Flag sizes: what size flag for a flagpole?
Published Written by Flagpole Guides
No law in the UK says how large a flag must be. The Flag Institute calls the size of flag for any flagpole “a matter of aesthetics”, but gives a guide in its UK flag protocol, and the planning rules in England set limits for some kinds of flag. Choosing a size also affects how the flag looks at half-mast and how much the pole is loaded in the wind.
The Flag Institute’s guide
According to the Flag Institute, a ground-level flagpole has a flag whose length, its longer dimension, is no more than one third of the pole’s height. A flagpole on top of a building may need a larger flag because of the added height of the building.
| Pole height | Maximum flag length (one third) | At 3:5 (land) | At 1:2 (sea) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.6 m | about 153 cm | about 92 × 153 cm | about 77 × 153 cm |
| 5 m | about 167 cm | about 100 × 167 cm | about 83 × 167 cm |
| 6 m | about 200 cm | about 120 × 200 cm | about 100 × 200 cm |
| 7 m | about 233 cm | about 140 × 233 cm | about 117 × 233 cm |
| 8 m | about 267 cm | about 160 × 267 cm | about 133 × 267 cm |
| 10 m | about 333 cm | about 200 × 333 cm | about 167 × 333 cm |
| 12 m | about 400 cm | about 240 × 400 cm | about 200 × 400 cm |
The values are upper limits. A smaller flag is always possible and loads the pole less. The flag size calculator works out the size for any height.
Proportions of the Union Flag
According to the Flag Institute’s specification for the Union Flag:
- the normal proportions for use on land are 3:5
- the customary proportions of ensigns for use at sea are 1:2.
For a display with flags of several nations, the Flag Institute recommends the UK’s 3:5 shape, as it works well with nearly all other nations’ flags. For a flag on a coffin, the Flag Institute notes that 1:2 proportions fit the shape of the coffin better and gives 138 × 276 cm as an example.
Several flags together
When British national flags are flown with the flags of other nations, the Flag Institute describes each flag as the same size, or at least the same width, flying from separate poles of the same height. Different national flags have different proportions, so flags of the same height are not always the same length.
Planning limits in England
For national flags on a flagpole, the government’s plain English guide sets no size limit. For house flags, sports club flags and other flags in the second category, it sets these limits:
| Situation | Limit |
|---|---|
| Vertical flagpole on the roof | no limit on flag size |
| Flagpole projecting from a building | flag no more than 2 square metres |
| Flagpole in the grounds of a building | no limit on flag size, but the pole may not exceed 4.6 metres |
| Characters in controlled areas | no more than 0.75 metres high, 0.3 metres in an area of special control |
Controlled areas include areas of outstanding natural beauty, conservation areas, the Broads and National Parks. More in the guide to installing a flagpole.
Size, wind and half-mast
A larger flag catches more wind and increases the forces on the pole and foundation. Many manufacturers state a maximum flag size for their poles. At half-mast, the Flag Institute describes at least the height of the flag between the top of the flag and the top of the pole, so a large flag on a short pole sits lower. More in the guides to half-mast and flagpole heights.
Frequently asked questions
What size flag should go on a 6 metre flagpole?
There is no official rule. As a guide, the Flag Institute gives a flag length of no more than one third of the height of a ground-level flagpole. For a 6 metre pole that is a flag of up to about 2 metres long, which at the land proportions of 3:5 is about 120 × 200 cm.
What are the proportions of the Union Flag?
According to the Flag Institute’s specification, the normal proportions for use on land are 3:5 and the customary proportions of ensigns for use at sea are 1:2.
Should several flags be the same size?
According to the Flag Institute, when British national flags are flown with flags of other nations, each flag should be the same size, or at least the same width, and fly from a separate flagpole of the same height.
Is there a size limit for flags in England?
For national flags on a flagpole there is none in the planning rules. For house and club flags on a pole projecting from a building, the government’s plain English guide sets a maximum of 2 square metres. Characters on flags in controlled areas such as conservation areas may be no more than 0.75 metres high.
Sources
This guide is based on the following sources:
- UK flag protocol – size of flag – The Flag Institute
- Union Flag specification – The Flag Institute
- Flying flags: a plain English guide – Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Related guides
- Flag size calculatorThe flag size calculator shows the largest flag for a flagpole by the Flag Institute’s one-third guide, in centimetres and feet, at 3:5 and 1:2 proportions.
- Flagpole heightsHow tall a flagpole can be without planning permission in the UK, which flag size suits which height, the half-mast position, and the fall zone around a pole.
- Flag typesThe flags flown in the UK: the Union Flag, the national flags of England, Scotland and Wales, ensigns, the Royal Standard, county and house flags and pennants.
- Half-mastWhat half-mast means in the UK: how far down the flag flies, how it is raised and lowered, when flags go to half-mast and when a black mourning ribbon is used.