Service Line Clearances Over Driveways, Pools and Decks: The Heights You Legally Need to Keep

Building a deck, carport or pool under an existing overhead line? The Service and Installation Rules of NSW set exact minimum heights an overhead service line must keep above different surfaces, from as little as 2.7 metres over land vehicles can't reach to 5.5 metres over a public road. Adding a structure, or even changing the ground level, underneath the line can put your property in breach without you realising until a defect notice arrives.

👉 See our overhead service mains services →

⚡ Quick Answers: Service Line Clearances

• How high must the line be over my driveway? At least 3.0 metres for a residential driveway, rising to 4.5 metres for a commercial vehicle crossing and 5.5 metres over a public road.
• What about over a pool or deck? Your own private overhead wiring (to a shed or pool pump, for example) must clear at least 3 metres above a pool zone, while the distributor's service line to your point of attachment follows a wider clearance table.
• Does a new deck or carport count as a change? Yes. Any new structure or change in ground level under the line can breach the required clearance, even if the line itself hasn't moved.
• Do these heights include wind and sag? Yes. The minimum clearances have to be achieved under all conditions, including the line sagging in heat and swinging in wind, not just on a still day.
• What happens if I'm in breach? Your distributor can issue a defect notice, and the fix usually means raising the point of attachment, rerouting the span, or moving to an underground service.
• Who fixes a clearance breach? A Level 2 ASP, since it involves the service line between the network and your property.

1. Two different rulebooks, depending on which wire it is

Two separate sets of clearances can apply on the same property. The line from the street pole to your point of attachment is the distributor's service line, governed by the Service and Installation Rules of NSW. Any private overhead wiring you run afterwards, say from your house across the yard to a shed, pool pump or garage, is governed separately by the Wiring Rules (AS/NZS 3000). Both sets of rules use the same idea, minimum vertical clearance above ground and structures, but the numbers differ slightly depending on which wire and which situation you're looking at.

2. Clearances over driveways and roads

For the distributor's service line, the required clearance grows with how the area underneath is used. A residential driveway needs at least 3.0 metres of clearance, a commercial vehicle crossing needs 4.5 metres, and land likely to be used by vehicles more generally sits at 4.5 metres too. Cross a public road and the number jumps again, to 4.9 metres over most of the carriageway and 5.5 metres over its centre or a freeway. Land that vehicles genuinely can't reach only needs 2.7 metres.

3. Clearances over pools, decks and other structures

Areas people can walk on or stand on, like an accessible flat roof, a balustrade or a verandah, need at least 2.7 metres of clearance under the service line rules, while a structure nobody can reach without a ladder needs far less. For your own private overhead wiring specifically, the Wiring Rules set a clearance of at least 3 metres above a pool zone, recognising that people and equipment around pools are more exposed than most backyards. Clotheslines, opening windows and verandah edges are covered by an "out of normal reach" test rather than a single fixed number, generally meaning the wire has to sit further away than an arm's reach from anywhere someone could stand.

4. Why the minimum isn't the design number

None of these clearances are measured on a still, cool day. They have to hold under all conditions, which means the line's maximum sag in hot weather and its swing in wind both have to be accounted for when a service is designed and installed. That's why a line that looks like it clears your new pergola comfortably in June can be genuinely non compliant on a 40 degree day with the cable at full stretch. Our aerial bundled cable vs underground guide covers how modern insulated cable reduces some of this risk compared to older bare wire spans.

5. What to do before you build

If you're planning a deck, carport, pool, pergola or any structure near where your service line runs, get the clearance checked before council approval and before the concrete goes in. Changing the ground level underneath the line, for example building up a pool deck, can eat into clearance just as much as building upward. A site visit from a Level 2 ASP is the cheapest way to find out early, rather than after a distributor inspector flags it.

6. Fixing an existing breach

If a structure has already gone up under a line that's now too close, there are three practical fixes: raise the point of attachment and re-route the span, have the electrician re-tension or replace the cable to reduce sag, or convert the run to an underground service and remove the overhead clearance problem entirely. Which one makes sense depends on the span length, the structure and your budget, and it's exactly the kind of assessment covered by defect notice rectification if a notice has already been issued.

Why it's Level 2 ASP work

Adjusting, raising or rerouting a service line touches the network's connection to your property, which in NSW is restricted to an accredited Level 2 ASP. A standard electrician or builder can flag a suspected clearance issue, but only a Level 2 team can legally fix the line itself.

How High Demand Electrical helps

We check service line clearances as a standard part of any renovation, pool or deck consultation across Sydney's West, South West and Sutherland Shire, and we're accredited to work on both the Ausgrid and Endeavour Energy networks. If you've already received a defect notice about clearance, we can quote the fix, whether that's a re-tensioned span, a raised point of attachment, or a full move to underground service.

Service Line Clearance FAQs (Sydney)

Will my builder or pool company check this for me?

Not always, and it's easy for a clearance issue to slip through until a distributor inspection catches it. It's worth asking specifically before work starts, or booking a Level 2 site check.

Can I just build slightly to one side of the line instead?

Sometimes, if there's room, but the clearance rules apply to the whole structure, not just the point directly under the wire, so check the full footprint against the required distances first.

Does a temporary structure, like a marquee for an event, need to meet these clearances too?

Yes. The clearance rules don't distinguish between temporary and permanent structures, since the danger from an undersized gap is the same either way.

Which network handles a clearance issue in my street?

Check your network area in seconds to confirm whether Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy covers your address before lodging anything.

Planning a deck, pool or carport near an overhead line? Get a service line clearance check or call 0402 559 777. Every job starts with a site assessment so scope and pricing are confirmed before work begins.