Flagpole heights in France: 6, 8, 10 or 12 metres
Published Written by Flagpole Guides
This page is an English translation of the French original. Where the two versions differ, the French text is the original.
The height of a flagpole is chosen according to the site, the distance from which the flag will be seen, the size of the flag and the planning rules. In France one threshold matters in particular: 12 metres, the height up to which a small structure is generally exempt from any formality under the Planning Code.
Common heights
French makers mainly offer poles of 6, 8, 10 and 12 metres. According to the flag maker Doublet, aluminium and fibreglass poles range from 6 to 12 metres, and steel poles, mainly for events, from 3 to 9 metres. In practice:
- Private garden: often 6 metres, sometimes a shorter telescopic pole.
- Business, campsite, sports club: often 6 to 8 metres, frequently in a row of several poles of the same height.
- War memorial, prefecture, large site: 8 to 12 metres.
- Façade: a staff of 1.25 to 2.30 metres, slid into a bracket.
Height and flag size
The taller the pole, the larger the flag. The flag maker Doublet links pole height and flag size as follows:
| Pole height | Flag size |
|---|---|
| 3 to 4 m | 80 × 120 cm |
| 4 to 6 m | 100 × 150 cm |
| 6 to 8 m | 150 × 225 cm |
| 8 to 10 m | 200 × 300 cm |
| 10 m and more | 300 × 450 cm |
The flag size calculator applies this table to a given height, and the guide to flag sizes sets it out in full.
The 12-metre threshold
Under article R. 421-2 of the Planning Code, new structures that meet three cumulative criteria are exempt from any formality: a height above ground of 12 metres or less, a footprint of no more than 5 m² and a floor area of no more than 5 m². This exemption does not apply within a remarkable heritage site, near historic monuments or in a listed site or one being listed.
Above 12 metres, article R. 421-9 provides for a prior declaration for structures whose footprint and floor area do not exceed 5 m². In protected areas, article R. 421-11 makes structures of 12 metres or less subject to a prior declaration. Under article L. 421-8, a structure exempt from formalities remains subject to planning rules, such as those of the local land-use plan on height and distance from boundaries. The guide to flagpole installation sets out these rules.
What influences the choice
- Visibility: a pole seen from afar, from a road or a car park, is often taller than a garden pole.
- Neighbouring buildings: a pole often rises above the ridge of a low house, but stays in proportion to a block of flats.
- Wind: a taller pole takes greater loads and needs a larger foundation. More on this is in the guide to flagpole safety.
- Several poles: in a row, poles are generally the same height, so that the tricolour, the European flag and the other flags fly level.
- Maintenance: a taller pole makes changing the halyard or pulley trickier, unless it tilts.
Frequently asked questions
What is a common flagpole height?
French makers mainly offer poles of 6, 8, 10 and 12 metres. According to the flag maker Doublet, aluminium and fibreglass poles range from 6 to 12 metres, steel poles from 3 to 9 metres.
Why does the 12-metre threshold matter?
Under article R. 421-2 of the Planning Code, a new structure up to 12 metres above ground, with a footprint and floor area of no more than 5 m², is exempt from any formality outside protected areas. Above 12 metres, article R. 421-9 provides for a prior declaration.
What size of flag for an 8-metre pole?
In the table of the flag maker Doublet, a 6 to 8-metre pole carries a 150 × 225 cm flag and an 8 to 10-metre pole a 200 × 300 cm flag. The flag size calculator shows the size for each height.
Is the height of the pole measured with the foundation?
In makers’ practice, the stated height is the height above ground. For the Planning Code, too, it is the height above ground that counts.
Sources
This guide is based on the following sources, most of them in French:
- Code de l’urbanisme, article R. 421-2 – Légifrance
- Code de l’urbanisme, constructions nouvelles soumises à déclaration préalable (articles R. 421-9 à R. 421-12) – Légifrance
- Comment choisir un mât pour drapeau ? – Doublet (fabricant de drapeaux)
- Comment bien choisir un drapeau ? – Doublet (fabricant de drapeaux)
- Déclaration préalable (DP) – Service Public
Related guides
- Flag sizesCommon flag sizes in France, from 40 × 60 to 300 × 450 cm, the 2:3 proportions of the tricolour, and sizes by pole height and façade staff.
- Flag size calculatorCalculator for the size of a flag by the height of the pole, based on a French flag maker’s table, with the band widths of the flag and of the naval ensign.
- Flagpole installationInstalling a flagpole in France: exemption or prior declaration under the Planning Code, protected areas, local plan, co-ownership, DT-DICT and foundation.
- Types of flagpolesThe types of flagpole used in France: single pole with outside or inside halyard, pole with one or two arms, façade staff, telescopic or tapered pole.
- Price of a flagpoleWhat makes the price of a flagpole vary in France: height, material, type, anti-theft halyard, finish, foundation and installation, with consumer guarantees.