Planning permission for privacy screens: what applies?

Whether your privacy screen needs a permit depends on your situation and on the regulations of your municipality. The building owner must clarify the local provisions in advance, most easily directly with the building authority of your municipality.

Distances from the road (example: Canton of Aargau)

The Aargau Building Act (§ 111) regulates the distances between enclosures and the road. In simplified terms, unless the municipality specifies otherwise:

• Enclosures up to 80 cm high: 1 m from cantonal roads, 60 cm from municipal roads.
• Enclosures over 80 cm and up to 1.80 m: 2 m from cantonal roads, 60 cm from municipal roads.
• The distances from municipal roads also apply to private roads in public use.

Special land use plans or visibility zones can change these distances. The current legal text and the information from your municipality are always decisive.

Notification procedure or ordinary procedure?

For projects of minor significance that do not affect the interests of third parties, there is usually a simplified notification procedure without public notice. Typical examples are garden sheds, walls up to 1.5 m high or swimming pools. Larger projects follow the ordinary procedure with public notice and staking out; neighbours can then lodge an objection.

Checklist

• Talk to the building authority first.
• Use the municipality's official building application form.
• Typical attachments: land register extract, site plan, project plans at 1:100.
• Only start building once the decision is legally binding.

We will be happy to support your application with plans and visualisations.