length as required. Colour looks good and eco friendly. Will definitely consider replacing other fencing with these when needed."
Pros
- No maintenance required
- Can build to a size to suit
Cons
- Some DIY ability needed
How we chose the best front garden fences
All of these front garden fences have been hand-selected by our team of Modern Gardens shopping experts. We carefully considered style, material, and construction in our selection of the best. Our team has spent hours investigating and researching front garden fences to make it easier for you to find the very best, and we'd never recommend a product we don't believe in.
Where possible, we also test and share the latest and best products you should know about. And with help from Modern Gardens Magazine, Garden News and Garden Answers, we share expert gardening knowledge to help you get the most from your product.
What's the best kind of front garden fence?
It's entirely down to your personal preference and the space you're looking to fence off. The best decorative choices are generally made of wrought iron for old-fashioned good looks. If you want to make your front garden fully enclosed, then a wooden fence, either slatted or picket-style, will be required. Anyone who just wants to mark their boundary could consider a simple border edging.
Do I need planning permission to erect a front garden fence?
Not if the fence is one metre tall or less. If it's over a metre and adjacent to a highway used by vehicles or a highway footpath, you will need to obtain planning permission from your local authority. It's also a good idea to chat to any neighbours whose front garden borders yours before getting your DIY tools out.
How do I look after a wooden fence?
Most wooden garden fences will need an annual treatment to keep them looking good and protect them from the elements. You can varnish or stain the wood to retain its natural finish or opt to paint it with proper fence paint for a pop of colour.
What to read next:
Low cost garden fence designs for marking your boundary on a budget
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Amy-Mae Turner is a Commerce Content Writer for Modern Gardens, Yours, Take A Break Pets, and A Modern Kitchen. When she's not pottering in the garden or mucking around in the kitchen, she can be found having doggy cuddles with her two beloved cockapoochis.